Mejia And Durango Shine For Gwinnett While de la Rosa And Lien Get The GCL Season Started In Monday's Atlanta Braves Minor League Action

Gwinnett Braves 4, Indianapolis Indians 5

• Luis Durango CF 2-4, OF Assist, .280 AVG
• Ernesto Mejia 1B 2-4, 2B, HR (13), RBI, .312 AVG
• Felix Pie RF 1-4, 2 RBI, SB (5), .267 AVG
• Jose Lugo 6.1 IP, 5 R, 4 ER, 8 H, 4 BB, 4 K, 3.72 ERA
• Cory Gearrin 2.2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 2 BB, 0 K, 1.49 ERA

After going 0-8 in his last 2 games, Ernesto Mejia hit his 13th homer of the year and his 17th double of the year today. In his last 10 games, he's hitting .297 with a 1.042 OPS, 2 doubles, 4 homers, and 7 RBI. Luis Durango also had a 2 hit day, and in his last 10 games, he's hitting .368 with a .836 OPS, 7 runs scored, a triple, 4 RBI, and 3 steals. After allowing 4 earned runs in 14.1 innings over his last 5 appearances, Jose Lugo allowed 4 earned runs, and 1 unearned run, in 6.1 innings today. Inexplicably , Cory Gearrin remains in AAA, and he continues to dominate, stranding 2 inherited runners today and allowing just 2 walks over 2.2 scoreless innings.

Former Braves farmhand Jeff Locke will start for the Indians tomorrow against the G-Braves, who have yet to announce a starter.

Mississippi Braves, Lynchburg Hillcats, Rome Braves - All Star Break

GCL Braves 3, CGL Yankees 7

• Jose Peraza SS 0-4, BB, 2 SB (1, 2), .000 AVG
  
• Mike Dodig DH 1-4, 2B, RBI, .250 AVG
• Joey Menses LF 1-4, 2B, .250 AVG
• Connor Lien RF 1-4, .250 AVG
• Seth Moranda 3B 1-3, SB (1), .333 AVG
• Jackson Laumann 1B 1-3, BB, .333 AVG
• Bryan de la Rosa C 1-2, .500 AVG
• Luis Merejo 5 IP, 3 ER, 7 H, 0 BB, 6 K, 5.40 ERA
• Andry Ubiera 2.1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 BB, 5 K, 0.00 ERA

The GCL Braves got their season started today, unfortunately with a loss, as starter Luis Merejo, a 17 year old Dominican lefty making his professional debut, allowed 3 earned runs in 5 innings, though he did manage to strike out 6 without allowing a walk. Andry Ubiera pitched well in relief, giving up just 1 hit and 1 walk while striking out 5 over 2.1 scoreless innings. The 19 year old Dominican righty had a 2.66 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP in 50.2 innings in the DSL last season. 19 year old Venezuelan shortstop Jose Peraza was the star of last summer's DSL team, hitting .281 with 28 stolen bases, and while he didn't get a hit in his GCL debut, he did manage to walk and steal a pair of bases. Joey Menses, a 20 year old Mexican outfielder, didn't fare as well last year in the DSL, hitting just .206 with a .492 OPS, but he hit a double today in his US debut. Puerto Rican catcher Bryan de la Rosa, the Braves 3rd round pick this year, went 1-2 in his pro debut today. Mike Dodig, this year's 10th round pick out of Columbia Green Community College in New York, had a RBI double today as the DH. Connor Lien, this year's 12th round pick, went 1-4 in his pro debut in his hometown of Orlando. It's been reported that Lien has been given the highest bonus of any player drafted after the 10th round this year. 19 year old Seth Moranda hit .200 with a .598 OPS in the GCL last year, and got his season off to a 1-3 start in his return to the league today. Jackson Laumann was drafted in the 31st round in 2011, but he didn't make his professional debut until today, going 1-3 with a walk.