G-Braves Fall in Walk-Off Fashion at Charlotte

CHARLOTTE, NC - The Charlotte Knights (40-52) scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to end the Gwinnett Braves' (47-45) four game winning streak with a 5-4 victory Sunday afternoon in the final game of the four-game series at BB&T Ballpark.
The Knights carried a 3-1 advantage to the top of the ninth, but a three-run rally gave the G-Braves their first lead at 4-3. Facing reliever Bobby Parnell, Ozzie Albies led off with a soft single to right and moved to second on a wild pitch. Atlanta's Danny Santana , playing in his third rehab game with Gwinnett, then singled to right, scoring Albies from second. Santana moved to second on another Parnell wild pitch and then scored the tying run on a double to the gap in right-center by Rio Ruiz . Ruiz moved to third on a ground out by Dustin Peterson and scored the go-ahead run when Micah Johnson beat out an infield single.
However, in the bottom of the ninth, with one out, and no one on, the G-Braves pulled reliever Enrique Burgos in favor of left-hander A.J. Minter . Minter gave up a double to Rob Brantley, and with two outs, allowed a pinch-hit double to Rymer Liriano to tie the game at 4-4. Pinch hitter Tyler Ladendorf then followed with the game winner, a shallow single in left-center, bringing home Liriano from second.
Charlotte had taken the early lead with a three-run bottom of the second off Gwinnett starting pitcher Kris Medlen . A lead-off Brantly single followed by an RBI double to center by Hayes made it 1-0. With two outs, a single by Ronald Bueno pushed the Charlotte lead to 2-0 and Yoán Moncada followed with a single to center, enabling Bueno to score for a 3-0 lead.
Behind the efforts of Charlotte starting pitcher Reynaldo López, it appeared the 3-0 lead would stand, but Gwinnett finally broke through in the top of the eighth. With two outs, Ruiz walked, went to third on a single by Peterson and scored on a wild pitch.
The 3-1 score stood until the two teams combined for five runs and seven hits in the wild ninth inning.
Medlen tossed 7.0 innings with six hits, three earned runs, one walk and seven strikeouts in a no-decision. Burgos went 1.1 innings with one strikeout. Minter (BS, 1, L, 0-1) worked a third of an inning with three hits, two earned runs and one strikeout. 
Lopez pitched 7.0 innings with three hits, one earned run, two walks and a season-high 12 strikeouts. Brian Clark (H, 3) went 1.0 inning with one strikeout. Parnell (BS, 4, W, 3-2) worked 1.0 inning with four hits and three earned runs.
Santana led the Gwinnett charge with a 2-for-4 day with one run and one RBI. Peterson was 1-for-4 to increase his hitting streak to 11 games.
Brantly had the big bat for Charlotte. He was 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored. Willy García was also 2-for-4.
The G-Braves return to Coolray Field on Monday night to begin a seven-game homestand with the first of a three-game series against the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs. Gwinnett is scheduled to start right-hander Lucas Sims (6-4, 3.98 ERA), while Lehigh Valley will counter with right-hander Tom Eshelman (7-2, 1.96 ERA). First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. Air time is 6:35 p.m. with Tony Schiavone on 97.7 FM "The Other Side of the River."

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