Dodd Debuts with Win as Stripers Beat Memphis 6-5
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Atlanta Braves' No. 17 prospect Dylan Dodd pitched 6.2 innings of three-run baseball and struck out seven in his Triple-A debut, leading the Gwinnett Stripers (68-77) to a 6-5 win over the Memphis Redbirds (72-75) on Sunday afternoon at AutoZone Park. Gwinnett earned a 3-3 split in
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Atlanta Braves' No. 17 prospect Dylan Dodd pitched 6.2 innings of three-run baseball and struck out seven in his Triple-A debut, leading the Gwinnett Stripers (68-77) to a 6-5 win over the Memphis Redbirds (72-75) on Sunday afternoon at AutoZone Park. Gwinnett earned a 3-3 split in the final road series of the year.
*Decisive Plays: *The Stripers took a 2-0 lead thanks to Hernan Perez, who doubled and scored on a single by Taylor Motter in the first inning and led off the third with a solo home run (9) to left field off Connor Thomas (L, 6-12). RBIs from Jake Marisnick and Justyn-Henry Malloy made it 4-1 through five, but Memphis scored twice off Dodd (W, 1-0) in the sixth to cut it to 4-3. A sacrifice fly by Tyler White and RBI double by Yariel Gonzalez boosted the lead to 6-3 in the eighth before the Redbirds answered back with two runs off Roel Ramirez. Michael Tonkin (S, 15) struck out the side in the ninth to finish the 6-5 win.
Key Contributors: Dodd allowed three runs on five hits over 6.2 innings, walked one, and struck out seven in his first start since joining the Stripers on Thursday. Perez went 2-for-5 with a double, homer, and one RBI. Marisnick, Motter, Malloy, White, and Gonzalez each tallied one RBI apiece. For Memphis, Clint Coulter went 3-for-4 with a double, triple, and two RBIs.
Noteworthy: Dodd is the second Stripers pitcher to deliver a quality start in his Triple-A debut this season, joining Freddy Tarnok (July 13 vs. Durham). Motter has a 13-game on-base streak dating back to September 3, batting .386 (17-for-44) with four doubles, six homers, 14 RBIs, and a 1.386 OPS in that span. Gwinnett finishes the year 17-10 against Memphis, including 8-7 on the road.
Next Game (Monday, September 26): Gwinnett vs. Louisville, 7:05 p.m. at Coolray Field. Radio Broadcast: 6:50 p.m. on MyCountry993.com. In honor of Braves legend and Baseball Hall of Famer Hank Aaron, the first 755 ticketed fans through the gates will receive a 2021 Braves replica championship ring, courtesy of Coolray Heating & Cooling. Please note, this giveaway is ONE PER PERSON, and fans with extra tickets will not be permitted to exit the ballpark and re-enter to claim additional rings.