Andrew Constant – Sports Writer

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA – Mark Payton knocked in two runs and Daniel Camarena combined with three relievers to toss a five-hit shutout as the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders earned a 3-0 shutout victory over the Gwinnett Braves Friday night at Coolray Field. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre won the Governors’ Cup Championship Series 3-1 and captured the Cup for the second time in team history.

The game was scoreless until the fifth inning, when series MVP Jake Cave started a two-run rally with a leadoff single. After G-Braves’ starter Rob Wooten (L, 0-2) struck out Pete Kozma and Jose Rosario, the right-hander walked Cito Culver to put runners at first and second. Payton followed with an RBI single and Clint Frazier beat out a ball deep in the hole at shortstop to put Scranton/Wilkes-Barre up 2-0.

Payton knocked in the game’s final run on a triple to right field in the seventh, which Mel Rojas Jr.nearly snagged at the wall.

Camarena made the runs stand up over 5.1 innings as he earned his first win at the Triple-A level. The G-Braves threatened against the lefty in the sixth, when Emilio Bonifacio and Rojas Jr. collected back-to-back singles, chasing Camarena. The RailRiders went to Johnny Barbato and he promptly struck out Ronnier Mustelier and got Sean Kazmar Jr. to ground out to shortstop, ending the inning.

Tyler Webb and Giovanny Gallegos worked 3.0 perfect innings the rest of the way for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, which won both Games 3 and 4 at Coolray Field after splitting the first two games at home.

Bonifacio reached base twice, on a walk and his sixth-inning single, and also stole a base for the G-Braves, who managed to score runs in just three of the 36 innings in the series. Wooten matched a career-high with eight strikeouts over 5.0 innings, allowing just two runs on five hits and a walk.

Jason Hursh yielded a run on one hit and two walks in 2.0 innings while striking out five for Gwinnett, and both Brian Moran and Madison Younginer posted scoreless outings out of the bullpen.

Payton finished 3-for-5 with two RBIs and Frazier had two hits for the RailRiders.

The Gwinnett Braves open their ninth season of play at Coolray Field on Thursday, April 6, 2017 at 7:05 p.m. vs. the Durham Bulls. Season tickets for 2017 are on sale now, call the Coolray Field Ticket Office at 678-277-0340 for more information.

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA – The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders scored three times over the first two innings and Brady Lail made the lead stand up in a 3-0 shutout victory over the Gwinnett Braves in Game 3 of the Governors’ Cup Championship Series on Thursday night at Coolray Field.

The G-Braves now trail the best-of-five series 2-1 and must win consecutive home games to earn their first Governors’ Cup title since moving to Lawrenceville.

G-Braves’ starter Tyrell Jenkins allowed two runs before recording two outs in the first inning. Mark Payton walked to lead off the game and Clint Frazier flew out. Jenkins then hit Donovan Solano and yielded back-to-back RBI singles to Chris Parmelee and Kyle Higashioka.

Jenkins got out of the inning without further damage, but Pete Kozma led off the second with a solo home run to left field, extending the RailRiders’ lead to 3-0.

The G-Braves couldn’t crack Lail, who allowed just three hits over 6.1 innings while walking none and striking out five. After Lail hit Sean Kazmar Jr. with a pitch in the seventh, Dietrich Enns was summoned out of the RailRiders’ bullpen. The lefty promptly struck out Reid Brignac and got Tyler Moore to line out, ending the threat.

Enns and J.R. Graham completed the shutout by posting a combined 2.2 innings, yielding only two hits and a walk while striking out five. Kyle Kubitza and Braeden Schlehuber collected consecutive singles to open the eighth against Enns, but he and Graham teamed up to strike out the next three Gwinnett hitters.

For the game, Jenkins allowed three runs on four hits over 5.0 innings while walking four and striking out six. Stephen Janas kept Gwinnett in the game, tossing 3.0 scoreless innings of relief, allowing only two singles. Brian Moran worked around a two-out single to post a scoreless ninth for the G-Braves.

Solano went 2-for-3 and was hit twice for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Kozma’s solo home run highlighted a 2-for-4 night.

Mel Rojas Jr. had two of Gwinnett’s five hits in the game. The G-Braves went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position and left seven men on base.

