it could be

The 2012 Mississippi Braves haven’t been in this position very often. They go for their fourth straight win tonight against Birmingham at Trustmark Park. Only twice before have the M-Braves won three straight this season; they didn’t get the fourth W in either of those opportunities. So tonight could be special, maybe even the start of something. Former major leaguer Ben Sheets will be on the bump, aiming to fare better than he did on July 4 when he took the loss (four runs in five innings) in his first outing in some two years. Odds are he will be sharper. The M-Braves haven’t exactly knocked the cover off the ball during the current three-game streak, scoring 11 runs. But they have done some clutch hitting. And, hey, Joe Leonard belted a home run on Saturday, the first at the TeePee by an M-Brave since June 13, when Leonard went yard against Jacksonville. The team has hit just seven homers at home all season. The M-Braves are 7-11 in the second half, not so far back yet that they can’t make a move in the Southern League South. A fourth straight win would be a big step in the right direction. P.S. Former Taylorsville star Billy Hamilton has been promoted to the Double-A Southern League by Cincinnati, but the Reds’ Pensacola club doesn’t come to Pearl until Aug. 24.