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SL Mississippi Braves

M-Braves Clinch Series Win After 3-2 Victory on Saturday Night

August 17, 2024 - Southern League (SL)
Mississippi Braves News Release


Mississippi Braves' David Fletcher on the mound
Mississippi Braves' David Fletcher on the mound
(Mississippi Braves, Credit: Nino Mendez)

BILOXI, MS - The Mississippi Braves hung on for a 3-2 victory over the Biloxi Shuckers on Saturday night at Keesler Federal Park to clinch the series win and move to just 3.5 games out of first place. Since last Sunday, the M-Braves have won five of six and are 13-4 over their last 17 road games since the All-Star break.

David Fletcher (W, 3-4) was masterful with the knuckleball in his 13th Mississippi start, going 5+ innings for the 11th time. The 30-year-old, two-time AL Gold Glove finalist with the Angels pitched around traffic in the first and second innings but retired 11 of the final 12 Biloxi batters. The knuckleballer logged his first scoreless outing, tossing 5.0 innings and giving up just two hits, walking two and striking out two.

Ethan Workinger, in his ninth Double-A game, launched his first M-Braves homer over the left field wall to start the top of the second inning to make it a 1-0 game. Overall, it was his 12th home run this season between High-A Rome and Mississippi. The M-Braves (22-22, 53-59) put up two more runs in the fourth inning thanks to three straight one-out hits. Workinger started the rally with a single, advanced to second on a wild pitch, and scored on a Yolbert Sanchez RBI single. Keshawn Ogans followed with a double down the left field line, scoring Sanchez, and it was 3-0.

Workinger notched his first multi-hit game, finishing 2-for-3 with the homer, two runs, and a walk. Sanchez was 3-for-4 with an RBI and run scored and has six multi-hit games over his last nine.

Ian Mejia (S, 1) made his first-ever relief appearance on Saturday and worked the final 4.0 innings, allowing two runs on four hits with one walk and five strikeouts. Biloxi's Casey Martin hit a two-run home run in the eighth inning to break up the shutout. The Shuckers put two on base in the bottom of the ninth inning, but Cal Conley made a diving catch on a 111-mph line drive off the bat of Ernesto Martinez Jr. and turned it into a game-ending double play.

Rain delayed Saturday's game by 1 hour and 16 minutes, but it only took 2 hours and 18 minutes to play.

The M-Braves and Shuckers will wrap up the six-game series on Sunday at Keesler Federal Park in Biloxi. The first pitch is scheduled for 5:05 pm with RHP Darius Vines (1-0, 1.74) starting for Mississippi against Biloxi RHP Shane Smith (5-2, 2.94). Coverage begins at 4:50 pm on 102.1 The Box, Bally Live, and MiLB.tv.

The M-Braves have two homestands remaining. The club returns for a six-game homestand against the Chattanooga Lookouts on August 20-25. The homestand features a Spencer Schwellenbach Schwersey Giveaway on Friday, August 23, and Alzheimer's Awareness Night, plus a Jersey Auction and Post-Game Fireworks on Saturday, August 24. Fans can purchase tickets by visiting mississippibraves.com or call the box office to book your group at 888-BRAVES4.

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Images from this story

Mississippi Braves' David Fletcher on the mound
Mississippi Braves' David Fletcher on the mound
(Nino Mendez)		   

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