SL Mississippi Braves

Sunday, May 30 vs. Montgomery Biscuits: 6:05 PM: Trustmark Park

Published on May 30, 2021 under Southern League (SL)
Mississippi Braves News Release


Mississippi Braves (ATL) (11-12, 2ND, AA-S South, -3.0) vs. Montgomery Biscuits (TB) (8-14, 4TH AA-S South, -5.5)

Starting Pitchers: RHP José Rodríguez (0-0, --) vs. RHP Tobias Myers (1-1, 2.81)

Radio: 103.9 FM WYAB and (LISTEN LIVE LINK)

TV: MiLB.TV

Today's Promotions:

Memorial Day Fireworks - The M-Braves will celebrate Memorial Day with a Post-Game Fireworks Extravaganza, presented by Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi.

Today's Roster Moves:

RHP Victor Vodnik placed on the 7-day IL

RHP José Rodríguez transferred to Mississippi from Triple-A Gwinnett

TODAY'S GAME: The Mississippi Braves (ATL) will conclude a 12-game homestand at Trustmark Park on Sunday night with game six of a six-game series with the Montgomery Biscuits (TB). The M-Braves clinched the series win with Saturday's victory, leading the series, 4-1. The M-Braves are 7-4 on the current homestand after splitting the first series, 3-3, with Chattanooga.

- The M-Braves and Biscuits, now South Division foes again for the first time since 2014 (Huntsville moved to Biloxi), play an all-time high, 24 times this season, 12 in each venue. The M-Braves will visit Riverwalk Stadium for the first time, June 29-July 4. The Biscuits make a return trip to Trustmark Park, September 7-12, the final homestand of the season.

M-BRAVES WALK-OFF BISCUITS IN EXTRAS: The M-Braves secured their first series win of 2021 on Saturday night in a 1-0 walk-off win in ten innings over the Montgomery Biscuits. Jalen Miller hit a tenth-inning sacrifice fly to left, scoring Jacob Pearson to earn the club's first walk-off win in their first extra-inning contest. Starter A.J. Puckett tossed a season-high 5.2 innings of shutout baseball, giving up just two hits while walking three and striking out six. He turned the game over to Matt Withrow who turned in 3.1 scoreless innings on one hit with two walks and two strikeouts. Will Latcham (W, 1-1) pitched a scoreless top of the tenth for the win and help the M-Braves secure their second combined shutout of the season.

- With the win, the M-Braves are now 13-12 in extra-inning games since the new rule of a runner at second base was installed in 2018

- The M-Braves have won five-straight one-run games after dropping their first four and are 5-4

AMONG THE LEAGUE LEADERS: INF CJ Alexander and Shea Langeliers are T-7th with 4 home runs...Justin Dean is T-1st with 7 stolen bases...Langeliers is 10th with 12 walks. 10th in slugging, .491 and 7th in OPS .879...Brandon White is 3rd in saves with 4...Nolan Kingham is 7th with 22.1 innings pitched.

WITHROW GETTING THE JOB DONE: 27-year-old RHP Matt Withrow has allowed just one earned run over his first six outings (3 starts) this season, posting a 0.55 ERA in 16.2 innings with 16 strikeouts and 11 walks.

grand salami time: Langeliers' grand slam on Thursday night was the first by the M-Braves since Luis Valenzuela blasted one in Chattanooga on April 15, 2019. The grand slam was the first by a Braves player at Trustmark Park since Carlos Martinez hit one on June 12, 2018. The M-Braves have hit just four grand slams since 2014. For Langeliers it was his first professional home run and first since hitting a pair during the Cape Cod League during the summer of his freshman year at Baylor.

