Marte Helps Danville Win Its First Game And Cunningham And Garcia Shine In All-Star Games In Tuesday's Atlanta Braves Minor League Action

Danville started off their season with a win, Gwinnett couldn't win despite several fine hitting performances, and teams featuring Braves farmhands won two of the three All-Star games they played in.

Gwinnett Braves 1, Indianapolis Indians 2

• Luis Durango CF 2-4, SB (27), .283 AVG
• Tyler Pastornicky SS 2-4, 2 2B, .273 AVG
• Stefan Gartrell LF 1-3, BB, SB (7), .246 AVG
• Felix Pie RF 2-4, 3B, RBI, .275 AVG
• Jair Jurrjens 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 2 BB, 2 K, 5.18 ERA
• Buddy Carlyle 4 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 1 BB, 7 K, 2.11 ERA

Jair Jurrjens worked just 1 inning in a tune up appearance before he returns to Atlanta Friday, and while it was a scoreless inning, he did walk 2 and threw 11 of his 20 pitches for balls. Buddy Carlyle did the heavy lifting, tossing 4 scoreless relief innings, striking out 7 in the process. The 34 year old has posted a 2.11 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP in 38.1 innings over 16 appearances. Luis Durango stole his league leading 27th base, and no one else in the league has even stolen 20. In his last 9 games, the switch hitter is hitting .400 with a .874 OPS, 7 runs scored, and 4 steals. Tyler Pastornicky had a pair of doubles today, giving him 8 in his last 10 games. During that span, he's hit .359 with a .930 OPS, driving in 7 runs. Felix Pie tripled and drove in a run as part of a 2 hit day that made him 5-12 in his last 3 games. Stefan Gartell stole his seventh base of the season, and that's more stolen bases than he's had in any season since he was with AA Birmingham in 2008.

Eric Junge will take on the Indians tomorrow.

Southern League South 6, Southern League North 2

• Todd Cunningham LF 1-3, RBI, BB, SB, E
• Christian Bethancourt C 0-1
• Zeke Spruill 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 BB, 1 K
• David Hale 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 BB, 1 K
• Gary Moran 1 IP, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 H, 0 BB, 1 K

Seven Missississippi players represented the Southern League's South Division, and they helped their team to a win, with pitchers Zeke Spruill, David Hale, and Gary Moran combining to allow 1 unearned run over 3 innings, giving up 3 hits, 1 walk, and striking out 3. Todd Cunningham started the game in left field and filled up his stat sheet, driving in a run with a single, walking and stealing a base, and committing an error. Christian Bethancourt lined out in his lone at bat. Sean Gilmaritn and Ryan Buchter were also All-Stars, but they didn't appear in the game.

Carolina League All-Stars 9, California League All Stars 1

• Chris Garcia 1B 1-1, 2B, RBI
• Tommy La Stella 2B 1-4, RBI
• Nick Ahmed SS 0-2
• Braeden Schlehuber C 0-2
• JR Graham 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 1 BB, 0 K

Five Hillcats helped the Carolina League to victory over the California league, including Tommy La Stella, who started the game at second base and drove in a run. Chris Garcia, who competed in, but didn't win, the home run derby, also drove in a run with a double after coming into the game in the sixth. Braeden Schlehuber and Nick Ahmed were also late game substitutions, but they each went 0-2. JR Graham allowed just 1 walk in a scoreless inning.

SAL South 2, SAL North 3

• David Filak 1 IP, 1 ER, 2 H, 0 BB, 1 K
• Navery Moore 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 1 K

Rome sent two players to the South Atlantic League All-Star game, and they pitched back-to-back in the fifth and sixth innings, with David Filak taking the loss, allowing 1 run on 2 hits, and Navery Moore striking out 1 in a perfect inning.

Danville Braves 7, Elizabethton Twins 5

• Levi Hyams 2B 1-3, 2 RBI, SB (1), .333 AVG
• Blake Brown RF 1-5, HR (1), RBI, .200 AVG
• Carlos Franco 3B 0-2, 3 BB, .000 AVG
• Trenton Moses DH 2-4, 2B, RBI, .500 AVG
• Nick DeSantiago C 2-4, 3B, 2 RBI, .500 AVG
• Felix Marte CF 3-4, 2B, .750 AVG
• Eric Garcia SS 1-3, BB, 2 SB (1, 2), E (1), .333 AVG
• Mauricio Cabrera 4 IP, 1 ER, 2 H, 2 BB, 4 K, 2.25 ERA
• Williams Perez 2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 2 BB, 2 K, 0.00 ERA

Danville got their season off to a great start, picking up a win with the help of some players who began the year with Rome. Felix Marte struggle with the R-Braves, hitting .231 with a .553 OPS and striking out in 41% of his at bats, but he got his Danville career off to a great start, rapping out 3 hits, including a double, today. Nick DeSantiago hit just .173 with a .482 OPS for Rome, but he drove in a pair of run and tripled today in his return to Danville. This year's 19th round selection Levi Hyams did a great job as a leadoff hitter in his pro debut, singling and working a pair of walks. Blake Brown, who the team picked in the fifth round this year, homered in his pro debut after striking out his first four times to the plate. 26th rounder Trenton Moses served as the designated hitter and drove in a run, collecting a pair of hits, including a double. Eric Garcia, this year's 20th round selection, reached base twice and stole a pair of bases. Mauricio Cabrera, a 18 year old Dominican righty, who posted a 4.30 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP in 52.1 innings in the DSL last year, did a fine job in his US debut, allowing 1 run while striking out 4 in 4 innings.

GCL Braves 5, GCL Yankees 4

• Jose Peraza DH 1-4, 2B, 2 RBI, .125 AVG
• Mike Dodig 3B 1-4, E (1), .250 AVG
• Bryan de la Rosa C 1-2, .500 AVG
• Anthony Nunez C 1-2, .500 AVG
• Jackson Laumann 3-4, 2B, .571 AVG
• Chad Rogers 1 IP, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 H, 0 BB, 1 K, 0.00 ERA
• Richie Tate 4 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 2 BB, 2 K, W (1), 0.00 ERA
• Magdiel Avendano 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 2 K, SV (1), 0.00 ERA
  

Jackson Laumann has gotten his career off to a nice start, as the 18 year old went 3-4 with a double today, making him 4-7 with a walk in his first 2 games. Third rounder Bryan de la Rosa went 1-2 for the second day in a row. Anthony Nunez took also went 1-2 after taking over catching duties mid-game. The 22 year old Dominican is in his fifth professional season, spending three years in the DSL and now working on his second in the GCL. Jose Peraza picked up his first hit of the season, driving in a pair of runs with a double. Chad Rodgers, the Braves third round draft pick in 2006, pitched just 0.2 innings for Lynchburg last season before he was forced to have Tommy John surgery, and he made his first appearance in over a year today, allowing 1 unearned run in 1 inning of work. The Braves drafted Richie Tate in the 14th round in 2010, and he had a 5.19 ERA and a 1.56 WHIP in 8.2 innings in the GCL that year before missing all of last season with an injury. He had a fantastic return to the mound today, allowing 1 hit and 2 walks while striking out 2 over 4 scoreless innings. Magdiel Avendano, an 18 year old Dominican, had a 4.35 ERA and a 1.29 WHIP in 31 innings in the DSL last season and he had a fine US debut today, striking out 2 in a perfect inning, earning a save.