LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. – The Lehigh Valley IronPigs (47-46) scored three runs in the second inning and held on for a 4-2 win over the Gwinnett Stripers (54-41) on Tuesday night at Coolray Field. Atlanta Braves’ right-hander Kevin Gausman pitched 7.0 innings, yielded three runs (two earned) on six hits, and struck out 10 in a rehab start.
Scoring Recap: The IronPigs took a 3-0 lead in the second inning on a two-run home run by Logan Morrison (16) off Gausman and an RBI single by pitcher Enyel De Los Santos. The Stripers cut the deficit to 3-2 in the sixth as Jack Lopez (8) hit a two-run homer off De Los Santos. Lehigh Valley extended their lead to 4-2 in the eighth on a solo homer by Phil Gosselin (4) off Kurt Hoekstra.
Stripers Stats: Gausman (L, 0-1) took the loss despite his quality start. Hoekstra gave up one run on two hits and struck out three over 2.0 innings. Lopez went 2-for-3 with a homer and two RBIs, while rehabbing Atlanta Braves’ outfielder Ender Inciarte went 1-for-5 with a double.
IronPigs Stats: De Los Santos (W, 4-4) pitched 6.0 innings with two runs on three hits and six strikeouts. Tom Windle (H, 3), Tyler Gilbert (H, 3), and Fernando Salas (S, 1) each tossed a scoreless inning in relief. Morrison went 1-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs, and Gosselin went 2-for-4 with a homer and one RBI.
Quote: “I had a good outing in Mississippi and tonight I was able to take another step in the right direction,” Gausman said. “I got stretched out and was able to throw over 100 pitches and overall had good command.”
Postgame Notes: Lopez’s home run was Gwinnett’s 150th in 95 games this season, second-most in the International League behind Columbus’s 154 homers. The Stripers dropped to 2.5 games behind Durham (57-39) for first place in the IL South, but maintained a 3.0-game lead over Charlotte (51-44) in the IL Wild Card standings.
Next Game (Wednesday, July 17): Gwinnett vs. Lehigh Valley, 7:05 p.m. at Coolray Field. RHP Kyle Wright (7-4, 4.86 ERA) for the Stripers vs. RHP Ramon Rosso (0-1, 5.34 ERA) for the IronPigs. Radio Broadcast: 6:50 p.m. on 97.7 and 93.5 FM “The Other Side of the River.”