The G-Braves and RailRiders will play the Game 4 of the best-of-five Governors’ Cup Championship Series on Friday evening at 7:05 p.m. at Coolray Field. The G-Braves will send righty Rob Wooten (0-1, 36.00 ERA in postseason) to the mound and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre will start lefty Dan Camarena (no prior playoff starts). Dave Lezotte and Nick Green will have the call on 97.7 FM at 6:35 p.m.

The Gwinnett Braves are offering a special ticket deal for the Governors’ Cup Playoffs. Fans who purchase a $15 Infield Box ticket to any playoff game will also receive a FREE $10 food voucher! Plus, all fans will receive a FREE Foam Tomahawk to help cheer the G-Braves on to victory!

Tickets for Friday’s Game 4 at 7:05 p.m. and Saturday’s Game 5 (if necessary) at 7:05 p.m. are on sale now at the Coolray Field Ticket Office. Call 678-277-0340 or visit GwinnettBraves.com/tickets to purchase.

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA – Blake Lalli plated Mel Rojas Jr. on a sacrifice fly with nobody out in the bottom of the eighth inning and Sean Kazmar Jr. went 4-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs as the Gwinnett Braves beat the Columbus Clippers 5-4 on Saturday night at Coolray Field to win the best-of-five Governors’ Cup Semifinal series 3-1.

The G-Braves won Games 3 and 4 at Coolray Field to clinch the club’s first appearance in the Governors’ Cup Championship Series since moving to Gwinnett in 2009. The best-of-five final begins Tuesday night in Moosic, PA, against the International League North Division champion Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.

After Columbus tied the game at 4-4 in the top of the eighth, Rojas Jr. led off the bottom of the eighth by walking against reliever Jeff Johnson (L, 1-1). Ronnier Mustelier followed with a single to right, which Collin Cowgill booted, allowing Rojas Jr. to advance to third. On the first pitch of the following at-bat, Lalli lifted a fly ball to deep left, easily scoring Rojas Jr. to put Gwinnett back in front, 5-4.

Bradley Roney (S, 1) worked a perfect ninth, getting Giovanny Urshela to ground out to shortstop to end the game and set off a G-Braves’ celebration on the infield.

The Clippers fought back against Stephen Janas (BS, 1) in the eighth, when Urshela doubled to begin the frame and scored on Michael Choice’s RBI double two batters later.

Kazmar Jr. had given the G-Braves a 4-3 lead when he led off the fifth inning with a solo home run against Columbus’ starter Toru Murata. The blast landed just over the wall in left-center, and was Gwinnett’s sixth homer of the series.

Columbus didn’t get Kazmar Jr. out all night, as the G-Braves’ second baseman singled three times and was intentionally walked in the seventh, finishing 4-for-4.

The Clippers jumped on G-Braves’ starter Tyrell Jenkins for three runs over the first two innings, but the right-hander settled down and didn’t yield another Clipper to touch home in his outing after that. Urshela singled home Yandy Diaz in the first and Diaz and Yhoxian Medina collected RBI singles in the second off Jenkins.

Gwinnett roared back in the third inning, as Lalli and Kazmar Jr. picked up RBI singles, and the G-Braves tied the game in the fourth on Rojas Jr.’s RBI single.

Janas helped keep the game tied over his first two innings of relief, setting down the Clippers in order in each frame before running into trouble in the eighth. After Choice’s double knotted the score and Guillermo Quiroz singled, Madison Younginer entered the game and struck out Bradley Zimmer.

But Younginer walked Joey Butler to load the bases before getting Cowgill to bounce to first, ending the threat.

Younginer (W, 2-0), who won Game 1 in relief for Gwinnett, got the win Saturday despite recording only two outs. He, Janas and Roney combined to allow just three hits over the final 4.0 innings in relief of Jenkins. The G-Braves’ starter allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits over 5.0 innings, while walking four and striking out three.

Murata gave up four runs on 10 hits to Gwinnett in 4.2 innings of work and the G-Braves broke Johnson in the eighth for their final run of the night.

