Gwinnett Daily Post

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The Gwinnett Braves, on six scoreless innings from starting pitcher Todd Redmond, beat the Buffalo Bisons 6-1 in Game 1 of a four-game series on Tuesday night at Coca-Cola Field in Buffalo.

The G-Braves never trailed, scoring two runs in the top of the first off the bat off Stefan Gartrell. With two outs in the inning, Drew Sutton connected on a single to left. Gartrell (7) then homered to left giving Gwinnett the early lead.

Gwinnett didn't get a hit again until the top of the sixth when it struck for four runs off of Bisons' starter Jeremy Hefner. Luis Durango led off the inning with a double to left and moved to third on a ground out by Felix Pie. Sutton doubled down the first base line, scoring Durango from third to make it 3-0. Gartrell drew a walk, and Christian Marrero lined a single to right, scoring Sutton from second to raise the lead to 4-0. Joey Terdoslavich plated the G-Braves' fifth run with a sacrifice fly to right scoring Gartrell, and Josh Wilson followed with a single that scored Marrero to make it 6-0.

The Braves held the 6-0 lead until the bottom of the ninth, when Buffalo's Fred Lewis led off with a triple to right-center off reliever Jaye Chapman. Lewis later scored on a ground out to short by Vinnie Rottino to end the shutout.

Redmond (3-3) picked up the win, his first since April 28. He allowed seven hits and one walk in his six scoreless innings, striking out four. Right-hander Anthony Varvaro pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth while striking out three. Chapman worked the ninth with one earned run, one hit and one strikeout.

Hefner (3-2) worked 5 innings in the loss for Buffalo. He gave up six hits, six earned runs and two walks while striking out two. Elvin Ramirez worked a scoreless inning. Josh Edgin went 1 scoreless innings with a hit and a walk. Jeff Stevens finished the game for the Bisons with a scoreless ninth with two strikeouts.

Offensively, Sutton was 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Durango, Gartrell, Wilson and Marrero each had a hit. Gartrell's two run homer raised his RBI total to 22.

For the Bisons, Corey Wimberly, Lewis and Omar Quintanilla each had two hits.

Game 2 of the four-game series will be tonight in Buffalo. The G-Braves (25-14) will pitch right-hander Jair Jurrjens (2-0, 2.05), while the Bisons (22-17) will counter with left-hander Garrett Olson (0-3, 3.35).