Braves Minor League Recap: Bats wake up across the system

The Atlanta Braves minor league system had a strong day going 3-1, narrowly missing out on a 4-0 day. In their only loss their bats were stifled by one of the top pitching prospects in the game. However, in their three wins, they combined for 27 runs.

(11-16) Gwinnett Stripers 10, (12-16) Charlotte Knights 2

• Braden Shewmake - 0-4, 1 RBI, 2 K
• Eli White - 3-4, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K
• Beau Burrows - SP, 5 ⅔ IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 3 K

The Stripers gave themselves some breathing room early, scoring 3 across the first two frames. The first inning could’ve been significantly better as they drew four walks one of which scored a run, but they went 0-3 in the inning. In the second after back-to-back walks to lead off the inning an Eli White single loaded the bases. Then a Shewmake sac fly, and Nick Solak RBI single put the Stripers up 3-0. After 12 consecutive outs Eli White lead off the 7th with a double. Shewmake, the next batter was retired, but 7 of the next 8 batters to come to the plate reached, resulting in a 6 run inning. They scored another in the 8th after five of the first 6 batters in the inning reached via a walk or hit by pitch.

After three strong innings by starter Beau Burrows, the Knights got to him in the fourth inning scoring 2. Oscar Colas picked up a 1 out double before Carlos Perez knocked him in on a 2-run home run. Burrows then silenced the Knights over his final 1 ⅔ innings retiring the final five batters he faced. Over the next 2 ⅓ innings, Brian Moran, Joe Harvey, Grant Holmes and Ty Tice, who closed the game, combined for 3 ⅓ shutout innings to close out the game.

(8-14) Mississippi Braves 1, (12-10) Pensacola Blue Wahoos 2

• Drew Lugbauer - 0-2, 1 HBP, 1 K
• Justin Dean - 0-4, 1 K
• Tanner Gordon, SP, 7 IP, 4 H, 5 K

The Braves faced one of the top pitching prospects in the minors in Eury Perez in this one and he showed why he was. Through the first five innings he struck out 11 Braves hitters, although they were able to get to him in the 5th via an Arden Pabst solo home run, who was one of three runners to reach over that span. The fifth was Perez’s final inning but the solid pitching didn’t stop there. Over the final four frames 3 Pensacola pitchers combined for four no hit shutout innings.

The Braves were able to match Eury Perez on the bump as the organization’s 28th best prospect Tanner Gordon spun a gem. Gordon struck out 5 and allowed 4 base runners across 7 scoreless innings requiring just 75 pitches to do so. He worked into some trouble in the 6th due to an error and a walk but he retired the next three batters to escape trouble. Unfortunately, though, Jake McSteen blew the save and picked up the loss in a rough 9th inning. After a leadoff single and a sac bunt things quickly went south. An attempted sac bunt by Victor Victor Mesa Jr. actually led to him reaching first and the tying run to get to third due to a throwing error by Beau Phillip. Then the next batter reached on a throwing error by McSteen, an error that resulted in two runs crossing the plate, ending the game.

(9-12) Rome Braves 6, (9-11) Bowling Green Hot Rods 3

• Ignacio Alvarez - 1-3, 2 BB, 1 K
• Kevin Kilpatrick Jr. - 2-4, 2 HR, 2 RBI, 1 BB
• Tyler Owens, SP, 3 IP, 2 H, 1 K

The Braves started well at the dish scoring three runs over the first two innings. In the first they scored via a Kilpatrick Jr. leadoff solo home run. Then in the second, Brendol Mezquita scored via a Kadon Morton double after leading the inning off with a walk. Drake Baldwin then later drove in Mezquita two batters later. After three quiet innings Rome tacked on another 2 in the 6th, via a 2 run Drake Baldwin home run. They scored a final insurance run in the 8th via Kilpatrick Jr.’s second solo home run of the game.

The Braves pitching staff invited a little trouble in the first five innings allowing 1 out doubles in the third and fourth innings. Although they were able to work around it in both frames, retiring the following two batters after the doubles. In the 6th though they allowed 3 runs, all of which were unearned. First baseman Bryson Horne missed a throw which saw one batter cross the plate on that play, which was Patrick Hilligans final pitch. Rob Griswold came on and immediately allowed a sac fly and RBI single tied the game for the time being. After that he pitched a scoreless 7th before Jonathan Hughes pitched two scoreless frames to pick up the save.

(8-13) Augusta GreenJackets 11, (12-8) Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 7

• Ambioris Tavarez - 0-4, 3 K
• David McCabe - 0-2, 3 BB, 2 K
• Cedric De Grandpre - SP, 4 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 4 K

After two quiet first innings, the GreenJackets bats showed up in the first as Jair Casanova hit a two out home run with Tyler Collins following it up with a single and a stolen base before Tavarez grounded out. They scored another two runs in the 4th. After David McCabe led the inning off with a walk Jeremy Celedonio followed it with a two-run homer. They once again got a runner in scoring position with two outs, but another groundout ended that rally. In the sixth they scratched 2 more runs across the board. After back-to-back singles to lead it off a Dawson Dimon sac fly, and Jair Casanova RBI single the GreenJackets reclaimed the lead. In the top of the 10th, they exploded offensively scoring 6 runs with 9 batters coming to the plate. 2 walks, 2 hit by pitches and 2 singles lead to the massive inning. The GreenJackets scored a run on five consecutive at bats in the inning.

After a shaky first inning where he allowed 3 base runners, 1 of which scored and another of which reached via a hit by pitch, De Grandpre settled down. He retired 9 of the final 11 batters he faced, striking four of those batters out. In the fifth, De Grandpre was pulled for Adam Shoemaker who struggled badly. After getting the leadoff man to fly out he allowed a single, hit by pitch, double, single and then a walk. Mixed in there as well was a stolen base and a balk, all in all was good for a 3-run frame. In the 8th Landon Harper blew the lead on a two out RBI double off the bat of Johnabiell Laureano. After a scoreless 9th he allowed two to score in the 10th, although one of those runs was unearned as it was the ghost runner. Despite the blown save he did close out the game for the GreenJackets.