Kazmar's Big Day Sends Stripers to 80th Win

DURHAM, NC - Sean Kazmar Jr. went 3-for-5 with a double and four RBIs, and Jack Lopez belted a two-run home run as the Gwinnett Stripers (80-59) defeated the Durham Bulls (75-64) 8-5 on Monday afternoon at Durham Bulls Athletic Park. With the season finale win, the Stripers join the 2009 club (81-63) as the only Gwinnett clubs to win 80 game.

Scoring Recap: The Stripers opened a 4-0 lead as Kazmar Jr. lined an RBI single in the third and laced a three-run double in the fifth. Lopez blasted a two-run home run (12) to left in the fifth, raising the lead to 6-0. Durham cut it to 6-1 on a Mac James RBI single in the fifth, but Ryan LaMarre's two-run single put Gwinnett up 8-1 in the seventh. The Bulls got homers from Mike Brosseau and Jason Coats in a four-run eighth to make it 8-5, but drew no closer.
Stripers Stats:Huascar Ynoa (W, 3-5) limited the Bulls to one run on three hits over 5.0 innings and struck out four for the win. Rehabbing Darren O'Day struck out two in a scoreless inning before Tyler Matzek and Patrick Weigel combined to allow four runs over the final 3.0 innings. In addition' to Kazmar Jr.'s effort, LaMarre went 2-for-3 with two RBIs, and Lopez went 1-for-5 with a homer and two RBIs.
Bulls Stats: Vidal Nuno (L, 1-2), one of eight Durham pitchers, allowed one run over 1.0 inning for the loss. Coats went 3-for-3 with a homer and two RBIs, and Brosseau went 1-for-5 with a homer and one RBI.
Postgame Notes: Lopez's home run was Gwinnett's 200th of the season. LaMarre extended his on-base streak to 35 games, the longest active streak in the International League. Despite the loss, Durham clinched the IL Wild Card spot as Charlotte lost 7-6 at Norfolk.
Next Game (Wednesday, September 4): Game 1 of the first round of the Governors' Cup Playoffs, Gwinnett vs. Columbus, 7:05 p.m. at Coolray Field. RHP Bryse Wilson (10-7, 3.42 ERA) for the Stripers vs. TBD for the Clippers. Radio Broadcast: 6:50 p.m. on 97.7 and 93.5 FM "The Other Side of the River."