The Governors’ Cup Championship Series starts at PNC Field on Tuesday night at 6:35 p.m. Neither club has announced a starting pitcher for Game 1 of the series, which Tony Schiavone will have the play-by-play call of on 97.7 FM, beginning at 6:05 p.m.

Game 3 of the series will be at Coolray Field on Thursday, September 15 and Games 4 and 5 (both if necessary) would be on Friday, Sept. 16 and Saturday, Sept. 17, respectively, each at 7:05 p.m.

The Gwinnett Braves are offering a special ticket deal for the Governors’ Cup Playoffs. Fans who purchase a $15 Infield Box ticket to any playoff game will also receive a FREE $10 food voucher! Plus, all fans will receive a FREE Foam Tomahawk to help cheer the G-Braves on to victory!

Tickets for the Game 3 of the Governors’ Cup Championship Series are on sale now at the Coolray Field Ticket Office. Call 678-277-0340 or visit GwinnettBraves.com/tickets to purchase.

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA – Mel Rojas Jr. finished a home run shy of the cycle, Tyler Moore crushed a grand slam in a six-run fifth inning and Chris Ellis struck out eight over 7.0 scoreless innings as the Gwinnett Braves routed the Columbus Clippers 11-1 on Friday night at Coolray Field. With the Game 3 victory, the G-Braves now have a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five Governors’ Cup Semifinals.

After splitting the first two games of the series in Columbus, OH, Gwinnett roared out of the gates, scoring 10 runs on nine hits against Shawn Morimando (L, 0-1) to earn the first home playoff victory in team history.

Rojas Jr. touched home plate first for the G-Braves, scoring on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly by Sean Kazmar Jr. in the first inning. Morimando then uncorked a wild pitch to Rio Ruiz, allowing Ronnier Mustelier to score.

In the second, Rojas Jr. lofted a double to left field that Joey Butler couldn’t fully catch up with, as the ball bounced off his glove for a two-run double. Mustelier followed with an RBI single to make the score 5-0.

Ellis (W, 1-0) turned in his best start since a June promotion to Triple-A, spinning 7.0 innings of three-hit ball. The right-hander didn’t allow a hit until there were two outs in the fourth, and Columbus only got one runner into scoring position against him.

Moore helped put the game away in the fifth, crushing a 3-2 pitch from Morimando over the wall in left-center. It was the G-Braves’ first grand slam since August 20, 2014 when Donnie Murphy took Charlotte’s Jarrett Casey deep at Coolray Field.

Reid Brignac followed Moore’s grand slam with a solo home run of his own, marking the third time this season he’s been the second half of back-to-back blasts. He previously followed Chase d’Arnaud on May 1 vs. Columbus and Anthony Recker on June 14 at Lehigh Valley.

Rojas Jr. singled, doubled and tripled over his first three at-bats, scoring each time, before reaching on a single in his fourth at-bat in the sixth inning. He finished 4-for-5 with a stolen base and two RBIs to lead the Gwinnett offense. Brignac and Mustelier each had two hits as the G-Braves pounded out 12 in the game.

Ellis didn’t walk a batter for the first time in 17 starts for Gwinnett, and struck out eight while throwing 66 of his 102 pitches for strikes. Steve Kent allowed a run on three hits and a walk over the final 2.0 innings while registering four strikeouts for the G-Braves.

Guillermo Quiroz had two of Columbus’s six hits in the game and Morimando allowed 10 earned runs over 4.2 innings. T.J. House gave up Brignac’s home run as the lefty tossed 2.1 innings out of the Clippers’ bullpen.

The G-Braves and Clippers will play Game 4 of the best-of-five Governors’ Cup Semifinals on Saturday night at Coolray Field, first pitch set for 7:05 p.m. The G-Braves will start right-hander Tyrell Jenkins(9-3, 2.47) and Columbus will counter with righty Toru Murata (9-4, 3.78). Dave Lezotte and Tony Schiavone will have the play-by-play call on 97.7 FM at 6:35 p.m.

The Gwinnett Braves are offering a special ticket deal for the Governors’ Cup Playoffs. Fans who purchase a $15 Infield Box ticket to any playoff game will also receive a FREE $10 food voucher! Plus, all fans will receive a FREE Foam Tomahawk to help cheer the G-Braves on to victory!

