G-Braves finish regular season strong

LAWRENCEVILLE -- The Gwinnett Braves closed out the regular season with a 7-4 win over the Charlotte Knights Monday at Gwinnett Stadium.

The G-Braves will enter the Governors’ Cup playoffs with a final record of 81-63. The Knights wrap up 2009 with a 67-76 mark.

Matt Young, promoted from Double-A Mississippi just three games earlier, belted his first Triple-A home run to lead off the bottom of the first and Gwinnett led the rest of the way. Two more runs in the first on RBI by Diory Hernandez and Alvin Colina gave the G-Braves an early 3-0 lead.

Each time Charlotte cut into the lead, Gwinnett answered. In the fourth, Wilson Betemit hit his first of two solo home runs. But then Jason Heyward plated Matt Young in the bottom of the frame to put the G-Braves up by three again. Brian Barton scored on a sacrifice fly by Van Pope to extend the Gwinnett lead to 5-1 in the third.

Charlotte cut the lead to one in the fifth as Betemit again went yard, Justin Knoedler scored on a bases-loaded groundout and Brady Shoemaker scored on a passed ball.

But once more Gwinnett had an answer. Barton led off with a single in the bottom of the fifth, advanced to third on a pickoff attempt error and scored on a wild pitch. Barton iced the game on an RBI-double in the sixth that drove in Heyward.

Barton was 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI on the afternoon to lead the G-Braves’ offense. Heyward was 2-for-4, also with two runs and an RBI.

Jonny Venters earned his fourth win of the season, holding the Knights to two earned runs on five hits in six innings. Mariano Gomez earned his eighth save in as many opportunities by pitching a hitless ninth. Francisley Bueno and Jeff Lyman both held Charlotte hitless in the seventh and eighth innings, as well.

Jack Egbert picked up the loss for the Knights, allowing five runs, three earned, on five hits in three innings.

The G-Braves open postseason play with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees in Round One of the Governors’ Cup playoffs Wednesday at Gwinnett Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Individual tickets for Round One of the 2009 Governors’ Cup are available at gwinnettbraves.com, the Gwinnett Stadium Box Office, all TicketMaster outlets and by calling 1-800-745-3000.