encore, encore?

The Mississippi Braves reached a low point Monday night, losing 10-0 to Birmingham for their fifth straight loss to the Barons. It was a humbling if not humiliating series for the M-Braves, who may already have been looking ahead to the start of the second half next Monday. (Of course, Birmingham comes in for a six-game series to kick it off, so … .) The M-Braves’ amazing turnaround last season, from first-half flop to Southern League champion, was largely a by-product of a revamped starting rotation. If the club is going to pull off a similar stunt this season, it needs bats more than arms. Leadoff hitter Gorkys Hernandez is gone to the Pittsburgh Pirates, and manager Phillip Wellman freely admits the team hasn’t had a true No. 3 or 4 hitter all season. That makes it tough. What’s more, trades and injuries have left the Atlanta system thin at every level. There are some talented hitters at Class A Myrtle Beach, most notably outfielder Jason Heyward. But Heyward’s been hurt and may not be ready. The Braves won’t rush him just to try to pump up the Double-A club’s record. Freddie Freeman could help at first base and in the middle of the order, but he, too, has only half a season of high-A ball under his belt. Outfielder Cody Johnson, who can really rake, reportedly has defensive issues. The M-Braves do need something to compete in the second half. The question is, where will it come from?
P.S. David Dellucci, signed as a free agent last week by the Toronto Blue Jays, is hitting .273 with an RBI in his first three games at Triple-A Las Vegas. Wonder how long the Jays will wait to summon the former Ole Miss star. Still wondering why Cleveland cut him loose. A left-handed hitter with Dellucci’s credentials would seem to be a valuable commodity. Maybe there’s something we don’t know about.