LAWRENCEVILLE — The Gwinnett Braves rallied for two runs in the eighth inning but could not come all the way back in a 5-3 loss to the Durham Bulls on Wednesday at Coolray Field.
With the defeat, Gwinnett (53-51) finished the homestand at 5-1 and saw a five-game winning streak – tied for the club’s longest this season – come to an end.
The G-Braves did not manage a hit until the fourth inning against Durham left-handed starter Blake Snell (W, 1-1), the No. 2-ranked prospect in the Tampa Bay Rays’ organization according to MLB.com. Jose Peraza, the Atlanta Braves’ No .1-ranked prospect according to MLB.com, got that first hit and scored the first Gwinnett run when a Joey Terdoslavichgrounder went through second baseman Ryan Brett’s legs.
That cut the deficit to 4-1, but Snell didn’t allow another hit in his 5.0 innings. He walked one, struck out seven and threw 86 pitches (57 strikes).
The Bulls (52-53) staked him to a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Mikie Mahtook doubled off G-Braves’ right-handed starter Sugar Ray Marimon (L, 3-3) to score Nick Franklin. That hit ended a 23.1-inning scoreless streak posted by Gwinnett starting pitchers that dated back to the second inning on July 25 vs. Charlotte.
Franklin drove in Durham’s second run with a double of his own in the fourth inning. The Bulls tallied three runs in the frame with four hits against Marimon, who exited with two outs and Gwinnett trailing 4-0. Right-hander Ryan Weber came in with runners at first and second and struck out Brett to finish the inning.
Weber fired 3.1 scoreless innings with three hits allowed, no walks and three strikeouts. He gave way to righty Vin Mazzaro, who yielded a run in the eighth on two hits, including Franklin’s second run-scoring double of the game.
Gwinnett mounted a comeback against left-handed reliever Enny Romero (H, 3) with two runs in the bottom of the eighth. Eric Young, Jr. led off the frame with a single, and Christian Bethancourt drove him home on his second single of the game. Todd Cunninghamfollowed with a triple off righty Jhan Marinez (H, 12) into the right-field corner to score Bethancourt and narrow Durham’s lead to 5-3.
Marinez recorded his only out of the night when he got Hunter to line out to end the threat. Both of the runs Gwinnett scored in the eighth were charged to Romero. He tossed 2.2 innings and gave up the pair of runs on four hits and a walk with two strikeouts.
After Ryan Kelly threw a perfect top of the ninth that included one strikeout, a one-out single by Jose Yepez against right-handed reliever Kirby Yates (S, 5) gave the G-Braves their only baserunner of the bottom of the ninth. Yates opened the inning with a strikeout and ended it in the same fashion to finish the game.
Terdoslavich extended his season-best hitting streak to nine games with Gwinnett, going 1-for-4 with an RBI. Bethancourt posted his third straight multi-hit game, going 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI.
The No. 5-7 batters in the Durham lineup, Richie Shaffer, Franklin and Mahtook, went a combined 6-for-11 with three RBIs and scored all five of the Bulls’ runs. Grady Sizemore added a 2-for-5 effort.
Both teams are off Thursday before meeting for the opener of a three-game set at Durham Bulls Athletic Park on Friday. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. Right-hander Kanekoa Texeira(2-3, 3.43 ERA) will start for the G-Braves, while righty Dylan Floro (9-9, 4.47 ERA) gets the start for Durham. Tony Schiavone has the play-by-play call on 97.7 FM and WSBRadio.com beginning at 6:30 p.m.
The G-Braves will return to Coolray Field for a seven-game homestand that will begin with a 6:35 p.m. contest on Monday, August 3 vs. the Rochester Red Wings. It’s another “$5 Monday” when all seats (excluding the Home Plate Club) will be $5. The offer is valid exclusively online at GwinnettBraves.com. Fans can also follow the G-Braves on social media to learn about the special concession offers on “Meal Deal Monday.” To purchase tickets, call the Coolray Field Ticket Office at 678-277-0340 or visit GwinnettBraves.com/tickets.
