the m-braves are cooking

If you haven’t already been doing it, it’s time to pay attention to the Mississippi Braves. They’re in first place in the Southern League’s South Division. They’ve won 17 of their last 20 games to reach 20-11. They’ve had an eight-game win streak and a five-game win streak and are currently on a four-game roll. On Tuesday, at Montgomery, an archrival of sorts, the M-Braves put up a team record 19 runs. That’s the fifth time they’ve scored eight or more runs. But they’ve also been clutch, winning eight games in their last at-bat. The M-Braves have not been to the postseason since 2008, but this bunch just might be on track for a first-half title. Quite a few members of this club were on last year’s Carolina League championship team at Class A Lynchburg. That experience can’t hurt. There also are quite a few older players acquired from other organizations mixed in, including the team’s leading hitter, Jose Martinez. At .297, he is the only M-Brave among the league’s top 20 batters. As a team, they are hitting .259, not an eye-popping figure but second in the league. More important, they are third in the league in runs. Not a power club, they do lead the league in stolen bases. Mycal Jones, while hitting just .207, is 10-for-10 on steals. Manager Aaron Holbert couldn’t ask for much more from his pitching staff, which leads the league in ERA, strikeouts and shutouts and ranks second in fewest walks allowed. Alex Wood, one of several top prospect pitchers on the club, is 1-1 with a 0.58 ERA in six starts. He has 38 K’s and just seven walks in 31 innings. There aren’t many prospect types among the position players. Catcher Christian Bethancourt, currently on the disabled list, is the only one in the top 15 of Baseball America’s preseason ratings, though Edward Salcedo (.267, two homers, 12 RBIs, six steals) may be one to watch. Sometimes there’s just no accounting for chemistry. Some teams just have it. This might be one. P.S. What a Double-A debut for Tommy LaStella, who contributed to the M-Braves’ 19-hit attack on Tuesday with three extra-base hits and five RBIs.