on the bump

Cody Reed, the former Horn Lake High and Northwest Mississippi Community College standout, was sharp in his Southern League debut on Friday, notching a win for Pensacola. Acquired by Cincinnati from Kansas City in the Johnny Cueto trade, left-hander Reed allowed five hits and one run over seven innings for the Blue Wahoos. He is now 8-7 with a 2.45 ERA for the year with three clubs over two levels. … Southern Miss product Scott Copeland has won three straight starts and four of five for Triple-A Buffalo and leads the International League with a 2.13 ERA. He has made multiple trips up to Toronto and back to Buffalo this season (see previous posts) with mixed results in his five MLB games (6.46 ERA). Still, it was a feel-good story when he made his big league debut at age 27 in his sixth pro season. … Ex-Mississippi State star Chris Stratton finally notched his first Triple-A win on July 27 for Sacramento in the San Francisco system and figures to make his next start on Sunday. Stratton, from Tupelo, is 1-3 in 10 starts despite a 3.02 ERA. He was the 20th overall pick in 2012 and has been rated a top prospect in the Giants’ system ever since. “Every year, I’ve learned something new,’’ he told milb.com. Though he isn’t on the Giants’ 40-man roster, Stratton certainly could get a call-up in September. … When right-hander Zack Bird might make his Mississippi Braves debut isn’t clear. The former Murrah star, acquired by Atlanta from the Los Angeles Dodgers in Thursday’s mega-deal, has been a starter most of his four-year minor league career but isn’t on the latest list of M-Braves probables for the next few days. The team returns to Trustmark Park in Pearl on Sunday. Bird was a Southern Miss signee before he became a rare Jackson Public Schools draftee in 2012, when the Dodgers took him in the ninth round. Bird’s career record is an ugly 16-35, including a 6-17 mark in 2014, and his ERA is pushing 5.00. But he has shown some stuff, including an upper 90s fastball. He struck out 110 batters in 118 2/3 innings in the Midwest League in 2014 and had 95 K’s in 89 innings in the California League this year. … Ole Miss alum Phil Irwin, who had been pitching in Korea, has signed a minor league deal with Texas. Irwin has made two big league appearances in seven pro seasons, one each in 2013 (Pittsburgh) and 2014 (the Rangers).