For the second time in three nights, the Danville Braves couldn't buy a hit and couldn't keep the Elizabethton Twins off the basepaths, losing 7-1 at Legion Field Monday night in front of a packed house of 3,069.
For the second time in three nights, the Danville Braves couldn't buy a hit and couldn't keep the Elizabethton Twins off the basepaths, losing 7-1 at Legion Field Monday night in front of a packed house of 3,069.
Despite the disappointing results on the field, the crowd was nonetheless excited and cheered raucously for the fireworks display after the game as the Braves celebrated Independence Day in style.
Danville opened up the scoring in the second inning when Drew Lugbauer hit yet another opposite field home run, giving the Braves a 1-0 lead and padding Lugbauer's league leading statistic of five home runs. Four of his five home runs have gone to left field this season. The Twins (8-4) would take the lead in the 4th when, after a sacrifice fly tied the game, TJ Dixon tripled down the right field line, scoring Mark Contreras, and giving the Twins a lead they would never relinquish.
Keith Weisenberg relieved Javier in the 5th inning, making his first appearance of the season, and the layoff seemed apparent as he only found the strike zone on 9 of his 20 pitches. The only run he surrendered would be an unearned one, as Trey Cabbage would score on a 2-out fielding error by Braves' shortstop Derian Cruz. The Twins would continue to pound Danville relievers, registering 12 hits to Danville's 3.
Odalvi Javier was the tough luck loser, surrendering just two runs in four innings of work. Braves' starters have now allowed two earned runs or fewer in their last nine games. Hagen Owenby, Garrison Schwartz, and Lugbauer registered the only three hits for the Braves (7-5).
WHAT'S NEXT:
First place is on the line in the Appalachian League East Division, as the Braves travel to Pulaski to take on the first-place Yankees. Kyle Muller will get the ball in game one, after a phenomenal outing last week in Burlington. The Braves will return home this weekend for four games against those same Burlington Royals with a full promotional schedule, including Bob Kitzmiller bobblehead night on Friday, Cancer Awareness Night presented by Centra, a baseball ice pack giveaway on Sunday, two concerts as part of the Danville Braves Community Concert Series presented by Danville Toyota, and the second weekend of Map the App. For tickets and more info, call 434-797-3792 or visit dbraves.com
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