looking ahead

The Mississippi Braves are doing a slow fade in the first half of the Southern League season. They’ve lost 10 of 12, several in agonizing fashion, and were formally eliminated from the South Division race on Saturday. With six games left, including a home game tonight and then five on the road, it’s time to start thinking about the second half and the club’s prospects for improvement in the standings. Three key players are currently on the disabled list: starting pitcher Kyle Cofield, standout reliever Brett Butts and infielder Eric Duncan, the team’s best hitter. They need to get them back on the field, though with Cofield and Butts, that might be a while. The M-Braves also need more consistency from their starting pitchers; they fall behind early in too many games. They need to pick it up on defense, which seemingly has slipped in recent weeks. And they need Cody Johnson, the slugging left fielder, to pull out of his funk. He can provide needed thump, but only if he’s making consistent contact, which he is not. Johnson got a hit off a left-hander on Sunday, so maybe that’s a good sign. He’s a key to the attack. The second half starts at Trustmark Park with a six-game series against Mobile beginning June 22.