LAWRENCEVILLE — Cedric Hunter drove in a run in each of his first two at-bats and scored the deciding run in the Gwinnett Braves’ 6-3 win over the Charlotte Knights on Friday in the opener of a three-game series at Coolray Field.
It was the G-Braves’ first home win over Charlotte in six tries this season. They are 3-8 against the Knights, overall.
After a pair of run-scoring singles and a walk, Hunter recorded his third single of the game to open the eighth inning. He came around to score on a single by Sean Kazmar to put Gwinnett in front 4-3. Jose Yepez followed with a run-scoring single of his own that drove inTodd Cunningham and gave the G-Braves’ a two-run lead, and Eric Young, Jr. drew a bases-loaded walk from right-handed reliever Blake Smith for Gwinnett’s final run.
All three runs were charged to right-handed reliever Junior Guerra (L, 2-4), as he gave up four singles and a walk to leave Smith with a bases-loaded jam and Charlotte a 5-3 deficit. Guerra finished his 1.2 innings with three runs allowed on four hits and two walks with one strikeout. Smith recorded his only out via a strikeout of Barrett Kleinknecht to end the eighth.
The game had been tied 3-3 since Charlotte’s Matt Tuiasosopo hit a two-run home run, his second homer of the night, in the fifth inning against right-hander Ryan Weber (W, 4-1). Otherwise, Weber did not allow another run in 5.0 innings of relief after right-handed starterSugar Ray Marimon went 3.0 innings in his first start since he went on the disabled list on July 1.
Weber gave up his two runs on four hits with no walks and a strikeout while throwing 59 pitches (41 strikes). Marimon threw 53 pitches (33 strikes) and gave up five hits, including a solo homer to Tuiasosopo in the first inning, with no walks and two strikeouts. Right-handerPeter Moylan (S, 1) threw a perfect ninth inning and had one strikeout in his first save since August 23, 2013 when he pitched for Albuquerque against Nashville.
Hunter’s first hit two-out single in the bottom of the first inning drove in Young and answered Tuiasosopo’s homer in the top half of the inning to tie the game at one. Hunter’s run-scoring hit snapped a 15.2-inning scoreless streak that tied the team’s longest of the season.
He also extended the G-Braves’ (49-50) lead to 3-1 in the third inning with a single that drove in Jose Peraza, who had reached base on a bunt single. Young got Gwinnett its first run of the frame to break a 1-1 tie when he singled home Mallex Smith, who led off the inning with a bunt single.
Those three runs were all Gwinnett mustered against Charlotte (57-44) right-handed starter Kyle Drabek, but one was unearned. Drabek allowed seven hits and a walk with three strikeouts in his 6.0 innings.
Hunter ended the night 3-for-3 with a walk. It was his sixth three-hit game of the season and first since May 25 to tie Peraza for the most on the team. Peraza, meanwhile, finished 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored to extend his hitting streak to 12 games, which is the longest of any Gwinnett hitter this season. Smith and Yepez both went 2-for-4. Smith scored a run, and Yepez had one RBI.
Tuiasosopo did not get a hit aside from his two home runs. He went 2-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored and completed a trio at the top of Charlotte’s lineup, along with Micah Johnson and Jason Coats, that each went 2-for-4. Coats also scored a run, as he was on base after an infield single before Tuiasosopo’s second homer.
Gwinnett and Charlotte will meet for the middle game of their three-game series at 7:05 p.m. on Saturday at Coolray Field. The G-Braves will send right-hander Kanekoa Texeira (1-3, 3.64 ERA) to the mound, while the Knights are scheduled to start righty Erik Johnson (8-5, 2.59 ERA). Tony Schiavone has the play-by-play call on 97.7 FM and WSBRadio.com beginning at 6:30 p.m.
The first 2,000 fans in attendance will receive a Hall of Fame Bobblehead of legendary Atlanta Braves’ manager Bobby Cox, presented by Coolray Heating and Cooling. It’s also “Diversity Day” at the ballpark. The G-Braves will celebrate the many cultures throughout the world on a night that features a variety of unique food options along with performances by the Atlanta Karate Group, the Atlanta Drum Academy, Mariachi Mexicanisimo and much more. To purchase tickets, call the Coolray Field Ticket Office at 678-277-0340 or visit GwinnettBraves.com/tickets.
