Courtesy of RedWingsBaseball.com
By NICK SCIARRATTA
The Gwinnett Braves edged the Red Wings 4-3 Thursday afternoon at Frontier Field, ending the Wings’ five-game win streak.
Thursday’s starting pitchers were both coming off losses, and their least effective start of the season. Wings right-hander David Martinez was hit hard by Pawtucket on May 7 (12 hits, including three home runs in 4.2 innings), and G-Braves righty Tyrell Jenkins against Charlotte May 7 (7 hits in 5.2 innings ).
The Braves got a two-out, two-run homer from Adonis Garcia in the first inning Thursday, for an early 2-0 lead. The red-hot Garcia, sent down from Atlanta last week, extended his hitting streak to six games with the home run.
Byron Buxton led off the bottom of the first with a single off Jenkins, giving Buxton a five-game hit streak. When Jenkins committed a balk, the Wings had Buxton on second base with none out. James Beresford moved Buxton to third with a right-side groundout, and Max Kepler’s RBI single brought in Buxton to make the score 2-1 Braves.
Martinez had a smoother second inning, working around a two-out single and notching two strikeouts. In the third inning, Martinez allowed another two-out run and the Braves led 3-1.
The Wings had a great scoring chance in their half of the third inning. Buxton reached on an infield hit with one out, stole second, and went to third on a single from Beresford. But Jenkins struck out Kepler, and Kennys Vargas flew out to end the inning. The hit from Beresford extended his hitting streak to six games, and he’s now reached base in 15 straight games.
For the third time in the game, the Braves scored with two outs. Rio Ruiz hit a two-out single in the fifth, and scored on Anthony Recker’s double to make the score 4-1.
Martinez (2-2) worked five innings, allowing nine hits and four earned runs. He walked one and struck out five, throwing 95 pitches – 62 for strikes. Dan Runzler came on to start the sixth inning.
The Wings got a run back in the bottom of the sixth, when Beresford doubled, tagged on a flyball and moved to third base, then scored on a sacrifice fly from Vargas. Buck Britton doubled for his second hit of the game, and scored on an RBI hit by Adam Brett Walker to pull the Wings within one at 4-3.
Runzler retired all four batters he faced, and Alex Wimmers took over with one out in the seventh inning.
Jenkins (3-2) pitched six innings, allowing eight hits, three earned runs, and a walk with three strikeouts. Jenkins threw 94 pitches, 55 for strikes, and was relieved by Jose Ramirez.
The Wings had the tying run on second with two outs in the seventh, when Buxton reached on a fielder’s choice them moved to second on a wild pitch from Sean Burnett. Beresford reached on an infield hit with Buxton moving to third base, but Burnett coaxed a popup from Kepler to escape the jame and the game moved to the eighth inning.
Wimmers walked one and struck out two in 1.2 scoreless relief innings, with Buddy Boshers pitching the ninth inning.
A one-out walk put the tying run at first in the bottom of the ninth inning, but reliever Chris Withrow wriggled out of the jam to record his first save.
Kepler went 1-for-4 and is hitting .409 (9-for-22) with 6 RBI in his last six games.With a 2-for-4 day, Britton is now 8-for-20 (.400) in his last six games.
The Braves out-hit the Red Wings 10-9, and Beresford had three of the nine hits.
NOTES: With Thursday’s effort by Dan Runzler, Alex Wimmers, and Buddy Boshers, the Red Wings bullpen has put together a 16-inning scoreless streak over the last six games.
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