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SL Mississippi Braves

Game Info: Wednesday, June 5 at Pensacola Blue Wahoos: 6:05 PM: Blue Wahoos Stadium

June 5, 2024 - Southern League (SL)
Mississippi Braves News Release


Mississippi Braves (24-28) at Pensacola Blue Wahoos (27-24)

Wednesday, June 5, 2024 - 6:05 PM - Blue Wahoos Stadium - Pensacola, FL

Game 53 of 138 - Away Game 29 of 69 - 102.1 The Box - Bally Live - MiLB.tv

Starting Pitchers: RHP Ian Mejia (5-0, 1.45) vs. LHP Luis Palacios (2-3, 4.97)

Watch Live: Bally Live / MiLB.TV / MLB At Bat

Listen Live: 102.1 The Box

Today's Roster Moves

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TODAY'S GAME: The Mississippi Braves and Pensacola Blue Wahoos continue a six-game series tonight at Blue Wahoos Stadium. This is the third of six series between the two teams in 2024 and the 11th of 30 overall meetings. The two will play next at Blue Wahoos Stadium, July 19-21.

ABOUT LAST NIGHT: The M-Braves scored six runs in the eighth inning to beat the Blue Wahoos 6-3 in Tuesday's series opener in Pensacola. Bryson Horne reached base safely four times, and Geraldo Quintero, Drake Baldwin, and Keshawn Ogans had two RBI in the eighth inning. David Fletcher made his second pro start, first for the M-Braves, and gave up one run on two hits in the first inning but none over the next five. Over 6.0 innings, he struck out two and walked two. Patrick Halligan pitched a scoreless inning in the seventh for the win, and Domingo Gonzalez struck out two in a 1-2-3 ninth inning to earn his fifth save.

FLETCH ON THE MOUND...AND INFIELD: David Fletcher was transferred from Triple-A Gwinnett on Saturday and joined the M-Braves roster as a two-way player... Fletcher tossed 6.0 innings of one-run ball in his first M-Braves start on Tuesday and is scheduled to start Sunday's series finale... The former major league infielder is a career.276 batter with 16 home runs, 170 RBI, and 560 hits over seven seasons, and 539 MLB games... Has played for the LA Angels (2018-23) and Atlanta Braves (2024)... Fletcher appeared in five games for Atlanta this season in April. He made his first five pitching appearances for Gwinnett this season and appeared in 39 games as a position player. Atlanta received Fletcher via trade with the Angels in exchange for 1B Evan White and LHP Tyler Thomas (12/8/23).

ROAD WARRIORS: After starting the season 6-14 on the road, the M-Braves have won eight straight away from Trustmark Park. The streak began on May 12 in Rocket City and included a six-game sweep in Chattanooga.

"MAY" BE A GOOD SIGN: After going 7-15 in April, the M-Braves completed a 16-10 May. The 16 wins in May were the 5th-most in Double-A. The Mississippi pitching staff gave up the second-fewest runs in Double-A (86) during the month and posted a 3.19 ERA. In May, starters Ian Mejia, Spencer Schwellenbach, and Hurston Waldrep combined to go 9-1 with a 0.51 ERA, four runs allowed over 70.1 innings pitched, 13 walks to 78 strikeouts.

COUNTIN' ON CAL: Cal Conley has reached base safely in 13 straight games, batting.349 with four doubles, six runs, eight RBI, five walks, three stolen bases, and a.850 OPS. Conley's 10-game hitting streak, which began on May 19, ended on Saturday. The streak was the longest by a Mississippi player this season and the fifth-longest in the Southern League this season.

THE MEJIA MAGIC: Ian Mejia returned to the Trustmark Park mound last Thursday for the first time since his May 17 no-hitter and almost matched the effort in a game one 3-0 shutout of the Montgomery Biscuits at Trustmark Park. Mejia scattered three hits over 7.0 innings to post his second-straight complete-game shutout for Mississippi. Mejia struck out three and walked none, retiring 19 of the final 21 batters of the game. The Tuscon, AZ native improved to 5-0 on the year, with a 1.45 ERA, and in May, was 4-0 and didn't allow a run in 26.2 innings, five walks to 30 strikeouts. In four starts at Trustmark Park, Mejia hasn't given up a run in 27 innings.

When Ian Mejia takes the mound, the Mississippi Braves are 8-1 in his nine starts. Mississippi's opening-day starter leads the Southern League with two shutouts and ranks among the league leaders in ERA (2nd, 1.45), strikeouts (6th, 57), WHIP (2nd, 0.87), wins (T-2nd, 5), and opponent's batting average (1st,.160). Mejia has set a new club record, having not allowed a run over 29.2 innings since his start on April 28.

M-BRAVES COMPLETE SWEEP OF CHATTANOOGA: The six-game sweep of Chattanooga, May 21-26, was the second by an M-Braves team and first since a six-game sweep of Rocket City July 12-17, 2022. The M-Braves scored 39 runs over the six games with no home runs but 18 doubles, one triple, a.299 batting average, and a.371 OBP. Nacho Alvarez hit.370 (10x27) with a double, two RBI, four runs, a walk, and three steals.

