Tag Archives: Braves

09 Aug

in a good place

It’s too soon to start calculating magic numbers out at Trustmark Park, but there is some magic in the air. The Mississippi Braves (28-16) have won six straight games, the last four at home against Mobile. They entered the current series tied with the BayBears for first place in the Southern League South. Suddenly, it’s a 4-game spread. (Third-place Jacksonville is 7 back.) Dominant pitching and just enough hitting has been the M-Braves’ formula against Mobile, which has scored only six runs in the four games, three of them decided by one run. In Friday’s opener, it was Max Povse with the quality start and Dustin Peterson with the game-turning eighth-inning homer. On Saturday, Jed Bradley had a stellar start and Carlos Franco a key two-run double. On Sunday, Wes Parsons and a passel of relievers (Caleb Dirks, Evan Phillips, David Peterson) owned the bump and Franco again provided the big hit. Lucas Sims took the ball on Monday and worked seven strong. A.J. Minter and Steve Kent closed. Franco – reigning SL player of the week — and Dustin Peterson drove in the runs in the 2-1 win. Sean Newcomb, Atlanta’s No. 3 prospect, starts tonight’s series finale. Ready the brooms. The M-Braves last made the playoffs in 2013, as a wild card. They’ve won two half-season division titles in their 12 seasons at the TeePee, the last in 2008, when they won the SL pennant, as well. Yes, with almost a month left in the season, it’s too soon to start rambling on about playoffs. But Luis Salazar’s club certainly is in a good place. P.S. While Biloxi is 18-26 and well off the M-Braves’ pace in the SL South, former Mississippi State star Brandon Woodruff has been one of the best pitchers in the league of late. He is 5-1 with an 0.41 ERA in his last seven starts for the Shuckers, 7-6 with a 2.87 ERA overall.

08 Aug

big league chew

Three hits, a walk, three runs, four steals and a great catch in center field. That’s the kind of production the Cincinnati Reds would like to see from Billy Hamilton on a more regular basis. “It’s a completely different dynamic,” Reds manager Bryan Price told mlb.com after Sunday’s 7-3 win against Pittsburgh. “He just has a special talent … .” The Taylorsville High alum is batting .255 (.305 on-base percentage) with 52 runs and an MLB-leading 43 stolen bases in 95 games. He is a .245 career hitter (.292 OBP) since his 2013 debut with the Reds. … Former Southern Miss star Brian Dozier rapped out two hits Sunday to extend his streak to 16 games. He is batting .366 during that stretch and is up to .264 for the season for Minnesota. … Cameras caught Mississippi State alum Jonathan Papelbon kicked back and catching some rays (possibly napping) in the Washington Nationals’ bullpen on Sunday – during the eighth inning of a 1-0 game against San Francisco. The displaced closer watched in the ninth as Mark Melancon nailed down his first save for the Nats. Papelbon has made just two appearances since July 28, allowing a run (on a home run) in 2 1/3 innings. … Ole Miss product David Goforth allowed five runs in three innings in three appearances during his week back up with Milwaukee. His ERA ballooned to 10.97, and he was optioned out to Triple-A Colorado Springs today. … Madison Younginer, who had 14 saves with the Mississippi Braves this season, made his MLB debut with Atlanta on Sunday, allowing two runs in 2/3 of an inning against St. Louis.

