Stripers Score Season-High 17 Runs in Rout of Charlotte

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. - The Gwinnett Stripers (66-45) set season highs in runs (17) and extra-base hits (10), and matched season highs in hits (18) and winning margin (13) in a 17-4 win over the Charlotte Knights (58-53) on Friday night at Coolray Field. With Durham's loss at Norfolk, the Stripers own a 3.5-game lead in the International League South Division.

Scoring Recap: The Stripers scored four runs in the first inning, highlighted by a leadoff home run from Ryan LaMarre (9) and two-run blast from Rafael Ortega (21). Gwinnett extended a 4-1 lead to 8-1 with four runs in the third, two coming on a 418-foot homer to right-center by John Ryan Murphy (1). The Stripers scored three runs in the fourth to go up 11-1. In the fifth, Andrés Blanco (16) hit a 405-foot grand slam to center to make it 15-2. Pedro Florimón (7) hit the Stripers' fifth and final homer in a two-run sixth as Gwinnett extended the lead to 17-2. Charlotte's Luis Robert (7) crushed a two-run homer off Jeremy Walker in the seventh to cut the lead to 17-4.
Stripers Stats: Eight of the Stripers' nine players had at least one hit, run scored, and RBI. LaMarre went 4-for-5 with two doubles and a homer, falling a triple shy of the first cycle in Gwinnett history. Jack Lopez went 4-for-5 with a double and two RBIs. Blanco was 2-for-5 with a homer and game-high four RBIs. On the mound, Bryse Wilson (W, 7-7) pitched 6.0 innings with two runs (one earned) on five hits and five strikeouts in his third straight win.
Knights Stats: Rehabbing Chicago White Sox pitcher Kelvin Herrera (L, 0-1) worked 1.0 inning and yielded four runs on five hits. Robert went 2-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs.
Quote: "It felt like we were hitting every inning and it's a great feeling," LaMarre said. "Our lineup is so deep and we were really clicking on all cylinders today."
Postgame Notes: Blanco's fifth-inning grand slam was the Stripers' eighth this season, setting a new Gwinnett single-season record (the 2011 club had seven grand slams). Murphy is the 17th different Stripers player to hit a home run this season, helping raise the team's franchise-record homer total to 174. Wilson saw his rotation-best scoreless innings streak snapped at 16.1, but turned in his third straight quality start.
Next Game (Saturday, August 3): Gwinnett vs. Charlotte, 6:05 p.m. at Coolray Field. RHP Huascar Ynoa (2-3, 4.50 ERA) for the Stripers vs. RHP Dylan Covey (0-0, 1.85 ERA) for the Knights. Radio Broadcast: 5:50 p.m. on 97.7 and 93.5 FM "The Other Side of the River."