Tromp Has Big Offensive Night, But Stripers Overpowered by Columbus Home Runs in 6-4 Loss

LAWRENCEVILLE, Georgia – The Gwinnett Stripers (30-26) issued 10 walks as a pitching staff and were outmuscled by three solo home runs from the Columbus Clippers (37-18) in a 6-4 loss on Saturday night at Coolray Field.

Decisive Plays: Columbus grabbed a 1-0 lead two batters in after a solo home run by Juan Brito. Bryce Elder hit Bryan Lavastida with a pitch with the bases loaded to make it 2-0 in the first inning. Gwinnett responded with a Chadwick Tromp solo home run (7) in the second inning. After Columbus extended its lead to 3-1, Tromp brought the Stripers back within a run on an RBI single. An RBI sacrifice fly from Estevan Florial made it 4-2, and Columbus padded the lead with solo home runs from George Valera and Johnathan Rodriguez in the sixth. Alejo Lopez scored a run on an RBI fielder's choice in the sixth, and Tromp drove in another RBI with a single in the seventh to make it 6-4.

Key Contributors: Tromp (3-for-5, HR, 3 RBI) and Drake Baldwin (2-for-5, 2B) both had multi-hit nights for Gwinnett. Daysbel Hernandez, Ken Giles, and Jimmy Herget did not allow a hit over a combined 3.0 scoreless innings of relief. For Columbus, the solo home runs belonged to Brito (3-for-5, HR, RBI), Valera (2-for-3, 2B, HR, RBI), and Rodriguez (1-for-2, HR, RBI) while Bryan Lavastida (2-for-3, 2 RBI) had the only multi-RBI game.

Noteworthy: Tromp is batting .356 (54-for-152, 10 2B, 6 HR, 24 R, 38 RBI) since June 20. Despite the loss, Gwinnett finished the month of August with a 16-11 record, their best record in a month this season.

Next Game (Sunday, September 1): Gwinnett vs. Columbus, 1:05 p.m. ET at Coolray Field. Broadcast: 12:50 p.m. ET on MyCountry993.com and Bally Live. RHP AJ Smith-Shawver (2-5, 5.29 ERA) will start for Gwinnett opposed by LHP Doug Nikhazy (5-2, 3.40 ERA) for Columbus. It's COUNTRY Financial Sunday Funday at Coolray Field, with Pregame Catch on the Field and Postgame Kids Run the Bases.