Tickets for Game 4 on Saturday at 7:05 p.m. and Sunday’s Game 5 (if necessary) at 2:05 p.m. are on sale now at the Coolray Field Ticket Office. Call 678-277-0340 or visit GwinnettBraves.com/tickets to purchase.

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA – A five-run second inning carried the Durham Bulls (63-79) to a 7-3 victory over the Gwinnett Braves (64-77) Saturday night at Coolray Field in the G-Braves’ regular season home finale.

The G-Braves’ loss, coupled with Charlotte (64-78) taking both games of a doubleheader at home vs. Norfolk Saturday, shrunk Gwinnett’s IL South Division lead to just 0.5 games with two to play. Durham was eliminated by the Knights’ two victories.

Durham batted around in the second against Chris Ellis (L, 4-7), as Richie Shaffer delivered the big blow with a two-RBI double. Hank Conger and Casey Gillaspie each collected RBI hits in the frame for the Bulls.

That was more than enough for starter Justin Marks (W, 7-11) who held the G-Braves off the scoreboard over 6.1 innings. The lefty allowed only five hits, all singles, while striking out six and walking one.

The G-Braves got singles from Emilio Bonifacio and Reid Brignac to open the first, but didn’t score after a fielder’s choice and a double-play grounder. Blake Lalli and Daniel Castro singled to start the third, but two groundouts and a strikeout by Marks kept Gwinnett silent again.

Ellis settled down after the second inning and allowed only one baserunner over the next three innings to finish his night. Durham got two runs off reliever Jason Hursh in the seventh, on an RBI single by Gillaspie and a sacrifice fly by Taylor Motter.

Gwinnett rallied for three runs in the eighth off Ryne Stanek, as Bonifacio scored on a wild pitch andSean Kazmar Jr. doubled home two runs.

But Neil Wagner and Casey Coleman got the final five G-Braves’ in order to cap the night.

Shaffer finished 3-for-4 with two RBI to lead Durham’s 10-hit attack and Gillaspie was 2-for-5 with two RBI.

Bonifacio and Castro each had two of Gwinnett’s seven hits as the club went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position.

The G-Braves head to Charlotte to take on the Knights for the final two games of the regular season, beginning Sunday at 7:05 p.m. Right-hander Rob Wooten (3-4, 3.25) will start for Gwinnett against righty Terance Marin (7-7, 5.00) for Charlotte. Tony Schiavone will have the play-by-play call on 97.7 FM at 6:35 p.m.

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA – Daniel Castro laced an RBI single with the bases loaded and nobody out in the bottom of the 11^th inning, sending the Gwinnett Braves (64-75) to a 1-0 victory over the Durham Bulls (61-79) on Thursday night at Coolray Field.

With the win, the G-Braves increased their lead in the International League South Division to 2.5 games over Charlotte with four games remaining. The Knights (62-78) lost 13-9 to Norfolk earlier on Thursday.

Facing left-hander Adam Kolarek in the 11^th, Matt Lipka singled up the middle and went to third on Mel Rojas Jr.’s double over the third base bag. Kolarek then walked Sean Kazmar Jr. to load the bases. With five infielders drawn in for Durham, Castro lifted a fly ball to left that dropped in for a single, giving Gwinnett its fifth “walk-off” win of the season.

The G-Braves won after failing to capitalize on a leadoff baserunner in the eighth, ninth and 10^thinnings.

Stephen Janas (W, 3-2) tossed 2.0 innings of one-hit relief to earn the win, completing a two-hit shutout by five Gwinnett pitchers. It’s the second-straight shutout for the G-Braves, who also defeated Norfolk 2-0 on Wednesday night.

Atlanta Braves’ righty Williams Perez, making a rehab start, didn’t allow a hit over 5.0 innings and yielded only a third-inning walk to ninth-place hitter Jake Hager. Perez struck out seven and threw 42 of his 66 pitches for strikes.

Bradley Roney allowed Durham’s first hit of the night to Taylor Motter leading off the seventh, but worked around four walks and kept the Bulls off the scoreboard over 2.0 innings. Maikel Cleto andBrandon Cunniff tossed perfect innings for Gwinnett before Janas finished it out.

