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SL1 Mississippi Braves

M-Braves Eliminated with Loss to Smokies

June 13, 2014 - Southern League (SL1)
Mississippi Braves News Release


Kodak, TN - The Mississippi Braves fell 8-2 to the Tennessee Smokies on Friday night at Smokies Park, thereby eliminating the Braves from the South Division race and sending the Mobile BayBears to their fifth straight playoff appearance.

With the game tied 2-2 in the bottom of the sixth, a four-run, three-error frame put the Smokies (32-35) ahead for good. With reliever John Cornely on the mound, Kris Bryant and Charlie Cutler drew back-to-back walks with one away, and Dustin Geiger broke the tie with an RBI single to left. Cedric Hunter threw to the plate but the ball got away and allowed Cutler and Geiger to move into scoring position.

Cornely intentionally walked Rubi Silva to load the bases for a Jonathan Mota line drive to second that one-hopped off of Elmer Reyes' chest and skipped away to score another, making it 4-2. Jeudy Valdez hit a two-run single to the right side past a sliding Reyes to plate two more and grow the deficit to 6-2.

The shaky sixth came after a fine start by both JR Graham and Matt Loosen. Graham held the Smokies to just two runs on five hits over five innings, striking out two and walking one in the no-decision. Loosen kept the Braves (38-29) to a similar line, allowing two runs on five hits and striking out five with two walks over five innings.

Cornely (4-2) suffered the loss in relief, allowing four runs, all earned, on two hits over 1/3 of an inning. Jeff Lorick (1-2) pitched a scoreless sixth inning in relief for Tennessee and picked up the win.

The two teams swapped punches in the first few innings. Mississippi took a 1-0 lead in the first when Cedric Hunter muscled a belt-high fastball over the right field wall for his sixth home run of the season.

The Smokies tied it 1-1 in the bottom of the first when Jae-Hoon Ha singled, moved to second on a sacrifice and scored on a Cutler single.

The Braves took the lead again in the third when Graham helped his own cause with a one-out double, his first career extra-base hit, and scored on a Hunter single to make it 2-1. The Smokies struck back in the third to tie it 2-2 when Ha doubled and scored on a Bryant single, his league-leading 60th RBI.

Geiger hit a two-run home run in the seventh, his ninth of the season, off reliever Jorge Reyes to extend the Smokies lead to 8-2.

Two games remain in the first half before the All-Star Break begins Monday, then the Braves will start over with a fresh win-loss record in the second half beginning June 19 for a run at the second South Division playoff spot.

The Braves and Smokies play game four of the series on Saturday evening at 5:15 PM CT, with right-hander Mitch Atkins (1-0, 1.64) slated to face his former team and Smokies right-hander Joe Gardner (1-0, 2.35).

Check out the Mississippi Braves Statistics



Southern League Stories from June 13, 2014


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