Only three of the five scheduled games for Atlanta’s minor league affiliates were played on Wednesday. However, there was still plenty of action to dive into.
(55-61) Gwinnett Stripers 13, (55-61) Norfolk Tide 3
- Drake Baldwin, C: 3-5, 5 RBI, 2 R, BB
- Justin Dean, LF: 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R, BB
- Alejo Lopez, 2B: 2-4, 2B, RBI, R, 2 BB
- Bryce Elder, SP: 6 IP, 5 H, ER, 2 BB, 5 K
Gwinnett won big on Wednesday, beating Norfolk by a whopping ten runs on the day behind Drake Baldwin’s five RBI in the win.
Norfolk scored first in this one, scoring once in the top of the third inning off of Bryce Elder. That would be Elder’s only blemish on the night, as the righty would go six innings, scattering just five hits while walking a pair and striking out five.
In the home half of the third, the Stripers took their first lead of the game and never looked back. Zack Short drew a leadoff walk as Alejo Lopez singled him to second. After Nacho Alvarez Jr. moved both runners up on a flyout, Drake Baldwin singled to score Short and Lopez to give Gwinnett the 2-1 lead on the night. Later in the inning, as Luis Liberato reached on an error, Baldwin scored to give the Stripers the 3-1 lead.
Gwinnett scored twice more in the bottom of the fifth as Liberato scored on a Justin Dean double and Dean would later score on a single by Short to make it a 5-2 Stripers lead. Meanwhile, the Gwinnett pitching staff allowed an additional run in the top of the eighth to make it a 5-2 game. The Stripers broke things open in the home half, scoring eight times.
Short ledoff with a single as Lopez and Alvarez Jr. drew back-to-back walks to load the bases. Then, a Baldwin single plated both Short and Lopez to extend the Stripers’ lead to 7-2. Yuli Gurriel proceeded to walk as Brian Anderson then singled home Alvarez Jr. to make it 8-2. Dean then singled with the bases loaded to score Baldwin and extend the lead to 9-2 on the night.
With the bases still loaded, Short, Lopez, Alvarez Jr. and Baldwin drew four consecutive bases-loaded walks to extend the Gwinnett lead to 13-2, which would hold as the final as the Stripers came away victorious in this one.
(50-58) Mississippi Braves , (54-52) Biloxi Shuckers (POSTPONED)
Jhancarlos Lara’s Double-A debut was spoiled by rain, as Mississippi’s contest was postponed until Thursday, Aug. 15.
(53-53) Rome Emperors 6, (45-63) Asheville Tourists 5
- Jace Grady, RF: 1-4, 2B, 2 RBI, R
- Adam Zebrowski, DH: 1-4, 2 RBI
- Cory Wall, SP: 5 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, BB, 6 K
The Emperors walked things off in extra innings on Wednesday, beating Asheville by one run to move to .500 on the season.
After both squads were held scoreless in the first two innings, Asheville jumped on the scoreboard first, plating two runs in the top of the third to take a 2-0 lead. However, Rome would come back to tie things in the home half.
Kevin Kilpatrick Jr. drew a two-out walk and a Drew Compton single moved him up to third base. Then, Jace Grady doubled into right field to plate both Compton and Kilpatrick Jr. to knot the game at 2-2. Meanwhile, Rome starter Cory Wall went five strong innings, scattering just three hits and allowing two walks while striking out six batters on the night.
After Wall exited the game, the Tourists scored three more runs in the top of the sixth inning to take a 5-2 lead. As for Rome, things were not going well at the plate, as the Emperors were held scoreless over the next five innings until the bottom of the ninth.
Nick Ward ledoff with a triple before a Jacob Godman sacrifice fly scored him to make it a 5-2 game. After Drew Compton and Jace Grady drew back-to-back, two-out walks, an Adam Zebrowski double scored both runners to tie the game at 5-5 and send the game into extra innings.
Reliever Jared Johnson managed to hold the game at a tie in the top of the tenth inning. Then, in the bottom half with Stephen Paolini starting the frame at second base, E.J. Exposito singled into center field to give Rome the 6-5 lead and, more importantly, the win.
(38-68) Augusta GreenJackets 5, (48-60) Fayetteville Woodpeckers 6
- Wilmer De La Cruz, 3B: 1-2, 3B, RBI, R
- Titus Dumitru, RF: 1-3, R
- Luis Arestigueta, SP: 4 IP, 2 H, ER, 2 BB, 5 K
Despite notching just two hits on the night, Augusta managed to only lose by one run in a 6-5 loss to Fayetteville on Wednesday night.
Luis Arestigueta made his first start at the Low-A level, tossing four innings of two-hit, one-run ball on the night. The 18-year-old only walked two batters while striking out five batters in his first taste of full season ball.
After tagging Arestigueta for one run in the top of the first, the Woodpeckers would extend their lead to 2-0 by plating another run in the top of the fifth. However, Augusta would strike back in the bottom of the sixth.
John Gil ledoff with a walk and proceeded to steal second base and then take third on a wild pitch to put the GreenJackets’ first run just 90 feet away. A Junior Garcia groundout plated Gil to make it a 2-1 game. In the bottom of the seventh, Augusta tied the game as Titus Dumitru — who reached on a single and advanced to third on a stolen base and a wild pitch — scored on a balk to make it a 2-2 game.
Fayetteville scored four times in the top of the ninth to take a 6-2 lead over Augusta, but the GreenJackets would attempted to mount a comeback in their final at-bat. After Colby Jones drew a one-out walk, Wilmer De La Cruz tripled him home to make it a 6-3 game. A wild pitch plated De La Cruz to make it 6-4 before Austin Machado was hit by a pitch and Luis Guanipa walked to put a runner in scoring position. Following a balk that moved both Machado and Guanipa up a base, after Gil scored Machado on a sacrifice fly to make it 6-5, Garcia struckout to end the game and hand the GreenJackets the loss.
(14-34) DSL Braves, (21-29) DSL Athletics (CANCELED)
The DSL Braves game was canceled on Wednesday due to weather.
