introducing …

Former Jackson Generals ace Freddy Garcia was quite impressive in his Atlanta debut on Sunday, throwing 4 2/3 scoreless innings in relief against Miami. The Marlins had KO’d former Mississippi Braves lefty Alex Wood in the third inning en route to a 7-0 win. Garcia, 36, an accomplished pitcher with 155 MLB wins, should only benefit from working with Atlanta pitching coach Roger McDowell, the former Jackson Mets standout. Garcia can fill a variety of roles for the Braves. The more impressive debut on Sunday was made by Ole Miss product Alex Presley, who went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run to help his new club, Minnesota, beat Texas 4-2. The Rangers’ division lead over Oakland dropped to one game; the two American League West rivals begin a 3-game series today at O.Co Coliseum. A more anticipated debut could come today: Cincinnati is expected to add former Taylorsville High star Billy Hamilton to its roster. Hamilton set the professional baseball stolen base record with 155 in 2012. Reds manager Dusty Baker told mlb.com that Hamilton is much more than another Herb Washington, the Belzoni native who served as a pinch runner for Oakland in the mid-’70s without ever batting or playing the field. Hamilton can do those things, though speed on the bases is his game-changing tool. The Reds host division rival St. Louis, which is tied with Pittsburgh atop the National League Central standings. P.S. Texas activated ex-Generals star Lance Berkman from the disabled list. Lingering injuries may limit Berkman’s contributions down the stretch.