Rojas Jr. reached base three times, going 2-for-4 with a double and a walk, and Castro went 2-for-5 with the game’s lone RBI. The G-Braves had 11 hits and left 13 runners on base while going 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position.

Hager walked twice and Dayron Varona picked up Durham’s other hit. Kolarek (L, 0-2) didn’t retire any of the four batters he faced in the 11^th to suffer the loss.

The G-Braves and Bulls continue the three-game series on Friday night at Coolray Field, first pitch set for 7:05 p.m. Right-hander Wilfredo Boscan (6-8, 4.10) starts for Gwinnett against right-hander Jacob Faria (3-4, 5.15) for Durham. Dave Lezotte will have the play-by-play call on 97.7 FM beginning at 6:35 p.m.

Following Friday’s game, there will be the final Fox 5 Fireworks Friday show of the regular season. Tickets for Friday’s game are on sale now at the Coolray Field Ticket Office, call 678-277-0340 or visit GwinnettBraves.com/tickets to purchase.

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA – Tyrell Jenkins and four relievers combined on a two-hit shutout as the Gwinnett Braves (63-75) defeated the Norfolk Tides (60-79) by a 2-0 score on Wednesday night at Coolray Field.

The victory, combined with Charlotte’s 2-1 loss in Louisville on Wednesday night, increased the G-Braves’ first-place lead in the International League South Division to 1.5 games with five to play.

Jenkins (W, 8-3) allowed just a two-out single to Corban Joseph in the first inning, tossing 6.0 innings to earn his team-leading eighth win. He worked around a career-high seven walks while striking out four in a 102-pitch, 53-strike outing.

The G-Braves got the game’s only two runs in the third inning against Tides’ starter Mike Wright. With one out, Kyle Kubitza singled and Daniel Castro walked. After Emilio Bonifacio popped up for the second out, Reid Brignac stroked an RBI single to right-center to break the scoreless tie and Ronnier Mustelier bounced an RBI single through the right side of the infield to make it 2-0.

Jenkins walked the bases loaded in the sixth, but wiggled out of trouble by getting Trey Mancini to bounce into an inning-ending force-out.

Brian Moran (H, 1) and Kanekoa Texeira (H, 5) got the Tides in order in the seventh before Jason Hursh (H, 2) pitched past a two-out double by Joseph in the eighth. Brandon Cunniff (S, 2) struck out two in a perfect ninth, wrapping up Gwinnett’s ninth shutout win of the season.

Brignac and Mustelier each went 2-for-4 and picked up RBIs for the G-Braves. Mustelier extended his hitting streak to nine games and now has an RBI in five straight games.

Wright (L, 3-4) allowed two runs on seven hits over 6.0 innings while walking two and striking out four for Norfolk. Joseph collected both Tides’ hits, finishing 2-for-3.

The G-Braves begin a three-game series against the Durham Bulls at 7:05 p.m. Thursday night at Coolray Field. Gwinnett’s starter has yet to be officially announced, while Durham will send righty Eddie Gamboa (6-4, 2.68) to the hill. Tony Schiavone will have the play-by-play call on 97.7 FM at 6:35 p.m.

Thursday’s game is the final Triple Play Thursday of the regular season. For $40, fans can purchase four (4) infield box tickets, four (4) hot dogs and four (4) sodas. Tickets for Thursday’s game are on sale now at the Coolray Field Ticket Office, call 678-277-0340 or visit GwinnettBraves.com/tickets to purchase.

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA – The Norfolk Tides (60-79) sent 10 men to the plate and scored four times in the eighth inning to earn a 5-2 win over the Gwinnett Braves (62-75) on Tuesday night at Coolray Field.

Despite the loss, Gwinnett remains in first place in the International League South Division, a half-game ahead of Charlotte (62-76), which lost 5-3 at Louisville on Tuesday night.

The G-Braves held a 2-1 lead entering the eighth and handed the ball to Atlanta Braves’ reliever Chris Withrow, who was making his third appearance on a Major League rehab assignment. The right-hander allowed a one-out single to Dariel Alvarez before getting Christian Walker to fly out. But Michael Almanzar singled and pinch-hitter Corban Joseph walked to load the bases.

