building blocks
The Atlanta Braves’ flurry of off-season player moves was made with the idea of creating a foundation for 2017, when the team will move into a new stadium in the suburbs. Two of the building blocks in this process produced some solid results for the Mississippi Braves on Tuesday night at Trustmark Park. Outfielder Mallex Smith (acquired from San Diego) went 3-for-7 with a two-run home run and two runs scored and pitcher Tyrell Jenkins (acquired from St. Louis) threw a seven-inning complete game as the M-Braves swept Mobile, winning both games 2-1. The 5-foot-9 Smith, who stole 88 bases in A-ball in 2014, currently has a nine-game hitting streak (14-for-36) and has boosted his average to .333. He has two homers, 12 RBIs, 18 runs and eight steals. Smith, who turned 22 on May 6, could well be Atlanta’s center fielder in 2017. Jenkins could be in the ATL by then, as well. The 6-4 right-hander checked the BayBears on seven hits and no walks in Tuesday’s opener, his best overall outing of 2015. Jenkins, who tossed six shutout innings in his previous start, is 2-2 with a 3.55 ERA in seven games. He fanned four on Tuesday, giving him 23 K’s (with 14 walks) in 38 innings. The former four-sport Texas prep star is in his sixth pro season but is only 22. P.S. Might be a neat footnote in history someday: Chris Coghlan, the former Ole Miss star, hit the first MLB homer off Noah Syndergaard on Tuesday. Coghlan’s Chicago Cubs beat the New York Mets and their latest star call-up 6-1. … Ex-Southwest Mississippi Community College standout Jarrod Dyson hasn’t capitalized on the playing time he has gotten with Kansas City of late. He is hitting .222 with three runs and two steals in his last 10 games and is at .204 with eight and five for the year. … UM products Lance Lynn (St. Louis) and Drew Pomeranz (Oakland) picked up long-awaited second wins on Tuesday.