Stripers’ Late Rally Capped by Leury Garcia’s Walk-Off Heroics
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. – Clutch moments from the Gwinnett Stripers (14-16) throughout the later innings culminated in a game-winning sacrifice fly from Leury Garcia as the Stripers battled back from deficits on two occasions to secure their first walk-off victory of the season 5-4 over the Durham Bulls on Friday night
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. – Clutch moments from the Gwinnett Stripers (14-16) throughout the later innings culminated in a game-winning sacrifice fly from Leury Garcia as the Stripers battled back from deficits on two occasions to secure their first walk-off victory of the season 5-4 over the Durham Bulls on Friday night at Coolray Field.
Decisive Plays: Both teams traded big blows in the early stages as Ruben Cardenas hit a two-run homer in the first inning to put Durham ahead 2-0. Forrest Wall answered with a solo shot (1) to right field to make it 2-1 in the home half. Ronny Simon homered in the second to make it 3-1. Gwinnett inched closer with an RBI single from Luis Liberato in the seventh and tied the game at 3-3 on an RBI single by Andrew Velazquez in the ninth. After Durham scored the automatic runner in the 10th, the Stripers tied the game at 4-4 in the bottom of the frame on a fielding error by Josh Lowe in center field and win it 5-4 on the sacrifice fly from Garcia.
Key Contributors: Wall (2-for-4, HR, RBI) in the first inning and Velazquez in the ninth inning (2-for-4) each had momentous swings for Gwinnett, while Garcia (1-for-4, RBI) provided the game-winning RBI. For Durham, Cardenas and Simon both homered while Taj Bradley held the Stripers without a run through six innings.
Noteworthy: The walk-off victory was the 71st all-time for Gwinnett and the fifth time the team has done so on a sacrifice fly. The leadoff homer was the first for a Striper since Wall himself did so on August 17, 2023, at Durham. The Stripers won their first game of the 2024 season when trailing after eight innings and are now 1-13 on the season in such situations.
Next Game (Friday, May 4): Gwinnett vs. Durham, 6:05 p.m. ET at Coolray Field. Broadcast: 6:50 p.m. ET on MyCountry993.com and Bally Live. RHP Allan Winans (1-2, 2.86 ERA) will start for Gwinnett against RHP Shane Baz (MLB Rehab) for Durham. It's Star Wars Night at Coolray Field as the first 500 kids 12 and under will receive Stripers Glowsaber. Gates open at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday home games this season.