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Mississippi Braves

Game Info: Wednesday, May 1 vs. Pensacola Blue Wahoos: 11:05 AM CT: Trustmark Park

May 1, 2024 - Southern League (SL)
Mississippi Braves News Release


Wednesday, May 1, 2024 - 11:05 AM CT - Trustmark Park - Pearl, MS

M-BRAVES (7-15, 4th, SL South, -5.0) vs. Pensacola (12-10, T-1st, SL South, --)

Starting Pitchers: LHP Drew Parrish (2-2, 3.72 vs. LHP Luis Palacios (1-2, 6.32)

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

Listen Live: 102.1 The Box

Today's Roster Move

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TODAY'S GAME: The M-Braves and Blue Wahoos play game two of a six-game series this morning at Trustmark Park. This is the fifth of 30 meetings between the clubs this season. Pensacola swept the Opening Series of the season at Blue Wahoos Stadium from April 5 to 8. They will meet again from June 4 to 9 for a six-game series at Blue Wahoos Stadium.

ABOUT LAST NIGHT: The M-Braves jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second inning, but Pensacola scored five unanswered, including three in the 10th, to win 5-3 in the series opener. The loss spoiled the best start of the season from LHP Luis De Avila. The lefty tossed an M-Braves season-high 6.1 innings, allowing one earned run, three walks, and four strikeouts. Justin Dean had both of Mississippi's RBI, going 1-for-3 with a double. Nacho Alvarez Jr. notched his sixth multi-hit game and extended his on-base streak to 12 by going 2-for-5 with a double and run scored.

GOING FISHING: Mississippi went 13-17 against Pensacola last season, 8-10 at Blue Wahoos Stadium, and 5-7 at Trustmark Park ... The M-Braves have won the season series two of the last three seasons, going 44-40 from 2021-2023 ... The M-Braves are 122-125 all-time against the Wahoos franchise.

HOME SWEET HOME: The M-Braves are coming off what will be their longest road trip of the season, six games in Birmingham, and six games in Montgomery. The M-Braves went 4-8 on the road trip, going 1-5 in Birmingham and 3-3 in Montgomery.

M-BRAVES REACH 1,200 WINS: Thursday night's 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 a 7-4 win over the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx in game two of a doubleheader at Pringles Park on April 12, 2005. 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.

SCORING SPREE: Over the six games of the series in Montgomery, the M-Braves scored 32 runs, the most in the Southern League last week, with three home runs, and 13 extra-base hits. The club scored a season-high 13 runs in the 13-3 win in Montgomery on April 25. In the first 15 games, Mississippi had scored just 31 runs, the fewest in Double-A with three home runs.

NEED FOR SPEED: The M-Braves are second in Double-A in stolen bases with 48 (48/54) through 22 games. Geraldo Quintero and Cody Milligan are tied for the team lead and T-5th in the Southern League with 10. Justin Dean is T-8th with nine stolen bases. Mississippi had 157 (1.1 per game) stolen bases last season and is on pace for 301 (2.2 per game) in 2024. The most by an M-Braves team was 159 in 2007.

THE DEAN OF THE CLASS: OF Justin Dean has appeared in 250 games for the M-Braves since 2021 ... He currently ranks among the league leaders in batting average (T-4th, .309), OBP (5th, .409), OPS (8th, .882), and stolen bases (T-8th, 9).

"NACHO" AVERAGE SHORT STOP: Atlanta's top-ranked position player prospect, Nacho Alvarez Jr., is on a 12-game on-base streak, batting .319 with 15 hits, a doble, five RBI, five walks, six stolen bases and a .380 OBP. The 21-year-old ranks among the circuit leaders in walks (T-5th, 12), hits (T-6th, 21), batting average (7th, .300), and OBP (7th, .402).

DRAKE IS "TOO GOOD": Atlanta's top-catching prospect, Drake Baldwin, has reached base safely in 12 straight games from April 11 to 27. Baldwin hit his first home run in game two of last Sunday's doubleheader in Birmingham. Over the 12 games, Baldwin is slashing .279/.380/.419, with 12 hits, three doubles, a home run, four RBI, seven walks, and two runs.

GIVE ME FIVE: The M-Braves are 6-6 when their starters go 5+ innings and 1-9 when starters go less than 5.0 innings. In the 12 games with 5+ innings, they have combined for a 2.11 ERA (16 ER/68.1 IP). In the 10 games of less than 5, the starter's ERA is 7.69 (30 ER/35.1 IP).

MR. MEJIA: After struggling in his first start, Ian Mejia has allowed just one run over his previous two quality starts, including 12 innings, one run allowed, four walks, and 13 strikeouts. Mejia set a new career high with nine strikeouts in his start on April 17 at Birmingham. Mejia ranks among the league leaders in strikeouts (8th, 27) and innings pitched (T-6th, 23.0).

TOP PROSPECTS: According to MLB Pipeline, the M-Braves have five of Atlanta's Top 30 prospects. RHP Hurston Waldrep (No. 2), 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.

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.

MISSISSIPPI MADE: M-Braves outfielder Brandon Parker, a native of Saucier, MS, on the Gulf Coast and Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College product, became the first player to prep in Mississippi and play for the M-Braves since Austin Riley in 2017. Riley prepped at Desoto Central in North Mississippi ... Parker was a two-time All-American at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. Parker attended West Harrison High School.

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.

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