Braves Minor League Recap: Tough Sunday for the system

The system didn’t have an easy day as they lost three of four games and surrendered 10+ runs in all three of the defeats. At least we saw productive games from Vaughn Grissom, Luke Waddell, and Justin Dean plus four different additional players would add homers.

Norfolk Tides 13, Gwinnett Stripers 4

Box Score

• Vaughn Grissom, 2B/SS: 2-5, 2B, RBI, .324/.405/.482
• Eli White, LF: 1-5, HR, R, RBI, .260/.349/.520
• Joe Dunand, 1B: 3-4, HR, R, 2 RBI, .323/.432/.597

Gwinnett was blown away in this one despite an early 1-0 lead in the top of the second. Dereck Rodriguez started and allowed two runs in the second inning - his final inning before giving way to the pen. Things only got tougher from there as Beau Burrows, Grant Holmes, and Joe Harvey all allowed between three and four runs to cross, before a final inning and two thirds from Danny Young that made him the only one of five Gwinnett pitchers to not allow a run.

Despite the tough pitching performance the bats still had a productive Sunday at the plate. Led by Joe Dunand’s 3-4 game that included a homer and brought his OPS to 1.029 on the year, the Stripers scored four runs in the loss. Eli White added a homer of his own, while both of the top Braves prospects would reach base twice. Vaughn Grissom did it with two hits in five at bats, including a double and an RBI, while Braden Shewmake was 1-3 with a walk. Magneuris Sierra also had a pair of hits in the loss.

Mississippi Braves 7, Birmingham Barons 3

Box Score

• Luke Waddell, 3B: 3-4, 2B, BB, 4 R, RBI, SB, .276/.442/.362
• Justin Dean, CF: 2-4, BB, 2 R, RBI, .231/.365/.308
• Drew Lugbauer, DH: 3-4, 2 2B, BB, 2 RBI, .246/.362/.565

Mississippi got an excellent showing in what became a bullpen game, going into the bottom of the ninth with a 7-0 shutout brewing. Hayden Deal started and went the first three scoreless innings before five different relievers each added a scoreless frame of their own. Those five were Domingo Gonzalez, Trey Riley, Daysbel Hernandez, Nick Howard, and Jose Montilla. The only time Birmingham was able to get on the scoreboard was when they put three runs up in the ninth against Alec Barger.

Offensively three guys carried the load for Mississippi in this seven-run performance. Drew Lugbauer and Luke Waddell each had three hits and a walk, while Justin Dean had two hits and a walk. Waddell went 3-4 with a double, walk, stolen base, four runs scored, and an RBI while Lugbauer was also 3-4 with two doubles, a walk, and two batted in. Dean added a 2-4 game with a walk, two runs scored, and an RBI. Javier Valdes joined that trio with a multi-hit game, going 2-4 with an RBI in the win.

Bowling Green Hot Rods 10, Rome Braves 2

Box Score

• Keshawn Ogans, 2B/SS: 2-4, 2 RBI, .252/.385/.382
• Adam Zebrowski, C: 1-3, BB, R, .250/.346/.478
• Ryder Jones, RP: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K, 6.57 ERA

This game was tied at zero through three innings, as Hunter Riggins hadn’t allowed a run in his first three innings of this game. Unfortunately when he returned to the mound in the fourth he was credited with three runs against and didn’t record another out. Peyton Williams allowed an additional run to score while finishing out the inning. Ryder Jones followed with the top pitching performance of the day for Rome, throwing a scoreless inning while striking out the side. Hayden Harris followed and allowed two runs (one earned) in an inning and a third and Miguel Pena was credited with four runs given up in an inning and a third, before Jonathan Hughes recorded the final out in this game.

The offense struggled as well in this one, managing four hits - all singles - and two walks. Keshawn Ogans and Adam Zebrowski would account for two thirds of that production by themselves. Ogans went 2-4 with both of the Rome runs batted in, and Zebrowski was 1-3 with a walk and one of the runs scored. The other hit and run scored both came from Wiston Cerrato in a pinch hit at bat, while a David McCabe walk was the only other time a Rome batter reached base in this one.

Charleston RiverDogs 13, Augusta GreenJackets 10

Box Score

• Justin Janas, 1B: 3-5, 2B, R, 2 RBI, .276/.370/.385
• EJ Exposito, SS: 3-3, 3 R, 2 BB, .258/.369/.411
• Cory Acton, 2B: 2-5, HR, 2 R, 4 RBI
• Adam Shoemaker, SP: 0.2 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 2 K, 5.61 ERA

This one ended up with a wild 13-10 football score to it, and that all started in the first inning as Augusta starter Adam Shoemaker failed to make it out of the first. Shoemaker just had a tough day, giving up three hits, two walks, and four runs while recording just two outs - though both of the outs came via strikeouts. Tyree Thompson followed with two unearned runs in three innings and Jason Franks allowed an unearned run over two and a third innings. This game was actually tied at seven apiece before the eighth inning saw both Chad Bryant and Elison Joseph allow three runs to come across.

The offense had some very notable performances in defeat, led by four guys. EJ Exposito was 3-3 with two walks and three runs scored, reaching base in all five of his trips to the plate. Cory Acton was 2-5 with a pair of runs scored and four RBI, as he hit a three run homer. Acton wasn’t the only Augusta player to homer as Jeremy Celedonio (1-4, HR, BB, 2 R, 2 RBI) hit his seventh of the season. Finally Justin Janas went 3-5 with a double, run scored, and two batted in.