LAWRENCEVILLE — In a game that started as a pitcher’s duel between Gwinnett’s Patrick Weigel and Charlotte’s James Shields, the Gwinnett Braves got just enough offense to beat the Charlotte Knights 4-1 on Thursday night at Coolray Field.
Over 6.0-plus innings, Weigel (W, 2-1) allowed just one earned run on three hits while walking three and striking out six to earn his second career Triple-A win. Caleb Dirks (S, 2) gave up just one hit over the final three innings to complete the series-opening victory.
After striking out two in a scoreless first inning, Weigel gave up the game’s first run in the second. Cody Asche led off the inning with a walk. Two batters later, Ronald Bueno tripled off the left field wall to score Asche and put the Knights (26-33) ahead 1-0. Weigel then induced a pair of ground outs to end the inning and strand Bueno on third base.
Between the second and fifth innings, Weigel retired 10 batters in a row before giving up a two-out double to Everth Cabrera. In a battle of two top prospects one batter later, Weigel struck out Yoan Moncada swinging to retire the side without a run scoring.
Making his second rehab start, Chicago White Sox’ right-hander Shields (L, 0-2) was nearly as good for the Knights. After retiring the first six hitters he faced, he gave up a single to Kyle Kubitza leading off the bottom of the third. Kubitza then stole second without a throw for his third stolen base of the season. Anthony Recker singled to put runners on the corners, and Emerson Landoni tied the game with a ground ball double play that scored Kubitza from third.
Shields held the G-Braves (30-29) in check in both the fourth and fifth before giving up a leadoff infield single to Landoni in the sixth. That proved to be the end of his night as left-hander Will Lamb entered in relief for the Knights. The first hitter Lamb faced, Jace Peterson, laced a single to right to put a pair of runners on base. After Lamb got two outs with the runners now on second and third, Matt Tuiasosopo gave the G-Braves a 3-1 lead by lacing a double into the right field corner to score both runners.
In 5.0 plus innings, Shields gave up two earned runs on four hits while walking none and striking out five to suffer his second loss of the season.
In the seventh, Weigel walked Asche to open the frame, and that brought an end to his night. Dirks came in and promptly induced a double play ground ball from Jason Bourgeois before striking out Bueno to end a scoreless frame.
Gwinnett added a run in the bottom of the seventh as Landoni dunked a single into shallow right field. Moncada, the second baseman, hustled to pick up the ball and try and throw out Kubitza at third, but his throw was wide for an error that allowed Kubitza to score for a 4-1 lead.
Dirks returned to the mound in the eighth and retired the side in order. In the ninth, he worked around a one-out double to finish off the G-Braves’ second straight victory.
Offensively, Gwinnett was led by two runs from Kubitza, two hits from Landoni, and two RBIs from Tuiasosopo.
Bueno recorded the only RBI for Charlotte while Nicky Delmonico had a pair of singles.
The series continues with a 7:05 p.m. meeting on Friday night at Coolray Field. Carson Fulmer (5-3, 4.63) is scheduled to start for the Knights while the G-Braves have yet to officially announce a starter.
