LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. – The Gwinnett Stripers (72-52) gave up 16 hits in a 9-3 loss to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (66-59) on Sunday afternoon at Coolray Field. With the loss, the Stripers’ lead for first place in the International League South Division was reduced to 3.5 games over Durham.
Scoring Recap: The Stripers took a 1-0 lead in the first inning as Drew Waters doubled and scored on a single by Pedro Florimon. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre took a 2-1 lead in the top of the second on a 380-foot two-run home run from Mandy Alvarez (4) off Patrick Weigel. In the bottom of the second, Gwinnett tied the game at 2-2 on a two-out RBI single by Waters. Kyle Higashioka (17) put the RailRiders up 3-2 in the third with a 418-foot solo homer off Corbin Clouse. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre scored four runs in the seventh highlighted by a two-run single from Billy Burns to extend the lead to 7-2. The Stripers got a run back in the eighth on an RBI single by Florimon to cut the deficit to 7-3, but the RailRiders added two more runs in the ninth to go up 9-3.
Stripers Stats: Waters went 3-for-4 with a double, two runs scored, and an RBI. Florimon went 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Weigel pitched 2.0 innings and gave up two runs on five hits in a no-decision. Chad Sobotka worked 1.2 scoreless innings. The trio of Clouse (L, 0-3), Rafael De Paula, and Jacob Webb yielded seven runs in 5.1 innings.
RailRiders Stats: Alvarez went 3-for-5 with a double, homer, and five RBIs. Higashioka went 2-for-5 with a homer and two RBIs. Adonis Rosa (W, 5-0) worked 7.0 innings and surrendered two runs on five hits.
Postgame Notes: Waters posted his sixth multi-hit effort in 12 games since joining the Stripers, raising his Triple-A average to .333. Florimon is batting a team-best .327 with 11 extra-base hits, 31 RBIs, and a 1.033 OPS in 33 games since the Triple-A All-Star Break. Gwinnett won the season series vs. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, 4-2.
Next Game (Monday, August 19): Gwinnett at Norfolk, 7:05 p.m. at Harbor Park. RHP Kyle Wright (9-4, 4.29 ERA) for the Stripers vs. LHP Bruce Zimmermann (0-2, 6.30 ERA) for the Tides. Radio Broadcast: 6:50 p.m. on 97.7 and 93.5 FM “The Other Side of the River.”
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The Gwinnett Stripers are the Triple-A International League affiliate of the Atlanta Braves, playing their 11th season at Coolray Field in Lawrenceville, Ga. For tickets, team merchandise or more information, visit GoStripers.com. Follow the Stripers on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at GoStripers.