06 Aug

tool time

So, Pacific Coast League managers and coaches really like ex-Mississippi State star Hunter Renfroe. He was rated the Most Exciting Player, the Best Hitter and the Best Outfield Arm in the Triple-A league in Baseball America’s recently released poll on the top tools in the minors and majors. Renfroe is hitting .321 with 27 home runs, 93 RBIs and 16 outfield assists for El Paso; he is expected to be a September call-up by San Diego. Ole Miss alum Stuart Turner, now in the Minnesota system, was rated the Best Defensive Catcher in the Double-A Southern League, and Harrison Central High product Bobby Bradley (Cleveland) got the nod as the Best Power Prospect in the Class A Carolina League. The Mississippi Braves’ infield got a lot of love from Southern League managers and coaches. Dansby Swanson was rated the Best Defensive Shortstop, Ozzie Albies the Best Defensive Second Baseman and Johan Camargo — who has played second, short and third — the Best Infield Arm. In addition, Albies was tagged the Most Exciting Player. Not surprisingly, McComb’s Jarrod Dyson (Kansas City) and Taylorsville’s Billy Hamilton (Cincinnati) were ranked Fastest Baserunner in the AL and NL. … On the subject of standout tools, former M-Braves star Jeff Francoeur doesn’t show up in the NL poll for Best Outfield Arm, perhaps because he doesn’t play everyday. But he gunned down a runner for Atlanta on Friday night and now has seven assists for the season and a remarkable 133 in his 12 big league campaigns. P.S. Wondering how former Ole Miss star Mike Mayers has fared since returning to Triple-A after his rocky MLB debut? Not that great. Mayers has yielded 10 runs in 14 2/3 innings over three starts (two losses) for Memphis; he is now 3-4 with a 3.36 ERA. Mayers made an emergency start for St. Louis on July 24 and gave up nine runs in 1 1/3 innings. Think the Cardinals miss Lance Lynn, the UM product out for the season after Tommy John surgery? Lynn won 60 games over the previous four seasons, making 126 starts overall and registering more than 175 innings in each year.

04 Aug

random numbers

37 – Stolen bases for Taylorsville’s Billy Hamilton, who got one as a pinch runner on Wednesday in Cincinnati’s 5-4 loss to St. Louis. Hamilton’s total ranks second in MLB, three behind Jonathan Villar. Hamilton, who set the all-time minor league record with 155 steals in 2012, swiped 57 bases for the Reds in 2015 and 56 in 2014.
11 – Home runs allowed in eight starts by Northwest Mississippi Community College alum Cody Reed, the rookie left-hander who gave up another in Cincinnati’s loss to St. Louis. Reed, one of the Reds’ top-rated prospects, fell to 0-6 with a 7.30 ERA.
6 – RBIs by former Southern Miss star Brian Dozier in the last three games, all wins for Minnesota against Cleveland. Dozier, who has a 12-game hit streak, is 5-for-16 with two homers and four runs scored in the series, helping the Twins score 35 times against the Indians’ vaunted pitching staff.
14 – Number of players the Los Angeles Dodgers currently have on the disabled list, which now includes Greenwood native and ex-Pillow Academy star Louis Coleman. Coleman, out with right shoulder fatigue, has appeared in a career-high 50 games in his first season with the Dodgers after five in Kansas City. He has a 3.70 ERA.
2 – Number of former Mississippi Braves to make their MLB debut on Wednesday. Rob Whalen started and got the win for Atlanta against Pittsburgh, and James Hoyt worked a scoreless inning in relief for Houston. By one count, that makes 111 M-Braves alums who have advanced to The Show since the Double-A club arrived in Pearl in 2005.
6 – Runs, matching a season-high, yielded by Mississippi State product Kendall Graveman, who lasted just four innings in Oakland’s 8-6 loss to the L.A. Angels. Graveman, who had won four straight starts in July, now has a loss and a no-decision in his last two. He is 7-7, 4.46.
9 – Hits in his last four games for Petal High alum Anthony Alford, who has boosted his average to .232 at Class A Dunedin in Toronto’s system. The Blue Jays’ No. 1 prospect (by Baseball America) entering this season, Alford has been sidetracked by injuries. The 22-year-old outfielder has five homers, 30 RBIs and 14 steals in 68 games.

