Final score – Rome 2, Greenville 1
(From the Rome Braves):
After a rocky trip to Bowling Green, the Rome Braves returned home to the friendly confines of AdventHealth Stadium for a six game series against the Greenville Drive in what is the final homestand of the 2022 regular season.
The Braves and Drive last met earlier this month for a six game series in Rome, where the Braves recorded just their second ever six game series sweep.
Rome Manager Kanekoa Texeira would send lefty Luis De Avila to the mound in the series opener against the Drive. De Avila would go to work right away, retiring the first eleven Drive batters he saw before issuing a walk to Matthew Lugo. De Avila would go on to record a sound outing, as he took a no-hitter into the sixth inning before giving up a two-out infield single to Nick Yorke. De Avila would call it a night after six full inning, allowing no runs on one hit, one walk, and tying a season-high ten strikeouts.
Greenville would score their lone run on a throwing error from Rome catcher Tyler Tolve on a pickoff attempt, allowing Matthew Lugo to score and put the Drive ahead.
With two on and one out, Brandol Mezquita would send a line drive into centerfield to score Braulio Vasquez and Tyler Tolve to put the Braves in front two runs to one. Braulio Vasquez would replace an injured Geraldo Quintero who suffered an apparent ankle injury retreating back into second base earlier that inning.
Austin Smith would come out of the bullpen and slam the door for the Braves, giving them their seventieth win of the season by a final score of two runs to one. The Braves now have thirty-four wins in the season’s second half, and still sit on a two and a half game lead over second-place Bowling Green.
The Braves and Drive will continue action on Wednesday night as Royber Salinas, Atlanta’s No. 21 overall prospect, takes the mound for Rome with a 7:00 PM first pitch.
