Kelenic’s Near Cycle Leads Stripers to 6-5 Win in Durham

Jarred Kelenic homered, doubled, and tripled in a three-hit effort to lead the Gwinnett Stripers (14-21) to a 6-5 victory over the Durham Bulls (23-12) on Wednesday night at Durham Bulls Athletic Park. Kelenic’s near cycle helped Gwinnett snap a seven-game road losing streak and ended Durham’s eight-game winning streak.

Decisive Plays:  Kelenic gave the Stripers a lead on the game’s first pitch, launching a 423-foot leadoff home run (1) to center off Joe Rock. Carlos Rodriguez added a sacrifice fly in the second to make it 2-0 Gwinnett, but Durham responded with back-to-back-to-back solo homers by Tres Barrera (6), Brock Jones (1), and Carson Williams (4) to go up 3-2 in the third. Gwinnett went back ahead 5-3 during a three-run fourth that included an RBI double from Jason Delay and RBI triple from Kelenic. With the game tied at 5-5 in the ninth, James McCann reached on a one-out pinch-hit single, Kelenic drew a crucial walk, Rodriguez singled to load the bases, and Eddys Leonard tallied the game-winning RBI with a sacrifice fly to center.

Key Contributors:  Kelenic (3-for-4, double, triple, homer, 2 RBIs) and Delay (2-for-4, double, RBI) combined for five of Gwinnett’s eight hits on the night. Davis Daniel struck out a season-high eight over 6.0 innings (7 H, 4 ER, 1 BB) in a no-decision. Craig Kimbrel (W, 1-0) and Wander Suero (S, 2) each pitched 1.0 scoreless inning. For Durham, Williams went 2-for-5 with a pair of solo homers.

Noteworthy: Kelenic’s leadoff clout was Gwinnett’s second this season (Rodriguez also recorded one on April 27 at Jacksonville). He fell just short of becoming the second Stripers player to hit for the cycle (Braden Shewmake did it on June 28, 2023 at St. Paul). Leonard delivered Gwinnett’s fourth last-at-bat win of the year (team now 4-3 in such decisions). Kimbrel’s win was his first with Gwinnett since August 22, 2010 at Charlotte.

Next Game (Thursday, May 8): Gwinnett at Durham, 6:35 p.m. at Durham Bulls Athletic Park. Radio Broadcast: 6:20 p.m. on MyCountry993.com.

Next Home Game (Tuesday, May 13): Charlotte at Gwinnett, 11:05 a.m. at Coolray Field. Join the Stripers on Education Day where kids can catch a game at Coolray Field in a fun and educational environment. Radio Broadcast: 10:50 a.m. on MyCountry993.com.