LOUISVILLE, Kentucky – Former Bat Chuckie Robinson homered and drove in three runs over the first five innings, but it turned out to be a sacrifice fly by Lizandro Espinoza in the ninth that produced the winning run as the Gwinnett Stripers (28-27, 66-63) upended the Louisville Bats (18-37, 57-71) 7-5 on Friday night at Louisville Slugger Field. Gwinnett is 4-0 in the series and has won five straight games.
Decisive Plays: An RBI single by Robinson, sacrifice fly by Luke Williams, and bases-loaded walk by Williams gave the Stripers a 3-0 lead midway through the third. The Bats came back to tie it at 3-3 in the bottom of the third and took their first lead of the entire series in the fourth on an RBI groundout by Carlos Jorge. Gwinnett had a quick answer in the fifth courtesy of Robinson, who tagged a two-run homer (1) to left for a 5-4 lead. Jorge tied it again in the sixth with another RBI groundout. The game stayed 5-5 until the ninth, when Espinoza’s sacrifice fly to right-center scored pinch runner Cal Conley for a 6-5 Stripers’ lead. DaShawn Keirsey Jr. added insurance with an RBI double. Louisville loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the ninth, but James Karinchak (S, 7) induced a 6-4-3 double play to end it.
Key Contributors: Following a rehab start from Atlanta Braves’ righty Reynaldo Lopez (ND, 5.0 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO), Drue Hackenberg (W, 2-2) pitched 3.1 innings in relief (2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 2 SO). Robinson (2-for-4, homer, 3 RBIs) and Williams (0-for-2, 2 RBIs) had multi-RBI games, while Jim Jarvis (2-for-5), Kyle Farmer (2-for-4), and Brett Wisely (3-for-5, double, 3 runs, 2 steals) all had multi-hit games. Jorge (1-for-5, 2 RBIs) and Juan Brito (1-for-4, 2 RBIs) had multi-RBI games for Louisville.
Noteworthy: Gwinnett is now 15-18 in games decided in the last at-bat this year. Espinoza’s game-winning RBI was his ninth in eight games during his Triple-A debut Jarvis extended his on-base streak to 25 games, now the longest by a Striper this season.
Next Game (Saturday, August 29): Gwinnett Stripers at Louisville Bats, 7:15 p.m. ET at Louisville Slugger Field. Radio Broadcast: 7:00 p.m. on MyCountry993.com. Live Video Stream: Bally Sports Live.