LAWRENCEVILLE, GA - The Gwinnett Stripers took both games of a doubleheader Wednesday against the Durham Bulls. Game one went to the Stripers, 9-3, behind starter Wes Parsons, while a 5-4 win in game two was powered by a Danny Santana game-winning home run.
LAWRENCEVILLE, GA - The Gwinnett Stripers took both games of a doubleheader Wednesday against the Durham Bulls. Game one went to the Stripers, 9-3, behind starter Wes Parsons, while a 5-4 win in game two was powered by a Danny Santana game-winning home run.
The first game - the make-up from Tuesday's postponement - featured a hit parade from the home side as all nine batters had at least one hit.
That second frame brought every batter to the plate, with the first four Stripers stroking base hits off rehabbing starter Nathan Eovaldi (L, 0-1). Carlos Franco started it with a single and moved to third with a Sean Kazmar Jr. double. Rio Ruiz brought in Franco with a single, then Phil Gosselin lined a triple into the corner to open up a 3-0 lead.
Jonathan Morales singled for his first career Triple-A hit and RBI in his second game with the club, bringing Gosselin home from third. A Peter Bourjos double moved Morales into scoring position, then he scored on a Santana groundout for a 5-0 lead.
The Stripers added two more in the fourth after Gosselin led off with a single. Xavier Avery followed with one of his own, but two errors by right fielder Jake Bauers allowed Gosselin to score and moved Avery to third. Morales drove him in with an RBI groundout. With one out, Santana socked a 403-foot homer to right to make it 8-0. Ruiz added one more with a 387-foot solo shot in the fifth, his first long ball since April 10.
While the Gwinnett offense broke out, Parsons quietly held the Bulls to 5.2 no-hit innings before giving up a single to Joe McCarthy in the sixth. He unraveled a bit in the final frame, allowing the first three runners to reach base, including an RBI double to Micah Johnson that ended the shutout. Parsons was pulled after 6.1 innings (3 H, 3 BB, 7 SO) in favor of Chase Whitley, who gave up a two-run single to Bauers. But the game ended with a double play, giving Parsons (W, 1-0) his first career Triple-A win.
Game two went the Stripers' way, though the circumstances weren't as easy.
Gwinnett's big inning came right away against Ryan Weber (L, 0-1), as the Stripers scored four runs in the first inning to give spot starter Miguel Socolovich an early lead. Santana doubled with one out, then Austin Riley flew out. Santana would score on a Franco double off the wall, his International League-leading 36th RBI on the season. Kazmar followed with a single and moved to third on an error off the bat of Ruiz to put runners on the corners. Ruiz then attempted to steal second, and with Kazmar running on the throw, made it home as the ball sailed into center field to make it 3-0. Ruiz later scored on an Avery RBI single.
It remained 4-0 until the fifth, when the Bulls tied it up. Philip Pfeifer Pfeifer loaded the bases to start the inning, then Chad Bell (W, 1-0) came in and gave up an RBI groundout to Micah Johnson. A wild pitch allowed Kean Wong to score. With two outs, Bell walked Bauers and allowed consecutive RBI singles to Jeremy Hazelbaker and Jason Coats, tying the game.
But Santana got the lead right back in the bottom of the fifth, delivering the game-winning solo blast (5) to right. It was his second homer on the day and his fourth in his last five games.
Evan Phillips (S, 2) came in to get the final six outs, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out four.
Several Stripers had big offensive performances across the two games. Santana combined to go 3-for-7 with two homers, three runs and three RBIs. Avery was 3-for-6 with an RBI, and Riley was 4-for-7.
On a day the Stripers out-hit Durham 20-11, Bauers led the Bulls going 2-for-6 with two RBIs in the twin bill.
The Stripers look to take the series win in a Thursday matinee at Coolray Field beginning at 12:05 p.m. Left-hander Kolby Allard (3-1, 2.02) is scheduled for Gwinnett, while Durham will start righty Forrest Snow (2-1, 3.54). Tony Schiavone the play-by-play call on 97.7 and 93.5 FM The Other Side of the River beginning at 11:35 a.m.
