Yepez HR In 8th Sinks Bulls 6-5
Trailing 5-4 with one out in the eighth, Yepez sailed a 3-2 pitch from Cesar Ramos (L, 3-2) against the left field foul pole to give the Braves their first lead of the night.
Jaye Chapman struck out Tim Beckham in the top of the ninth with two outs and Reid Brignac aboard to end the game.
Durham had assumed a 4-0 lead through 4 1/2 innings, scoring three times against Yohan Flande in the top of the first to seize early command. Rich Thompson was hit on the game's first pitch, and scored two batters later on a double by Henry Wrigley. Brandon Allen then hit a two-run homer to center to give starter Chris Archer a 3-0 lead.
After a scoreless first inning in which Archer threw 17 pitches and fanned one batter, Archer left the game before the second inning. According to Mark Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, Archer reported tightness in his left oblique and was removed as a precaution.
Brian Augenstein worked the next 3 2/3 innings for the Bulls, keeping the Braves scoreless until the fifth when a two-out double by Jose Costanza scored a run. After another walk, Frank De Los Santos entered and served up a two-run double to Christian Marrero to trim the Bulls lead to 4-3.
Gwinnett tied the game in the sixth on a DeLosSantos wild pitch with two outs, but Durham quickly regained the lead in the seventh against Flande. With the bases loaded and one out, Cole Figueroa singled to center to give the Bulls a 5-4 lead, but Brignac was thrown out at the plate by Durango.
Chris Gimenez and Allen had two hits apiece for the Bulls, who send Lance Pendleton (4-2) to the hill in the rubber game against the Braves Sunday afternoon at 2:05 PM ET.