Braves Stumble in Series Opener Against Pulaski

DANVILLE, Va. - The Danville Braves committed three costly errors and struggled at the plate in a 5-1 loss to the Pulaski Yankees Wednesday night in the opening game of the three-game home series.
The D-Braves held the Yankees to just seven hits but came up with just five of their own. Cody Milligan extended his team-best hitting streak to seven games with a 2-for-4 day at the plate, but only three other players got hits as the D-Braves stranded six baserunners.
Mitch Stallings took his second loss of the season despite a strong outing on the mound. In his 5.2 innings, Stallings yielded just three hits and two walks, striking out four. The two runs he gave up were unearned runs.
Neither team advanced a runner past first base in the first three innings, as the teams combined for one hit and one walk. Both the D-Braves and the Yankees had runners reach on errors in the second frame but were unable to even put anyone in scoring position until the fourth inning.
The Yankees led off the fourth frame with a runner on first after a fielding error by third baseman Garrett Saunders, though the runner was thrown out at second on a fielder's choice the next at-bat. Saul Torres collected the team's first hit with an RBI double to score Chad Bell from first for the 1-0 lead before the next two batters went down. Danville got a walk and a steal from Charles Reyes to put him on second, but Reyes was thrown out trying to steal third and the D-Braves didn't put anyone else on.
In the sixth inning, Pulaski added to the lead with an RBI single to make it 2-0. In the bottom of the frame, Garrett Saunders singled and Jose Palma walked to start the inning. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch, giving Danville runners on second and third with no outs, but two strikeouts and a ground out kept runs off the board.
Nelson B. Alvarez led off the seventh for Pulaski with a triple and scored the next at-bat when D-Braves pitcher Deyvis Julian was given a balk to make it 3-0. Danville threatened to cut into the deficit in the eighth inning, but stranded runners on first and third.
The Yankees added two more insurance runs in the top of the ninth with an RBI groundout and an RBI single. Willie Carter was hit by a pitch with two outs, and three wild pitches allowed him to come all the way home and end the shutout. After those wild pitches helped Ray Hernandez draw a walk, Mitch Calandra grounded out to end the game.
The teams will be back in action Thursday night, with first pitch set for 6:30 p.m.