Gwinnett falls to Louisville as winning streak ends at four

LOUISVILLE — Behind the pitching and hitting of starting pitcher Austin Ross, the Louisville Bats beat the Gwinnett Braves by a 5-2 score on Tuesday night in game one of their three-game series at Louisville Slugger Field.
 
The loss snapped a five-game losing streak for Louisville (17-33) and ended a four-game Gwinnett winning streak
 
Ross (W, 1-0), who on Tuesday was promoted to Louisville from Double-A Pensacola, went 8.0 innings for the win with seven hits, two earned runs and one strikeout. He was also 2-for-4 at the plate with two RBIs.
 
Gwinnett (27-23) plated the game’s first run in the top of the first. Ozzie Albies led off the game with a single to right and was forced out at second on a ground ball to second by Johan Camargo. With Camargo now at first, a pitch from Ross hit Adonis Garcia, putting two men on. After Lane Adams hit into a fielder’s choice to put runners on first and third, Dustin Peterson lined a two-out single to left, scoring Camaro from third for a 1-0 Gwinnett lead.
 
In the bottom of the second, Louisville’s Sebastian Elizalde led off with a single to right off Gwinnett starting pitcher Lucas Sims. With one out, Sims walked Dilson Herrera and then allowed runners to move up one base on a wild pitch. Ross followed with a single to left, scoring both Elizalde and Herrera for a 2-1 Bats lead. 
 
The G-Braves tied the game 2-2 in the top of the sixth as Adams singled to left off Ross with one out, moved to second on a single to left by Peterson and scored on a single to right by Carlos Franco. That would be the last run Gwinnett would score.
 
Meanwhile, the Bats broke the deadlock with a run in the bottom of the sixth off Sims. With two outs, Elizalde walked and moved to second on a single to left by Brandon Dixon. Herrera crushed a ground-rule double to left-center, scoring Elizalde from second to push Louisville ahead 3-2.
 
The Bats would pick up their final two runs in the bottom of the seventh off Atlanta Braves reliever Eric O’Flaherty, pitching in his second rehab game with Gwinnett. Hernan Iribarren led off the inning with a single to left and Phillip Ervin followed with a bunt single. With one out, Cincinnati Reds catcher Stuart Turner, playing on a rehab assignment, hit a single to center, scoring Iribarren for a 4-2 lead. Elizalde then doubled to left center, scoring Ervin for a 5-2 lead and eventual final.
 
Despite getting the loss, Sims (L, 4-3) gave Gwinnett a quality start by working 6.0 innings with seven hits, three earned runs, three walks and five strikeouts. O’ Flaherty went one third of an inning with four hits, two earned runs and one walk. Caleb Dirks finished the game with 1.2 scoreless innings with two hits, one walk and two strikeouts.
 
Kevin Shackelford (S, 6) relieved Ross in the top of the ninth and pitched a scoreless inning with one hit and one strikeout for his sixth save of the season.
 
Peterson had the hot bat for Gwinnett, going 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Franco was 2-for-4 with an RBI.
 
Aside from the 2-for-4 night by Ross, the Bats were led by Elizalde, who was 3-for-4 with two runs, a double and an RBI, and Iribarren, who was 3-for-5 with a double and a run.
 
The G-Braves and Bats continue the three-game series on Wednesday night night in Louisville. Right-hander Wes Parsons (0-0, 10.12) will get the start for the G-Braves. The Bats have yet to announce their starting pitcher. First pitch from Louisville is set for 6:35 p.m. Tony Schiavone has the play-by-play call on 97.7 FM “The Other Side of the River” beginning at 6:05 p.m.
 
The G-Braves return to Coolray Field for a seven-game homestand starting on Monday, June 5. Game one of a three-game series vs. the Norfolk Tides begins at 7:05 p.m. For tickets, call 678-277-0340 or visit GwinnettBraves.com/tickets.