SL Mississippi Braves

M-Braves Win Fifth-Straight on Langeliers' Walk-Off Homer

Published on June 20, 2021 under Southern League (SL)
Mississippi Braves News Release


PEARL, MS - Shea Langeliers was 0-for-4 entering his at-bat in the bottom of the ninth inning, but the top catching prospect for the Atlanta Braves ended the afternoon with a walk-off solo home run to left, giving the Mississippi Braves a 7-6 victory and fifth-straight win.

The M-Braves (25-17) took five of six from the Barons (23-17) in the series and have won 11 of their last 13 and have the second-base record in the league Pensacola. The M-Braves are 13-5 in June and 25-13 since the 0-4 start. The five-game winning streak is a season-best.

Touki Toussaint made his second rehab appearance on Sunday for Mississippi on his 25th birthday. The newly-turned 25-year-old needed just 14 pitches to retire the first six batters faced and got through 2.0 innings. Toussaint issued a walk and surrendered a single in the third inning, using 23 pitches, but striking out a pair to get through 3.0 scoreless.

After notching his fourth strikeout and getting a line out, Toussaint walked Craig Dedelow in a long at-bat and hit Xavier Fernandez with a stray curveball to end his outing. Odalvi Javier took over for Toussaint and walked JJ Muno to load the bases. Mitch Roman hit a two-out single, scoring Dedelow and Fernandez to put the Barons up 2-0. Joel Booker followed with a three-run home run, and Birmingham led 5-0.

Toussaint tossed 3.0 innings of one-run baseball on Tuesday for Rome and added 3.2 innings of two-run ball for the M-Braves on Sunday, striking out four and walking one over 53 pitches.

The M-Braves answered right back with a big inning of their own in the bottom of the fourth. Trey Harris led off with a single, and CJ Alexander followed with a double. After a Langeliers ground out, Braden Shewmake doubled to straightaway center, scoring two to make it 5-2. Drew Lugbauer followed with his fifth home run of the season that traveled 438 feet to right-center, trimming the Birmingham advantage to one at 5-4. Birmingham starter Kade McClure walked Wendell Rijo and gave up a single to Greyson Jenista before exiting the game. Justin Dean brought home the fifth run of the inning with a single to center, tying the game with two outs.

The five-run inning matched Friday's second inning, which was a new season-high.

Birmingham jumped back up by a run in the top of the fifth inning against Javier, but in the bottom of the frame, Rijo singled home Lugbauer, who doubled with two outs, to tie the game again, this time at 6-6.

Both teams threatened to score in the seventh and eighth, but the clubs combined to strand 11 runners on base over the two innings. Overall, the Barons left 12 on base on Sunday and the Braves, nine. A Braves pitcher struck out a Barons batter in three instances to end an inning, leaving the bases loaded.

Brooks Wilson added 2.0 shutout innings out of the Braves bullpen to keep the game tied, walking one, giving up two hits, and striking out four. Brandon White (W, 1-1) loaded the bases in the top of the ninth inning but escaped with a strikeout, and the game went to the bottom of the ninth.

Langeliers quickly gave the M-Braves a victory, smacking the second pitch of the inning from Felix Paulino (L, 0-1) 428-feet on a frozen rope into the left-field bullpen. The homer was Langeliers' first of the series and 10th of the season, tying him for second place.

Dean stole two bases on Sunday, pushing him back into first place by himself in the league with 12 steals. Lugbauer recorded three extra-base hits in the win and was 3-for-3 with two doubles and a home run. In total, the Braves had four doubles on Sunday. Rijo reached base safely three times, going 1-for-2 with an RBI and two walks.

The M-Braves will have a day off on Monday before returning to the field on Tuesday for the second leg of the 12-game homestand against the Tennessee Smokies (CHC). RHP AJ Puckett (1-1, 2.21) is scheduled to start for the Braves in the series opener. The first pitch is set for 6:35 pm with coverage on 103.9 WYAB, mississippibraves.com, and MiLB FirstPitch app.

For tickets or more information about the M-Braves, visit mississippibraves.com or call 888-BRAVES4.

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Southern League Stories from June 20, 2021


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