LAWRENCEVILLE — Todd Cunningham drove in the Gwinnett Braves’ (70-58) first four runs and scored the deciding tally in a 5-4 victory on Sunday to complete a four-game sweep of the Louisville Bats (60-69) at Coolray Field.
The G-Braves’ first four-game sweep of the season knocked a half-game off their deficits in both the International League Wild Card and South Division standings. They trail the Wild Card-leading Columbus Clippers by 2.0 games and the division-leading Norfolk Tides by 3.0 games, although both clubs still had games scheduled for Sunday evening.
The sweep is Gwinnett’s fifth of the 2015 season, but marked the first time the club had swept a four-game series since May 23-26, 2013 at home against the Toledo Mud Hens.
Cunningham scored the go-ahead run when Joey Terdoslavich drove him home with a single as part of a two-out, two-run rally in the seventh inning against right-handed reliever Drew Hayes (L, 4-4). Cunningham had earlier tied the game at 4-4 when he singled home Mallex Smith, who got the first of three consecutive singles. Smith reached second base on his 27th steal of the season for the G-Braves, his 50th combined steal between Gwinnett and Double-A Mississippi.
Cunningham also drove in Smith with a double off right-handed reliever Donovan Hand in the fifth inning that put the G-Braves in front 3-2, and he hit a two-run home run (2) off left-handed starter Tony Cingrani that gave Gwinnett an initial 2-0 lead in the third. He finished a triple shy of the cycle in a 3-for-4 afternoon that included a season-high four RBIs and two runs scored.
The G-Braves were unable to hold the first two leads Cunningham provided as a result of three costly errors. Mallex Smith committed two errors in center field during the third inning, leading to Louisville’s first two runs that tied the game at 2-2. An errant pickoff attempt by right-handed reliever Jason Hursh (W, 1-0) contributed to the rally that put the Bats ahead 4-3 in the seventh inning.
Only one of Louisville’s first three runs were charged to left-handed starter Greg Smith, who gave up seven hits and two walks while striking out two over 6.0 innings. He threw 83 pitches, 54 for strikes.
Gwinnett right-handed relievers David Peterson (H, 5) and Ryan Kelly (S, 12) threw scoreless eighth and ninth innings, respectively, to finish the game. Peterson allowed a one-out single but no other damage in the eighth. Kelly struck out one batter in a perfect ninth.
Hand and Hayes both pitched 2.0 innings of relief after Cingrani pitched the first 3.0 frames. Cingrani gave up two runs on four hits and a walk with one strikeout. Hand allowed a run on two hits, and Hayes gave up two runs on three hits with two strikeouts. Right-hander Jose De La Torre pitched the eighth inning with one hit allowed.
Mallex Smith and Jose Yepez both went 2-for-4 for the G-Braves. Cedric Hunter tripled in the third inning to extend his team-best hitting streak to 17 games. His streak is tied for the second longest in the IL this season.
Hernan Irirbarren led an 11-hit attack for the Bats, going 3-for-3 with a walk and a run scored. Ramon Cabrera and Bryson Smith were both 2-for-5. Cabrera had an RBI, and Smith scored their final two runs.
The Gwinnett Braves begin a three-game road series against the Charlotte Knights on Monday at BB&T Ballpark, first pitch scheduled for 7:05 p.m. Right-hander Jake Brigham (3-0, 5.11 ERA) will make his first start for the G-Braves after five relief appearances, and right-hander Scott Carroll (5-4, 3.80 ERA) will counter for the Knights.
Sunday
May 4th, 2025
2:39PM
