Shewmake Hits for the Cycle, but Stripers Walked Off in St. Paul
St. Paul, MN – Braden Shewmake became the first player in Gwinnett history to hit for the cycle on Wednesday afternoon, but the historic achievement wasn’t enough to lead the Gwinnett Stripers (33-43) to a victory in the second-half opener as the St. Paul Saints (44-31) walked off on Jair
St. Paul, MN – Braden Shewmake became the first player in Gwinnett history to hit for the cycle on Wednesday afternoon, but the historic achievement wasn’t enough to lead the Gwinnett Stripers (33-43) to a victory in the second-half opener as the St. Paul Saints (44-31) walked off on Jair Camargo’s two-out grand slam in the ninth inning for a 12-9 win at CHS Field.
Decisive Plays: Shewmake started his day with a double in the second inning and scored on a bases-loaded walk by Eli White to tie the game at 1-1. Forrest Wall’s three-run double in the second and a solo homer by Shewmake (8) in the third gave Gwinnett a 5-3 advantage. St. Paul turned the tables with a five-run bottom of the third, going up 8-5. The Stripers chipped away on a solo homer by Luke Williams (2) in the fifth and tied the game in the eighth on a two-run single by Wall. Vaughn Grissom followed with a go-ahead RBI single for a 9-8 lead. In the bottom of the ninth, Joe Harvey (L, 1-1) allowed a single and two walks before yielding Camargo’s game-winning slam (12) to center.
Key Contributors: Shewmake’s five plate appearances in order included a double, homer, single, hit-by-pitch, and triple. He finished 4-for-4 with three runs and one RBI. Wall went 2-for-4 with a double and five RBIs, the most by a Gwinnett player in a single game this year. For the Saints, Camargo finished 2-for-5 with the homer and six RBIs.
Noteworthy: Shewmake is not only the first Gwinnett player to hit for the cycle, but also the first Braves Triple-A player to do it since Richmond’s Tony Tarasco on August 21, 1993 at Charlotte. The game was also historic as Gwinnett’s first-ever contest in the state of Minnesota, and first time facing the St. Paul Saints. Grissom notched his team-leading 21st multi-hit game.
Next Game (Thursday, June 29**):* Gwinnett at St. Paul, 8:07 p.m. ET at CHS Field. Broadcast: 7:50 p.m. on MyCountry993.com. RHP *Dereck Rodriguez** (0-1, 4.15 ERA) for the Stripers vs. RHP Randy Dobnak (3-3, 5.02 ERA) for the Saints.
Next Home Game (Tuesday, July 4): Gwinnett vs. Omaha, 7:05 p.m. ET at Coolray Field. Broadcast: 6:50 p.m. on MyCountry993.com and Bally Live. It’s an Independence Day celebration at Coolray Field. Watch the Stripers, clad in special Patriotic Jerseys for the occasion, and stick around after the game for a July 4 fireworks extravaganza.