Twice is Nice: Balentien Jolts Two as Bats Win Again, 7-4
The Bats improved to 51-50 on the season and climbed to one game over the .500-mark for the first time since they were 3-2 on April 12.
Louisville, who had a chance earlier in the week to record more wins than losses, jumped out to a five-run lead off the power of Balentien.
Gary Matthews Jr. led off the game with a double followed by a Zack Cozart single. With two runners in scoring position, Gwinnett starter Jose Ortegano struck out the next two Bats hitters before Balentien stepped to the plate.
On a 1-1 delivery, the slugger sent the pitch well beyond the wall in centerfield.
But Balentien wasn't done.
In his next at-bat in the third, the 26-year old righty belted an Ortegano-pitch off the foul pole in right field for his team-leading 18th round-tripper, scoring Yonder Alonso and Todd Frazier who reached on a walk and a single.
To say Balentien has been hot at the plate would be an understatement as seven of his last nine hits have been home runs. He also tied Cozart for the team lead with 50 RBI.
Gwinnett tried to rally on the Bats bullpen as Philippe Valiquette entered to pitch the fifth and sixth. After retiring the first two batters he faced, four straight Braves reached behind three singles and a walk. Brent Clevlen's run-scoring single, his second of the game, drove in a pair of runs to cut the deficit in half.
An inning later, pinch hitter Barbaro Canizares added another two-out RBI as he brought Matt Young to plate with a sharp single past the Bats' shortstop. All of a sudden the game was 6-4.
In the Bats' half of the seventh, Todd Frazier en route to his 3-for-5 night at the dish added an insurance run with a line-drive home run to left. Frazier's 13th home run of the year was the Bats' 16th over their last five games. Louisville leads the International League with 113 home runs.
Aroldis Chapman earned his seventh victory of the year after appearing in consecutive games for the first time. Chapman (7-6, 4.07) allowed a leadoff double before getting two strikeouts and a fly out for a scoreless seventh.
In the eighth, Enerio Del Rosario inherited two runners from Chapman who allowed the tying runs to reach base on back-to-back singles. Del Rosario needed just three pitches to strikeout Gregor Blanco for the final out in the eighth and worked a scoreless ninth for his fourth save of the season.
Chapman has not allowed an earned run in five straight relief appearances as he worked 1.2 innings, allowing three hits with three strikeouts.
Daniel Ray Herrera made the start for the Bats after Sam LeCure was scratched from the lineup. Herrera, making just his seventh career start, worked four solid innings, allowed three hits and a run while striking out four.
Gwinnett's Ortegano (2-8, 6.58) gave up both Balentien home runs and nine hits. His six runs allowed over four innings could have been worse without the seven strikeouts he recorded.
Balentien last hit two home runs in a game - oddly enough - against Gwinnett on May 30 of this season at Louisville Slugger Field. He had four RBI and a pair of long balls, also in a Louisville win. His six RBI tied Alonso (5/15) for most in a game by a Bats player this year.
The Bats remained in a tie for second place with Indianapolis in the IL's West division. Having won 15 of their last 20 games, Louisville is just 3.5 games back in the wild card standings.
LHP Matt Maloney (7-5, 3.26) is scheduled to start game two of the four-game series for the Bats in Gwinnett. The Braves will call on LHP Mike Minor (3-0, 1.93) for the first pitch at 7:05 p.m. Bats fans can follow all of the action on 790 WKRD or www.batsbaseball.com.