SCHWELLY TO THE SHOW: Atlanta Braves No. 3 overall prospect Spencer Schwellenbach had his contract selected by the Atlanta Braves on May 29. He made his MLB debut on Wednesday vs. Washington (5.0 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 SO). Schwellenbach is the second M-Braves alum to make their major league debut this season, joining Tyler Ferguson, who debuted for Oakland on May 7. The right-hander is the 171st Mississippi player to make their major league debut and the 24th to be promoted directly from Double-A. Michael Harris II and Vaughn Grisson were promoted from Mississippi to Atlanta in 2022. Max Fried was the last pitcher to be promoted from the M-Braves roster in 2019.

Over his two Double-A starts, the 2nd-round pick in 2021 out of Nebraska is 2-0 and didn't allow a run over 13.0 innings, striking out 17 and walking just two. He made his Mississippi debut in game two of the May 15 doubleheader against Biloxi, striking out a career-high nine over 6.0 shutout innings on three hits, issuing just one walk, and in his second start on May 22 at Chattanooga, striking out eight and walking none, ceding two hits over 7.0 shutout innings. In eight starts between Mississippi and Rome, Schwellebach is 4-1 with a 1.80 ERA (9 ER/45.0 IP), 10 walks, and 51 strikeouts.

WALDREP TO TRIPLE-A: RHP Hurston Waldrep was promoted to Triple-A Gwinnett on Saturday. The Atlanta Braves' 1st-round pick in 2023 (24th overall) went 3-1 with a 1.19 ERA in May, with 31 strikeouts to seven walks. In his final three Mississippi starts, Waldrep allowed three runs over 19.1 innings with three walks to 23 strikeouts.

MEJIA TOSSES FIFTH NO HITTER IN M-BRAVES HISTORY: RHP Ian Mejia's seven-inning no-hitter in game two of the Friday, May 17 doubleheader vs. Biloxi was the fifth no-hitter in M-Braves history, and first individual one since Tommy Hanson's nine-inning no hitter on June 25, 2008 vs. Birmingham at Trustmark Park. The M-Braves beat the Barons 6-0, and Hanson walked three and struck out 14 in the game. There have been three combined nine-inning no-hitters in team history (Julio Teheran & Tyrelle Harris, 8/2/10 vs. Mobile, Ian Anderson & Jeremy Walker, 6/28/19 vs. Jackson (TN), and Bryce Elder & Daysbel Hernandez, 7/10/21 vs. Pensacola.

NEED FOR SPEED: The M-Braves are 2nd in Double-A behind Birmingham (99) in stolen bases with 98 (98-for-115) through 52 games. Five players have reached double-digit steals. Justin Dean leads the way and is 2nd in the league with 23. Cody Milligan is 6th with 18, and Geraldo Quintero ranks 8th in the league with 17, plus Nacho Alvarez is T-10th with 16. Cal Conley has 13. The M-Braves logged a stolen base in each of the first 14 games of the season. Mississippi had 157 stolen bases last season and is on pace for 260 (1.88 per game) in 2024. The most by an M-Braves team was 159 in 2007.

"NACHO" AVERAGE SHORT STOP: Atlanta's top-ranked position player prospect, Nacho Alvarez Jr., went on a 13-game on-base streak from April 13 to May 1, the longest by a Mississippi player this season. The 21-year-old leads the club and ranks 6th in the Southern League with a.378 OBP... He also ranks among the league leaders in walks (5th, 25), steals (T-10th, 16), and hits (T-13th, 43).

TOP PROSPECTS: According to MLB Pipeline, the M-Braves have four of Atlanta's Top 30 prospects. SS Nacho Alvarez Jr. (No. 6), C Drake Baldwin (No. 11), LHP Luis De Avila (No. 20), and INF/OF Geraldo Quintero (No. 28) are included. In Baseball America's Top 30, OF Cody Milligan (No. 27), RHP Ian Mejia (No. 28), and INF Keshawn Ogans (No. 30) are included.

M-BRAVES REACH 1,200 WINS: The April 25, 13-3 win over Montgomery was Mississippi's 1,200th in franchise history. It took the M-Braves until the sixth game of the inaugural season in 2005 to win the first game in club history, which was an April 12, 2005, 7-4 win over the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx in game two of a doubleheader at Pringles Park. Jeff Francoeur was 0-for-3, with a walk and RBI, in the game, using a five-run sixth fueled by RBIs by Scott Thorman, Francoeur, and Derrick Gibson. Brian O'Connor got the win for Mississippi.

COACHING STAFF WITH A NEW FLO: After spending one season as manager of the Braves High-A affiliate Rome Braves (Emperors), Angel Flores will take the reins for the first time at the Double-A level, succeeding Kanekoa Texeira. Texeira was promoted to manager of the Triple-A Gwinnett Stripers after Matt Tuiasosopo was named to the Braves' Major League coaching staff for 2024. Flores returns to Mississippi, where he served as bench coach in 2022. Flores took over as interim manager from April 26 to May 15, 2022, while Bruce Crabbe took a leave of absence from the club. During the 18-game stretch, the M-Braves went 10-8. During his first season as a full-time manager last year, Flores led the R-Braves to a 34-32 record in the second half and an overall 64-68 mark. Rome closed the year with a 21-15 record in August and September. Overall, he holds a 74-76 record as a manager.

FINAL SEASON IN MISSISSIPPI: On January 9, it was announced that after 20 years, 2024 will be the M-Braves' final season in Pearl, MS. As of the start of the 2025 season, the Double-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves will be relocating to Columbus, GA.

Check out the Mississippi Braves Statistics



Southern League Stories from June 5, 2024


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