Mike Yastrzemski laced a two-run single to right field and Ronnier Mustelier booted the ball, allowing Joseph to race around from first to put the Tides ahead 4-2. Madison Younginer replaced Withrow and uncorked a wild pitch to Paul Janish, allowing Yastrzemski to trot home to cap the rally. All four runs were charged to Withrow (BS, 1; L, 0-1).

The G-Braves scored twice in the third inning against Norfolk starter Joe Gunkel to take a 2-0 lead, which Jed Bradley and Stephen Janas made stand up until the eighth.

Sean Kazmar Jr. and Daniel Castro collected back-to-back singles putting runners on the corners, and Braeden Schlehuber got Gwinnett on the board with a sacrifice fly. Mustelier picked up an RBI single to double the G-Braves’ lead.

Bradley allowed the leadoff batter to reach in four of his five innings, escaping unscathed until the fifth. Janish worked a walk to open the inning and moved to third on a single by Caleb Joseph before scoring on a single by Alvarez. But the Gwinnett lefty struck out Christian Walker with two runners on to end the inning and keep the G-Braves ahead.

In his third start for the G-Braves, Bradley allowed just one run on four hits over 5.0 innings, but walked six and threw 56 of his 97 pitches for strikes. Janas yielded only one hit over 2.0 scoreless innings of relief.

Gunkel scattered seven hits over 5.2 innings, allowing two runs while walking none and striking out five. Parker Bridwell (W, 1-0) worked 2.1 innings out of the Tides’ bullpen and Pedro Beato (S, 4) finished it up with a scoreless ninth.

Bonifacio, Mustelier and Rio Ruiz registered two hits apiece for Gwinnett. Reid Brignac went 0-for-4, ending a 17-game on-base streak.

Almanzar and Alvarez each had two hits, while Yastrzemski finished 1-for-3 with two RBIs for Norfolk.

The G-Braves and Tides conclude the three-game series on Wednesday night at 7:05 p.m. at Coolray Field. Right-hander Tyrell Jenkins (7-3, 2.70) is scheduled to pitch for the G-Braves against righty Mike Wright (3-3, 3.17) for Norfolk. Tony Schiavone will have the play-by-play call on 97.7 FM at 6:35 p.m.

Tickets for Wednesday’s game are on sale now at the Coolray Field Ticket Office, call 678-277-0340 or visit GwinnettBraves.com/tickets to purchase.

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA – Ronnier Mustelier drove home the game-winning run on a fielder’s choice with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning, giving the Gwinnett Braves (62-74) a 6-5 victory over the Norfolk Tides (59-78) on Monday night at Coolray Field.

The win, coupled with Charlotte’s 7-2 loss in Louisville, moved the G-Braves back into first place in the International League South Division. Gwinnett is a half-game ahead of the Knights (62-75) with seven games remaining.

After Norfolk reliever Pedro Beato (L, 5-5) struck out Braeden Schlehuber to open the ninth, Emilio Bonifacio and Reid Brignac collected singles to put runners on the corners for Mustelier. The G-Braves’ left fielder worked the count to 1-2 before hitting a high chopper to second base. The Tides’ infield was drawn in, but Corban Joseph’s throw home was late, giving Gwinnett its 15^th last at-bat victory of the year.

Bonifacio and Brignac combined for seven of Gwinnett’s 13 hits on the night and scored three runs between them. Brignac went 4-for-5 with a double, run scored and an RBI, while Bonifacio was 3-for-5 with a double, two runs scored and two RBIs in the back-and-forth battle.

Gwinnett jumped on top in the bottom of the first when Mustelier drove in Brignac with a single. Audry Perez of Norfolk tied it in the second with an RBI single of his own.

Bonifacio and Brignac each registered RBI hits to build a 3-1 lead in the second, but Joseph put Norfolk ahead with a three-run home run off G-Braves’ starter Rob Wooten in the third.

Run-scoring hits from Schlehuber and Bonifacio gave Gwinnett a 5-4 lead in the fourth, which John Gant held up until the Tides drew level in the eighth.

