Gwinnett Stripers vs Durham Bulls

Gwinnett starter JR Ritchie was brilliant, tossing 5.2 scoreless innings with three hits allowed and five strikeouts. The Stripers scratched across the game's first run in the second inning when Kyle Farmer bounced a single to right field to score Brett Wisely, who had walked and stolen second base against Bulls opener Alexander Alberto (2 IP, 1 ER).

That 1-0 lead held through eight innings, with Durham's bullpen holding firm. Chris Clark (W, 1-1) earned his first Triple-A win with three scoreless frames, buoyed by a sensational diving stop from third baseman Oliver Dunn on a Farmer smash up the middle in the sixth — a play that turned a potential two-run single into the final out of the inning and kept the deficit at 1-0.

The ninth inning unravelled for Gwinnett reliever Rolddy Munoz (L, 0-3). Tatem Levins blooped a double to start the rally. Munoz then hit the next two batters before walking Logan Davidson on four pitches to force in the tying run. Jake Cave drilled a sacrifice fly to deep right-centre, where Patrick Clohisy made a spectacular diving catch on the warning track — but Oliver Dunn tagged and scored to put Durham ahead 2-1. Homer Bush then executed a safety squeeze to score Blake Sabol, stretching the lead to 3-1.

Kodi Whitley (S, 1) recorded his first save of the season, inducing a flyout from Chuckie Robinson, who batted as the potential tying run.

• Chris Clark (Durham) — W, 1-1: 3.0 IP, 0 R, 0 H, first Triple-A win. The unsung hero who kept the Bulls within striking distance.
• JR Ritchie (Gwinnett) — 5.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 5 K. The Braves prospect delivered a quality start that deserved a better fate.
• Oliver Dunn (Durham) — Game-changing diving stop in the sixth; scored the go-ahead run in the ninth on Cave's sac fly.
• Homer Bush (Durham) — Executed the safety squeeze that gave Durham the insurance run.

Player of the Match: Chris Clark — his three scoreless innings out of the bullpen kept the Bulls alive and earned him his first Triple-A victory.

The Bulls managed only three hits through eight innings and finished with four total to Gwinnett's seven, but made them count when it mattered most. The ninth-inning rally marked just the second time this season Durham has won when trailing after eight innings (2-48). The Stripers left runners on base in five different innings without being able to add to their early lead.

The win pulled Durham (28-19) to within half a game of first place in the International League. Gwinnett dropped to 23-25. Durham leads the season series 14-7 with three games remaining in the six-game set at Gwinnett Field.

Next up: The series continues Friday, August 21 at 7:05 PM ET, with Logan Workman (1-6, 6.81) expected to start for Durham against Gwinnett's Dru Hackenberg (1-1, 6.60).

JR Ritchie and the Stripers dominated for eight innings, but a nine-pitch sequence in the ninth — a bloop double, two hit batters and a walk — undid all of it. Durham's ability to manufacture three runs on one hit in the final frame demonstrated the kind of opportunistic baseball that separates the top of the IL standings from the middle.