Gwinnett Stripers vs Durham Bulls

Durham struck decisively in the top of the second. Gwinnett starter Cedric De Grandpre (L, 0-2) walked Blake Sabol with one out, then shortstop Brett Wisely mishandled Jake Cave's grounder — the only error of the game — allowing Sabol to reach second. After a forceout by Homer Bush Jr., Nick Madrigal walked to load the bases. Tre Morgan was hit by a pitch to force home the opening run, and Jack Suwinski followed with a two-run single to right-centre for a 3-0 lead.

That proved to be all the offence Durham needed. Englert (W, 1-6) retired eight of the first nine batters he faced. After Patrick Clohisy doubled in the third, the right-hander set down the next seven Stripers in order. He finished with five strikeouts, no walks and three hits allowed over six innings.

The no-walk line was critical. In 55 appearances between Durham and Tampa Bay, Englert's last win had come in relief on 15 May 2025 against Rochester. This was his first victory since.

Gwinnett got on the board in the sixth. Luke Williams crushed his seventh home run of the season to left field, cutting the deficit to 3-1. Clohisy followed with a drive to the right-field wall, but Jake Cave made a leaping backhand catch at the top of the padding to rob him of a potential game-tying homer.

The Stripers mounted a late charge in the ninth against Durham closer Alex Cook. With one out, Wisely singled and scored on Lizandro Espinoza's double inside the left-field line. Kyle Farmer then dropped a single into short right, moving Espinoza to third. Cook struck out DaShawn Keirsey Jr. and got pinch-hitter David McCabe to fly out to centre, stranding the tying run at third to earn his second save.

• Mason Englert (Durham): 6.0 IP, 3 H, 0 BB, 5 SO, 1 ER. His first win in over 15 months, spanning two levels. He set the tone by retiring seven straight batters after Clohisy's double in the third.
• Luke Williams (Gwinnett): 1-for-3, solo home run (7), RBI. Provided the spark that nearly ignited a comeback.
• Jack Suwinski (Durham): 1-for-4, two RBIs. His two-run single to right-centre in the second proved to be the decisive hit.
• Alex Cook (Durham): 1.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 SO, save (2). Worked himself into and out of a ninth-inning jam.

Player of the Match: Mason Englert

Durham managed only three hits — their lowest total of the game — yet won because they made the one hit that mattered (Suwinski's two-run single) count, and because Englert's control (zero walks) forced Gwinnett to earn every baserunner. The Stripers out-hit the Bulls 7-3 but went 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position and stranded six. Gwinnett's lone error — Wisely's muff in the second — directly led to three unearned runs, the difference in a one-run game. The Bulls' .167 average with runners in scoring position (1-for-6) was identical to Gwinnett's, but they cashed in when it mattered.

Durham (30-19) leads the IL second-half standings by 0.5 games over Indianapolis with 25 games remaining. The Bulls have now won three straight and lead the season series against Gwinnett 16-7, with Sunday's series finale the last scheduled meeting between the clubs in 2026. The Stripers (23-27) have lost four of their last five and remain the IL's leader in one-run defeats, a mark that underscores their inability to close tight games.

The teams conclude their six-game series on Sunday, 23 August at 1:05 p.m. ET at Gwinnett Field. Durham sends Joe Boyle (1-6, 9.13 ERA) to the mound against Gwinnett's Eleiser Hernandez (1-5, 4.65 ERA).

A textbook example of how a single defensive lapse and a starter's command can decide a close game. Englert's six-inning, no-walk performance was his best outing in over a year at precisely the right time for a Durham club fighting for a playoff berth. Gwinnett's inability to convert hits into runs — and their league-worst record in one-run games — remains the defining flaw of their season.

Stats and info via MiLB.com, Greenville Sports Media, and official provider data.