A leadoff walk to Joseph was followed by a pair of strikeouts by Gant, but the right-hander was lifted forMaikel Cleto (BS, 2; W, 2-0), who yielded a game-tying RBI double to Michael Almanzar.

Cleto allowed a pair of hits in the top of the ninth, but wiggled out of trouble with two strikeouts and a groundout to pick up the win. Gant fired 3.2 innings of relief, yielding only two hits and a run while striking out five. Wooten surrendered four runs on six hits over 4.0 innings for Gwinnett.

Joseph went 2-for-3 with the homer, three runs scored and three RBIs and Xavier Avery picked up three hits in four at-bats for the Tides.

The G-Braves and Tides continue the three-game series on Tuesday night at 7:05 p.m. at Coolray Field. Left-hander Jed Bradley (2-0, 1.38) is scheduled to pitch for Gwinnett against right-hander Joe Gunkel (8-10, 3.78) of Norfolk. Tony Schiavone will have the play-by-play call on 97.7 FM at 6:35 p.m.

It’s a Two-for-Tuesday night, as all Dugout seats are two for the price of one. Tickets for Tuesday’s game are on sale now at the Coolray Field Ticket Office, call 678-277-0340 or visit GwinnettBraves.com/tickets to purchase.

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA – Rio Ruiz homered and drove in five runs to guide the Gwinnett Braves (60-72) to a 6-4 victory over the Buffalo Bisons (64-69) Thursday night at Coolray Field.

With the win, the G-Braves swept the seven-game season series from Buffalo, earning the club’s first season-sweep of an International League opponent since moving to Gwinnett in 2009.

The G-Braves, winners of three in a row, remain a half-game behind first-place Charlotte (61-72) in the IL South Division race with 11 games left. The Knights beat Durham 12-7 at BB&T Ballpark.

Ruiz reached base safely all four times Thursday, working a pair of walks and scoring twice. He crushed a two-run home run an estimated 375 feet off Bisons’ starter Scott Copeland (L, 3-2) with two outs in the third to break a 1-1 tie that the G-Braves wouldn’t surrender.

In the fifth inning, Ruiz laced a bases-clearing double into the left-field corner against Copeland as Gwinnett had the first six batters reach base in the frame to break the game open. Emilio Bonifacioled off with a double and Reid Brignac walked before Mel Rojas Jr. singled to load the bases. It was Ruiz’s team-best 21^st double of the season.

The five RBIs by Ruiz tied a season-high for Gwinnett, set by Rojas Jr. on July 7 at Charlotte, and was the third time in his career he registered five RBI in a game. His career-high is six RBI, set on June 11, 2014 for Advanced-A Lancaster vs. Rancho Cucamonga in the Houston Astros’ system.

Each team scored in the second inning, as Dalton Pompey worked a bases-loaded walk against G-Braves’ starter Jed Bradley (W, 2-0) for Buffalo and Daniel Castro tied the game on a sacrifice fly.

Bradley, making his second start for Gwinnett after a promotion from Double-A Mississippi, matched a season-high with 7.0 innings of one-run ball, holding the Bisons to five hits. The left-hander struck out six and walked four, throwing 64 of his 110 pitches for strikes.

Atlanta Braves’ reliever Chris Withrow, making his first MLB rehab appearance since landing on the 15-day disabled list on August 5, yielded a solo home run to Matt Dominguez leading off the eighth. But the right-hander avoided further damage, getting a pair of groundouts and a strikeout to end the inning.

The Bisons got a pair of runs in the ninth against Kanekoa Texeira, but the G-Braves’ righty struck out Chris Colabello looking with runners on the corners to preserve the win.

Bonifacio and Rojas Jr. each had two hits for Gwinnett and Rojas Jr. scored twice.

Andy Burns reached all four times, on three hits and a walk for Buffalo and Dominguez had two hits and two RBI.

The G-Braves hit the road for a quick three-game road trip to Durham, beginning Saturday night at 7:05 p.m. at Durham Bulls Athletic Park. Right-hander Tyrell Jenkins (6-3, 2.91) is scheduled to start for the G-Braves against righty Austin Pruitt (8-9, 3.34) for Durham. Tony Schiavone will have the play-by-play call on 97.7 FM at 6:35 p.m.