03 Aug

alumni news

Though is his team is stuck in last place, Southern Miss product Brian Dozier is on a roll. Dozier hit his 20th home run of the year on Tuesday and extended his hitting to streak to 11 games as Minnesota beat American League Central leader Cleveland 10-6. The second baseman also had eight assists and two putouts. Dozier is batting .259, having lifted his average 26 points during the streak, and has 57 RBIs. He has reached the 20-homer plateau for the third straight year. … He is called “that little scamp” in one Pittsburgh Pirates-devoted blog. It’s a compliment, actually, and it rather fits Adam Frazier. The former Mississippi State standout, who goes 5 feet 10, 175 pounds, pestered the Atlanta Braves all night on Tuesday, helping the Pirates to a 5-3 victory at Turner Field. The Athens, Ga., native went 2-for-4, drove in two runs and stole a base. He got the Pirates’ first hit in a 13-pitch at-bat in the fifth inning against Mike Foltynewicz and added a two-run single in a pivotal four-run sixth inning. For the season, the versatile rookie is batting .367 with a homer, six RBIs, seven runs and four steals in 24 games. … Not only did Zack Cozart not get traded, he received one of the prime lockers in the Cincinnati clubhouse. The ex-Ole Miss star, rumored to be headed to Seattle on Monday, is staying put – for now – and was moved into the double-wide locker formerly occupied by the traded Jay Bruce. “I’ve got some big shoes to fill. That’s for sure,” Cozart told the Dayton Daily News. The highly respected Cozart, who missed Tuesday’s game with a minor injury, is batting .266 with 15 homers as one of the Reds’ steadiest performers in a rough season. P.S. Prepare to add Rob Whalen to the list – now well over 100 — of Mississippi Braves alums to make the majors. The right-hander, who went 7-5 with a 2.49 ERA for the M-Braves before moving to Triple-A Gwinnett, is slated to start for Atlanta tonight against Pittsburgh.

31 Jul

buzz, buzz, buzz

Halfway through the second half of the Southern League season, the Mississippi Braves sit in first place in the South Division. A walk-off win on a Levi Hyams base hit in the 12th inning on Saturday pushed the M-Braves’ record to 21-14, a game clear of the pack in the race for the second-half title. The M-Braves have won eight of their last 10. … Mississippi State product Mitch Moreland hit his second career game-ending home run on Saturday to give Texas a 2-1 win over Kansas City. It was his 17th homer of the year. … Former State star Jonathan Papelbon reportedly has said he is “on board’ with Washington’s acquisition of Mark Melancon, who’ll displace Papelbon (and his 4.41 ERA) as the Nationals’ closer. Papelbon’s role going forward is unclear. … Don’t look now, but former Jackson Mets catcher John Gibbons has his Toronto Blue Jays in first place in the American League East. The Jays beat Baltimore 9-1 on Saturday, the fifth straight loss for the Orioles, managed by ex-State standout Buck Showalter. The teams, separated by a half-game, play again today at Rogers Centre. … Boston’s trade for Ole Miss alum Drew Pomeranz hasn’t helped its cause in the AL East thus far. Pomeranz took another loss on Saturday (against the Los Angeles Angels) and is 0-2 with a 7.53 ERA in three starts for the BoSox. He was 8-7, 2.47 for San Diego, a non-contender. … Tim Anderson, the former East Central Community College star, seems to do something good every day for the Chicago White Sox. The rookie went 3-for-5 on Saturday and scored twice, including the game-tying run in the ninth inning of a 6-5, 10-inning victory against Minnesota. Anderson is batting .275 with five homers, 12 RBIs, four steals and 25 runs in 43 games. Would love to see him in a 30-yard (90 feet) race against Billy Hamilton and Jarrod Dyson. … San Diego has cleared outfield space with the trades of Melvin Upton and Matt Kemp, but reports are that the Padres will wait until September to call up ex-State standout Hunter Renfroe, who is hitting .322 with 25 homers in Triple-A. … Seattle apparently is interested in acquiring Ole Miss product Zack Cozart from Cincinnati. The veteran shortstop is batting .267 with 15 homers. … For those wondering about impact bats in Atlanta’s minor league system, note that former DeSoto Central High star Austin Riley is batting .263 with 10 home runs and 50 RBIs in 93 games at low Class A Rome.

