Entertaining Ballgame Ends in 10-7 Defeat

ASHEVILLE- The Asheville Tourists fell on Wednesday night to the Rome Braves by a final score of 10-7. Asheville led at one point 7-4; however, the Braves bullpen kept the game in check and Rome’s offense delivered with enough late production to even up the series at one game apiece.

Asheville had to erase an early 2-0 deficit when the Braves used a controversial play at second base in the top of the first inning. The Tourists felt they had turned a double-play, but it was not so and Rome plated a pair of runs.

Yainer Diaz ignited the comeback with an RBI single in the bottom of the second inning. C.J. Stubbs tied the game with an RBI single in the third and the next batter, Deury Carrasco, hit a go-ahead two-run Home Run to right-centerfield.

The Braves answered with a Drew Campbell two-run Homer in the fourth to tie the game once more. Luis Guerrero’s RBI single in the bottom of the fourth put the Tourists back on top 5-4. Asheville plated two more runs in the fifth thanks to back-to-back RBI knocks from Stubbs and Carrasco.

The three-run lead did not last long. Rome exploded for their biggest inning of the game in the top of the sixth. The Braves scored four runs to take an 8-7 lead. Asheville’s offense struggled to produce against the Rome bullpen and was held scoreless the rest of the way.

The Tourists did have a bases loaded opportunity in the bottom of the eighth inning but failed to convert. The Braves padded their lead with a two-out, two-run double in the ninth.

Misael Tamarez took a no decision in the game as Asheville’s starting pitcher worked five innings and struck out seven. Danny Cody tossed 2.2 solid innings out of the Tourists bullpen and pitched his way around a bases-loaded, no out jam in the top of the eighth.

Stubbs, Diaz, Carrasco, Guerrero, Zach Daniels, and Justin Dirden all finished with two hits in the game. The Tourists and Braves are back at it on Thursday night at 6:35pm for the final Thirsty Thursday at McCormick Field in 2021.