SL1 Mississippi Braves

Three Homers Back Muller in Win over Pensacola

Published on May 10, 2019 under Southern League (SL1)
Mississippi Braves News Release


PEARL, MS - Andy Wilkins hit a two-run home run in the first inning and added a solo shot in the sixth inning as the Mississippi Braves (17-16) finished off the homestand with a 4-1 victory over the first place Pensacola Blue Wahoos (23-12) at Trustmark Park on Friday night.

The M-Braves went 7-3 over the 10-game homestand and are back in second place in the Southern League South Division, trailing Pensacola by 5.0 games. The clubs will meet again later this month for a six-game series at Blue Wahoos Stadium

Kyle Muller (W, 1-1) was stellar for a second consecutive start, earning his first victory of 2019. The No. 12 overall prospect for the Atlanta Braves didn't allow a hit over the first three innings and ended up with 7.0 innings of one-run baseball, striking out six, walking just two and scattering five hits.

After back-to-back shutouts on Wednesday and Thursday, Muller picked up some run support in the first inning with the M-Braves facing Southern League ERA leader Griffin Jax (L, 2-1). Drew Waters singled to begin the bottom of the first inning, stole second and was thrown out attempting to score on a single by Tyler Neslony. The next batter, Wilkins, sent a 404-foot blast over the wall in right-center giving Mississippi a 2-0 lead. Jax had yielded just two earned runs over his first 34 innings prior to Friday's game.

Muller kept the Wahoos at bey through the first six innings and the Braves offense got cranked up again in the bottom of the sixth inning. Connor Lien, a late addition to the Friday's lineup card, smashed a solo homer to left to open the inning and two batters later, Wilkins hit another 404-foot homer to right, extending the lead to 4-0. Lien's homer was his team-leading fifth on the year and Wilkins' homer was his 152nd career minor league blast. The multi-homer game for the 30-year-old Wilkins was the 13th of his career.

Pensacola scored a run in the top of the seventh inning to end the shutout against Muller, but the big lefty was able to work through the inning. Over his last two starts, Muller has given up just one run over 14.0 innings.

Jason Hursh (H, 2) pitched a scoreless eighth inning in his 12th appearance and Josh Graham (S, 4) added a scoreless ninth in his team-leading 13th outing to earn his fourth save.

Waters was 2-for-4 on Friday night, recording his 13th multi-hit game. Waters leads the league with a .343 batting average.

The M-Braves now embark on a 10-game road trip to Montgomery and Birmingham, opening the trip on Saturday night at Riverwalk Stadium in Montgomery, AL. RHP Patrick Weigel makes the start for Mississippi against LHP Josh Fleming for the Biscuits. First pitch is set for 6:05 pm with coverage beginning at 5:50 pm on 103.9 WYAB, TuneIn Radio, MiLB First Pitch app. and MiLB.TV (subscription required).

The Mississippi Braves are the Double-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. Since the inaugural 2005 season, 139 M-Braves have gone on to Major League Baseball. The M-Braves have made postseason play four times and went on to win the Southern League Championship in 2008. Stop by Trustmark Park or call 888-BRAVES4 Monday through Friday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. For the latest news and updates, visit mississippibraves.com or connect with @mbraves on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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Southern League Stories from May 10, 2019


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