28 Jul

have a day

In what might be politely described as a transitional period for the Atlanta Braves, Freddie Freeman is a comforting constant. One of the few former Mississippi Braves stars still with Atlanta, Freeman enjoyed one of his best days of the season on Wednesday. He went 4-for-4 with a home run and five RBIs, powering the Braves past Minnesota 9-7 in a battle of MLB’s two worst teams. Freeman is batting .280 (slugging .517) with 18 homers and 41 RBIs in his seventh big league campaign, and he plays an excellent first base. Here’s hoping the Braves keep him around during this rebuilding phase (which might take a while). Jeff Francoeur, one of the original M-Braves of 2005, also had a good day against the Twins, going 2-for-5 with his sixth homer. Francoeur, quietly playing very well in his return to Atlanta, has been mentioned in trade rumors, so the happy homecoming may not last much longer. … Former M-Braves are everywhere these days, making their presence felt on a daily basis. On Wednesday: Martin Prado, batting .324 for Miami, went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run in the surging Marlins win over Philadelphia. … Brian McCann hit his 15th homer for the New York Yankees in a loss to Houston. (Evan Gattis, who didn’t play in that game, has 17 bombs for the Astros.) … Jason Heyward, having a tough first year with the bat in Chicago, went 1-for-3 with a walk in the Cubs’ big win over the White Sox. Tommy LaStella, batting .298 in a utility role for the Cubs, drew a walk as a pinch hitter. … Yunel Escobar, hitting .325, had a hit and Andrelton Simmons (.285) notched a pair in the Los Angeles Angels’ loss to Kansas City. … Christian Bethancourt had a 2-for-4 day with two RBIs for San Diego in a win at Toronto. He is batting .267 with five homers. … Randall Delgado (4.03 ERA) tossed two shutout innings in relief in Arizona’s win against Milwaukee. P.S. Former M-Braves outfielder Jordan Schafer, now a relief pitcher in the L.A. Dodgers’ system, has had mixed results. Overall, the lefty has a 4.58 ERA with 42 strikeouts in 39 1/3 innings. A recent rough patch has jacked his ERA from 1.35 to 3.44 at Double-A Tulsa. He also got some time in Triple-A, but it didn’t go well.

20 Jul

odds and ends

Interesting matchup in Cincinnati on Tuesday night: Cody Reed, the former Northwest Mississippi Community College star, vs. Tyrell Jenkins, the Mississippi Braves ace of 2015, both rookies seeking their first major league win. Both pitched relatively well, though neither was involved in the decision as Atlanta won in 11 innings. Jenkins went six innings and allowed two runs for the Braves. Reed also went six and allowed two unearned runs. The lanky left-hander with the trademark specs reduced his ERA to 6.75. … Former Ole Miss star and 2016 All-Star Drew Pomeranz is slated to make his Boston debut tonight against San Francisco at Fenway Park. Pomeranz won eight games for lowly San Diego before he was traded. … Meridian Community College product Corey Dickerson went 3-for-5 on Tuesday in his return to Coors Field, where he was a career .354 hitter while with Colorado. He is batting .230 with 13 homers and 36 RBIs for Tampa Bay. … Ex-Southern Miss standout Brian Dozier hit his 16th home run for Minnesota; he leads Mississippians in the majors in homers. … Baltimore has brought up Starkville native Julio Borbon, a career .272 hitter who last appeared in the big leagues in 2013. The former Tennessee star was playing at Double-A Bowie. … Former State star Kendall Graveman has won five straight decisions for Oakland to even his record at 6-6. … MSU product Hunter Renfroe homered on Sunday and Monday for Triple-A El Paso (San Diego) and now has 23 bombs on the season. … USM alum Mason Robbins is bobbin’ along at .305 for Class A Winston-Salem (Chicago White Sox), while brother Walker Robbins, also a Leakesville native, has lifted his average to .125 with a three-game hit streak in the rookie Gulf Coast League (St. Louis). … Former State All-America Dakota Hudson, the 34th overall draft pick by St. Louis last month, made his long-awaited debut on Monday and struck out three in one inning of work for the GCL Cardinals. … USM product Chuckie Robinson, a 21st-round pick by Houston, is hitting .388 with a homer and six RBIs at short-season Class A Tri-City.

