Stripers Ride Eighth-Inning Rally, Beat Indianapolis 5-3

Five stolen bases in eighth inning sparks three-run rally as Gwinnett evens series at 2-2

Luke Williams homered for the fourth time this season to put the Stripers their first lead of the night in the fifth inning. (Bernie Connelly)

August 4, 2023

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. – The Gwinnett Stripers (47-58) stole five bases and scored three runs in the eighth inning to flip a 3-2 deficit into a 5-3 victory over the Indianapolis Indians (50-55) on Friday night at Coolray Field. Decisive Plays: Nick Gonzales led off the game with a double and

Decisive Plays: Nick Gonzales led off the game with a double and was scored on an RBI single by Miguel Andujar as the Indians took a 1-0 lead. Gwinnett tied the game at 1-1 on a Joe Dunand RBI double in the third and took a 2-1 lead with a solo home run by Luke Williams (4) in the fifth. The Indians retook the lead with an RBI double from Mason Martin and an RBI single from Canaan Smith-Njigba to hold a 3-2 edge entering the eighth. Four Stripers combined to steal five bases in the eighth inning, setting up three RBI singles from Joe Hudson, Yolmer Sanchez, and Williams for the 5-3 final.

Key Contributors: Williams (2-for-5, homer, 2 RBIs, steal), and Vaughn Grissom (2-for-2, 2 walks) recorded the two multi-hit efforts for Gwinnett. Braden Shewmake (1-for-4, 2 steals), Magneuris Sierra (steal), Justin Dean (0-for-3, steal), and Williams made up the five stolen bases in the eighth inning. For Indianapolis, Gonzales (2-for-3, double, 2 walks) had the only multi-hit game and one of two extra-base hits.

Noteworthy: The Stripers’ five-steal inning was the first for an Atlanta Braves’ Triple-A club in over 40 years, dating back to April 22, 1983, when the Richmond Braves had a five-steal first inning at Columbus. Grissom extended his on-base streak to 29 games with a walk in the first inning. Gwinnett starter Michael Soroka finished his night with eight strikeouts, his most since he had nine strikeouts on June 22 vs. Jacksonville.

Next Game (Saturday, August 5): Gwinnett vs. Indianapolis, 6:05 p.m. ET at Coolray Field. Broadcast: 5:50 p.m. ET on MyCountry993.com and Bally Live. RHP Allan Winans (7-3, 2.89 ERA) will start for the Stripers, while the Indians’ starter has yet to be announced. JJ and Cody from the popular children’s cartoon “CoComelon™” will be on hand at Coolray Field for meet-and-greets and pictures from 5-8:30 p.m.

Luke Williams