SOLID DEFENSE: The M-Braves rank 2nd in the Double-A South with a .978 fielding percentage (BLX, .982), just 17 errors in 23 games and 2nd with 23 double plays turned. M-Braves catchers have given up only 11 stolen bases, which is best in the league. Shea Langeliers is 8-for-16 in catching opposing basestealers, 50%, which leads the league.

bacon stays hot: Troy Bacon has yet to allow a run in relief so far this season and is 2-0 with 10 strikeouts and two walks over his first 11.1 IP. He's holding the opposition to just a .184 AVG. Brandon White is 4-for-4 in save opportunities and has allowed just one run in his first 10.0 innings this season (0.90 ERA), walking five and striking out 12, holding the opposition to a .111 batting average.

USING THE LONG BALL: The M-Braves have 22 home runs so far this season, ranking 3rd in the Double-A South (BIR, 35/RCT, 26). Of the 79 runs scored this season, 43 have come via the home run ball (54%). Braves batters rank last in the league with a .194 batting average.

FIRST ROUND PICKS AND PROSPECTS: The squad features both of Atlanta's first-round selections from the 2019 draft in catcher Shea Langeliers (#9) and shortstop Braden Shewmake (#21). They represent the third and fourth-ranked prospects in the organization, according to MLB.com and Langeliers is #64 on the MLB.com Top 100 and sixth-ranked catching prospect in baseball.

- Overall, the M-Braves feature eight of the Braves' Top 30 prospects. After Langeliers and Shewmake, OF Trey Harris (#14), RHP Victor Vodnik (#15), RHP Daysbel Hernandez (17), INF Greyson Jenista (#19), INF C.J. Alexander (#20) and OF Justin Dean (#26) are among the Top 30.

BRAND NEW COACHING STAFF: The 17 newcomers on the Opening Day 28-man roster joined an entirely new coaching staff, all having major league experience. The M-Braves are led by manager Wyatt Toregas and is joined by hitting coach Einar Diaz, pitching coach, former Braves first-round pick Dan Meyer and coach Devon Travis.

- Toregas, 38, is a former catcher who played in 22 major-league games across two seasons with Cleveland (2009) and Pittsburgh (2011). After spending the previous five minor-league seasons managing in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization, the upcoming campaign will be his first with the Braves, including most recently with High-A Bradenton in 2019. in fives seasons, Toregas holds a 293-263 (.527) record as a skipper entering the 2021 season.

150 MAJOR LEAGUE DEBUTS: Despite no season in 2020, the M-Braves saw their 150th player make their major league debut. Starting in 2005, the 150 include 32 All-Star Game appearances, 11 Silver Sluggers, 12 Gold Gloves, 11 World Series champs, two Rookies of the Year, and one MVP.

- In 2020, William Contreras, Joe Odom (SEA), Ricardo Sanchez (STL), Cristian Pache, Ian Anderson, Patrick Weigel, Bruce Zimmermann and Tucker Davidson. The first was Brian McCann back in June, 2005.

WELCOME TO THE DOUBLE-A SOUTH: In MLB's new structure for the 2021 season, the M-Braves will be part of the Double-A South. The eight-team circuit consists of eight former members of the Southern League, split into two divisions. Mississippi will be in the South Division along with the Biloxi Shuckers (Milwaukee Brewers), Montgomery Biscuits (Tampa Bay Rays), and Pensacola Blue Wahoos (Miami Marlins). The North Division will consist of the Birmingham Barons (Chicago White Sox), Chattanooga Lookouts (Cincinnati Reds), Rocket City Trash Pandas (LA Angels), and Tennessee Smokies (Chicago Cubs).

- The M-Braves will play the South Division in 80 of the 120 games this season. In a shedule quirk, the M-Braves will not play the new Rocket City Trash Pandas this season. The clubs were scheduled to meet during the first series of the 2020 season.

2019 SEASON IN REVIEW: The Mississippi Braves concluded their 15th anniversary season in Central Mississippi with a 64-75 overall record, finishing fourth in the Southern League South Division. While the club missed out on the postseason for the third-straight season, the 2019 campaign saw the 3 millionth fan enter Trustmark Park, 1,000th franchise win, third no-hitter in club history, record three postseason All-Stars and the first Southern League Most Valuable Player.

Check out the Mississippi Braves Statistics

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Southern League Stories from May 30, 2021


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