Tolve Blasts 11th Homer in Saturday Night Loss to Smokies

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Mississippi Braves

Tolve Blasts 11th Homer in Saturday Night Loss to Smokies

August 3, 2024 - Southern League (SL)
Mississippi Braves News Release


Mississippi Braves' Tyler Tolve at bat
Mississippi Braves' Tyler Tolve at bat
(Mississippi Braves, Credit: Wyatt Mason)

PEARL, MS - The Tennessee Smokies jumped out to a big lead again on Saturday night and held on for an 8-5 victory over the Mississippi Braves to clinch the series. Tyler Tolve hit his team-leading 11th home run in the loss.

Luis De Avila (L, 4-10) had won three straight starts before entering his team-leading 19th on Saturday. The Smokies' offense picked up where it left off, and after going down in order in the first inning, they scored in the next three innings to take a 6-0 lead. Luis Verdugo, Felix Stevens and Christian Franklin had RBI singles in the second, and Verdugo added another in the third, plus a run-scoring double from Jonathan Long. In the fourth, Matt Shaw hit a sacrifice fly to make it 6-0.

De Avila left after 3.2 innings, eight hits, six runs, five walks, and three strikeouts.

The M-Braves (16-16, 47-53) got the offense going against Tennessee starter Antonio Santos (W, 5-3) in the bottom of the fifth. Santos hadn't given up a hit until Keshawn Ogans' single to start the frame. Brandon Parker added a two-out single, and both scored on a worm-burning triple down the right-field line from David Fletcher to make it 6-2.

The Smokies tacked on a run in the sixth after a pair of errors to extend the lead to 7-2. In the bottom of the sixth, David McCabe picked up his first hit of 2024, and then Justin Dean singled. Tyler Tolve sent a line drive 387 feet off the Farm Bureau Grill for a three-run home run to trim the Tennessee lead to two at 7-5.

The M-Braves bullpen was good again on Saturday. Trey Riley pitched 1.1 innings scoreless, and Drew Parrish followed by allowing just one earned run over 3.0 innings. Elison Joseph ran his scoreless streak to his first six games and 7.0 innings with a scoreless top of the ninth inning.

Tennessee (20-12, 60-40) added on one more run in the top of the eighth inning to extend the lead to 8-5, and Eduarniel Nunez (S, 3) struck out three over the last two innings for the save.

The M-Braves close out the first leg of the 12-game homestand with the sixth and final game against Tennessee. The first pitch is scheduled for 2:05 pm with RHP Ian Mejia (7-4, 2.96) starting for the M-Braves against RHP Chris Kachmar (5-3, 3.95) for Tennessee. Coverage begins at 1:50 pm on 102.1 The Box, Bally Live, and MiLB.tv.

Saturday's Promotions:

Raising Cane's Sunday Family Fun Day & TrustCare Kids Run The Bases: The M-Braves invite you to bring your family for Sunday baseball at Trustmark Park! After the game, kids get to run the bases courtesy of TrustCare! Also, enjoy specials for our Kids Clubbers thanks to Raising Cane's.

Join Us 4 A Jackson: Every Sunday this season, "Join Us 4 A Jackson," and let $20 get you (4) Field Level Tickets and (4) 16 oz. Fountain Drinks!

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Images from this story

Mississippi Braves' Tyler Tolve at bat
Mississippi Braves' Tyler Tolve at bat
(Wyatt Mason)		   

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Southern League Stories from August 3, 2024


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