LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. - Dustin Peterson's two-out RBI double in the eighth inning sent the Gwinnett Stripers to a 5-4 win over the Louisville Bats in game two of a three-game series Tuesday night at Coolray Field.
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. - Dustin Peterson's two-out RBI double in the eighth inning sent the Gwinnett Stripers to a 5-4 win over the Louisville Bats in game two of a three-game series Tuesday night at Coolray Field.
Peterson's high fly ball was just out of the reach of leaping right fielder Steve Selsky, scoring Danny Santana from third base. Santana had singled to lead off the inning, then stole second and third before scoring.
The win was Gwinnett's 11th in its last at-bat this season.
After shutting out Louisville on one hit in a 6-0 win Monday, the Stripers fell behind 2-0 in a four-hit first inning. Right-hander Wes Parsons gave up a leadoff triple to Brian O'Grady, who scored on a one-out single by Gabriel Guerrero. Following a single by Selsky, Tim Federowicz lifted a sacrifice fly to center scoring Guerrero. A batter later, Parsons was hit on the foot by a comebacker from Josh VanMeter, but stayed in the game and retired Taylor Sparks on a tapper to catcher Alex Jackson.
Santana cut the deficit to 2-1 in the bottom of the first, just clearing the right-center fence with a solo home run (14) off right-hander Tyler Mahle.
Louisville pushed the lead to 3-1 in the fourth as VanMeter ripped a solo homer (7) to right off Parsons, but Gwinnett tied it up at 3-3 in the bottom of the fifth as pinch-hitter Xavier Avery launched a 429-foot two-run shot (4) to left-center off Mahle.
Parsons exited after 5.0 innings, ending up with a no-decision as he allowed three runs on six hits, walked one and struck out two. Left-hander Corbin Clouse replaced him in the sixth for his Coolray Field debut.
Federowicz greeted Clouse with a double into the right field corner and scored on a two-out bloop single to right by C.J. McElroy. Right fielder Rio Ruiz's throw to the plate was on target, but Federowicz slid in just ahead of the tag by Jackson for a 4-3 Bats lead.
Former Gwinnett right-hander Matt Wisler replaced Mahle in the sixth, and the Stripers scored the tying run against their ex-teammate in the seventh. Phil Gosselin reached on a fielder's choice, took third on Jackson's ringing double off the wall in left and scored on a sacrifice fly by pinch hitter Sean Kazmar Jr.
Left-hander Sam Freeman (W, 1-0), pitching on a rehab assignment for the Atlanta Braves, worked around a hit and a walk in a scoreless eighth to keep it a 4-4 game. Following Peterson's go-ahead hit, right-hander Jacob Webb (S, 8) struck out two and stranded the tying run at first base in the ninth.
For the Bats, Mahle yielded three runs on four hits over 5.0 innings, walked two and struck out four. Wisler (BS, 1) allowed a run on three hits over 2.0 innings. Right-hander Austin Brice (L, 2-1) gave up a run on two hits over 1.0 inning.
Peterson extended his on-base streak to 29 games and hitting streak to 10 games with a 1-for-3 effort. Santana went 3-for-4 with a homer, two runs scored, an RBI and three stolen bases, becoming the first Striper with three steals in a game since Ronald Acuña Jr. did it in game one of a doubleheader on April 23 at Rochester.
VanMeter led the way offensively for Louisville, going 3-for-4 with a homer, a run scored and an RBI.
The Stripers (57-61) and Bats (52-66) wrap up the three-game series on Wednesday night at Coolray Field; first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. Right-hander Bryse Wilson (2-0, 7.50 ERA) will start for Gwinnett, while Louisville will counter with former Stripers' right-hander and Lawrenceville native Lucas Sims (0-0, 1.64 ERA). Tony Schiavone has the play-by-play call on 97.7 and 93.5 FM "The Other Side of the River" beginning at 6:35 p.m.
