ROME — The Rome Braves manufactured six runs with some help from Savannah mistakes to snap the Sand Gnats’ six-game winning streak 6-3 on Wednesday morning.
The Class A South Atlantic League game had a 10:30 a.m. start time. Rome improved to 50-79, while Savannah, which already clinched a postseason berth by winning the Southern Division first-half title, fell to 82-43.
Rome broke a 2-2 tie in the fifth when Connor Lien singled, stole second and third and scored on Sean Godfrey’s single.
The margin was 4-2 in the sixth when Carlos Sanchez was hit by an Octavio Acosta pitch with two outs, Reed Harper walked and Connor Oliver singled hom Sanchez.
Savannah closed to 4-3 in the seventh when Matt Oberste greeted reliever Caleb Dirks with a two-out double to left, plating Jeff Glenn (leadoff single).
Rome expanded the advantage to 6-3 in the eight on a single, sacrifice bunt, throwing error, groundout and single.
The Gnats had scored the game’s first two runs. In the opening inning, Champ Stuart tripled and came home on Oberste’s groundout. In the second, Victor Cruzado led off with a single, took second on Rome starter Yean Carlos Gil’s wild pitch, moved to third on a groundout and scored on another.
The Braves tied the game 2-2 in the bottom of the second inning on a walk, a wild pitch, two singles, another walk and Acosta hitting Lien with a pitch with the bases loaded.
Acosta (1-1, 2.89 ERA) took the loss after yielding eight hits, four runs (earned) and three walks with three strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings. Reliever Andy Otero (3-4, 3.86) collected the win.
The teams play again in Rome at 7 p.m. today.
Savannah ab r h bi Rome ab r h bi
Ruiz ss 5 0 0 0 Oliver rf 4 0 2 2
Stuart cf 4 1 1 0 Lien cf 3 1 2 1
Oberste 1b 4 0 2 2 Godfrey lf 4 0 1 1
Leroux dh 4 0 0 0 Schrader 1b 4 0 1 0
Cruzado rf 2 1 2 2 Meneses dh 4 0 0 0
Zapata 3b 4 0 0 0 Franco 3b 3 2 2 0
Rivero 2b 3 0 0 0 Wilson 2b 3 0 0 0
Sabol lf 4 0 1 0 Sanchez c 3 3 1 1
Glenn c 3 1 1 0 Harper ss 3 0 1 0
Totals 33 3 7 3 Totals 31 6 10 5
Savannah 110 000 100—3
Rome 020 011 02x—6
E—Ruiz, Franco. DP—Savannah 2, Rome 2. LOB—Savannah 7, Rome 7. 2B—Oberste, Lien. 3B—Stuart. SAC—Wilson. SB—Lien 2. CS—Oliver.
SAVANNAH IP H R ER BB SO
Acosta L,1-1 5 2/3 8 4 4 3 3
Mitchell 2 1/3 2 2 0 0 1
ROME IP H R ER BB SO
Gil 4 4 2 2 2 1
Otero W,3-4 2 2/3 2 1 1 0 5
Dirks S,3 2 1/3 1 0 0 2 0
WP—Acosta, Gil. HBP—Lien, Sanchez. T—3:10. A—1,393.