15 Jul

in the system

After a fairly dominant tour of the Double-A Southern League, former Ole Miss standout Chris Ellis has found the going a little tougher at the Triple-A level. Ellis, slated to start tonight for the Gwinnett Braves, is 1-3 with a 6.05 ERA in five starts, though he did post five scoreless innings in his previous outing. The tall right-hander was 8-2, 2.75 for the Mississippi Braves before a June promotion. Ellis was acquired by Atlanta from the Los Angeles Angels in the Andrelton Simmons trade in the off-season; he is rated the Braves’ No. 12 prospect by mlb.com. Ellis is among five Mississippi-connected players in Atlanta’s system, though none are currently in Pearl. Also at Gwinnett is Southern Miss alum Bradley Roney, who also has hit some turbulence. Roney has a 4.67 ERA in 12 relief appearances, with two wins and two saves. Roney also started 2016 with the M-Braves and had a 2.82 when he was moved up. The third Mississippian on Gwinnett’s roster is Tyler Moore, the big league veteran out of Mississippi State who has been on the disabled list since May 5. He is batting .242 with one homer in 16 games. At Class A Carolina, former Murrah High star Zack Bird has struggled, putting up a 7.82 ERA with more walks than strikeouts in 22 appearances. He made three starts for the M-Braves last summer after he was acquired from the L.A. Dodgers but finished 2015 on the DL. Bird is currently rated Atlanta’s No. 15 prospect; that’s not going to hold up. This brings us to former DeSoto Central star Austin Riley, who is having a positive experience at low-A Rome. Only 19 and in his first full pro season, Riley is batting .259 with six home runs and 37 RBIs in 82 games. The third baseman, drafted 41st overall in 2015, already is rated Atlanta’s No. 6 prospect. His arrival in Pearl, possibly in 2018, is something to look forward to.

13 Jul

coast to coast …

A visit to Hawaii is one thing, but a trip to the MLB All-Star Game, your first as a player, is a different level of paradise. After learning he had made the National League team as an injury replacement, former Ole Miss star Drew Pomeranz was forced to cancel a few plans he had made for the break. “My fiance and I were supposed to go to Hawaii to plan our wedding, but … whatever,” he told mlb.com, reportedly with a laugh. “It was a good excuse.” Pomeranz, now with San Diego, pitched a scoreless fourth inning in the NL’s 4-2 loss Tuesday night at Petco Park. He retired Salvador Perez, Jose Altuve and Mike Trout sandwiched around a Jackie Bradley single. “It’s pretty special to have your first one (All-Star Game) anywhere, but even more so here,” he said after the game, played before a crowd of 42,386. Pomeranz, in his first season with the Padres, has an 8-7 record and a 2.47 ERA in 17 starts with 115 punchouts. … In another televised game on Tuesday, played on the Atlantic coast before a much smaller crowd, Southern Miss’ Kirk McCarty delivered a gem for Orleans of the Cape Cod League. The left-hander tossed 6 2/3 shutout innings against Falmouth, allowing just three hits with five walks and five strikeouts. He got a no-decision but lowered his ERA to 1.98 in five games in the college summer league. His Firebirds won the game 2-1 (on a walk-off homer) before 1,381 at Eldredge Park in Orleans, Mass. … And on yet another coast, the Gulf, Lucas Sims of the Mississippi Braves notched his first Southern League win of the year Tuesday with a strong outing at Mobile. Sims worked 6 2/3 and yielded one run on six hits and two walks with seven K’s in a 2-1 victory before an announced 718 at Hank Aaron Stadium. Sims, Atlanta’s top pick in the 2012 draft and No. 10 prospect, started the season with the M-Braves before getting a promotion to Triple-A Gwinnett, where he went 2-6, 7.56 and got sent back on June 17. He is 1-2, 2.95 in seven starts for the M-Braves.