LAWRENCEVILLE, Georgia – The Stripers (26-21) got a great start from young right-hander Owen Murphy and staged an eighth inning rally but couldn’t finish it off as Gwinnett dropped game two of a six-game set to the Charlotte Knights (24-23) on Wednesday night at Gwinnett Field. The Stripers have now lost a season-high four straight games.
WINNING WEDNESDAY!!!! pic.twitter.com/tQxhuDMGIs
— Charlotte Knights (@KnightsBaseball) May 21, 2026
Decisive Plays: A solo home runs from Charlotte’s Lamonte Wade Jr. (6) put Charlotte ahead 1-0 against Murphy (L, 1-3), who settled in after. The Stripers tied things up in the third with an RBI double off the bat of Rowdy Tellez. The Knights grabbed it right back in the fourth thanks to a single from Junior Perez to make it 2-1. After great work on the mound for both sides, Charlotte tacked on two key insurance runs in the eighth when Jacob Gonzalez laced a single into the outfield grass to score two and make it 4-1. Gwinnett got the two runs right back in the bottom of the frame when Tellez poked a two-run double down the right field line to cut it to 4-3. The Stripers went down in order in the ninth as Zach Franklin (S, 3) worked a multi-inning save.
Two big insurance runs courtesy of Jacob Gonzalez!
Knights lead the Stripers 4-1 in the 8th! pic.twitter.com/bjjbTEwpAB
— Charlotte Knights (@KnightsBaseball) May 21, 2026
Key Contributors: Tellez (2-for-4, 2 doubles, 3 RBIs) drove in all three Gwinnett runs as Murphy worked through 6.1 innings (4 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 7 SO). For Charlotte, Wade Jr. (2-for-3, double, home run, RBI) had multiple extra-base hits.
Would it really be a Gwinnett Stripers game if Brewer Hicklen didn't make an incredible defensive play? pic.twitter.com/109OPJsRrt
— Gwinnett Stripers (@GoStripers) May 21, 2026
Noteworthy: The Stripers are now 8-11 in one-run games, including each of their last three losses. Tellez has driven in four of the seven Stripers runs in the series. Murphy recorded Triple-A career highs in both innings and strikeouts, tallying just the fifth quality start by a Striper this season.
GET ROWDY CUS WE GOT OURSELVES A GAME pic.twitter.com/UZhFC3UDiK
— Gwinnett Stripers (@GoStripers) May 21, 2026
Next Game (Thursday, May 20): Gwinnett Stripers vs. Charlotte Knights, 7:05 p.m. ET at Gwinnett Field.It’s Throwback Thursday, get your groove on for 70s Disco Night at Gwinnett Field. $2 Sahlen’s hot dogs and $3 domestic beers. TV Broadcast: 7:00 p.m. on Peachtree Sports Network and Palmetto Sports & Entertainment. Radio Broadcast: 6:50 p.m. on MyCountry993.com. Live Video Stream: Bally Sports Live.

