RailRiders Power Past G-Braves, 7-2

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA - Two-run home runs by Eddy Rodriguez and Ji-Man Choi lifted the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (74-41) to a 7-2 win over the Gwinnett Braves (55-59) on Tuesday night at Coolray Field.u1:p
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Rodriguez's 381-foot shot to left snapped a 1-1 tie and gave Scranton/Wilkes-Barre a 3-1 lead in the fifth inning, and Choi's 410-foot two-run clout to right-center capped the scoring at 7-2 in the seventh.u1:p
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With the loss in game two of the three-game series, the G-Braves have now dropped nine straight home games (including playoffs) to the RailRiders dating back to the 2015 season.u1:p
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The RailRiders took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning as Miguel Andújar reached on a fielder's choice, moved to second on an errant pickoff throw by pitcher Luiz Gohara and scored on a two-out single up the middle by rehabbing New York Yankees' infielder Tyler Austin. u1:p
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The G-Braves quickly tied the game at 1-1 as Ronald Acuña Jr. led off the bottom of the first with a triple to straightaway center off left-hander Caleb Smith and scored on a double to right-center by Dansby Swanson .u1:p
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But Scranton/Wilkes-Barre scored four more runs off Gohara to take a 5-1 lead. Rodriguez connected on his seventh homer of the season in the second inning, and RBI doubles by Donovan Solano and Jake Cave made it a four-run lead in the fifth.u1:p
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Gohara (L, 0-2) exited after 5.0 innings with five runs (four earned) on eight hits, three walks and five strikeouts. u1:p
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Kyle Kubitza cut the deficit to 5-2 in the sixth with a towering 490-foot solo home run to right field off Smith. Xavier Avery and Micah Johnson followed with singles to put runners at the corners with two outs, but Smith got Sean Kazmar Jr. Jr. to fly out to shallow right, keeping it a three-run game.u1:p
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Smith (W, 9-1) lasted 6.0 innings for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, allowing two runs on six hits, walking one and striking out nine. Tyler Jones struck out two over 2.0 scoreless innings, and Nick Rumbelow struck out one in a scoreless ninth.u1:p
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Akeel Morris replaced Gohara in the seventh and served up Choi's 12^th homer of the year. Morris went 2.0 innings with two runs on one hit, two walks and a strikeout. Philip Pfeifer struck out one in a scoreless eighth, and David Peterson struck out two in a scoreless ninth.u1:p
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Offensively for the G-Braves, Acuna went 1-for-5 with a triple and a run scored to extend his hitting streak to eight games. Kubitza went 1-for-3 with his fifth homer of the season and an RBI, and Avery went 2-for-3 with a pair of singles.u1:p
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Solano and Mason Williams each went 2-for-5 with doubles for the RailRiders, while Choi and Rodriguez each tallied two RBIs.u1:p
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The G-Braves and RailRiders conclude the three-game series on Wednesday night at Coolray Field, first pitch set for 7:05 p.m. Right-hander Manny Barreda (0-0, 6.23 ERA) is set to start for Gwinnett, while Scranton/Wilkes-Barre will counter with right-hander Luis Cessa (4-6, 3.55 ERA). Dave Lezotte has the play-by-play call beginning at 6:35 p.m. on 97.7 FM The Other Side of the River.u1:p
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For tickets, call the Coolray Field Ticket Office at 678-277-0340 or visit GwinnettBraves.com/tickets.u1:p