SL Mississippi Braves

Tuesday, August 3 at Birmingham Barons: 7:05 PM CT: Regions Field

August 3, 2021 - Southern League (SL)
Mississippi Braves News Release


Mississippi Braves (ATL) (44-34, 1st, AA-S South, +1.0) vs.

Birmingham Barons (CHW) (42-35, 1st, AA-S North, +2.0)

Pitching Matchup: RHP Bryce Elder (4-1, 3.41) vs. RHP Blake Battenfield (6-4, 5.22)

Game #79 | Road Game #37

Radio: 103.9 FM WYAB and (LISTEN LIVE LINK)

TV: MiLB.TV

Today's Roster Moves:

RHP Emmanuel Ramirez transferred from Mississippi to High-A Rome

RHP Alan Rangel transferred from High-A Rome to Mississippi

TODAY'S GAME: The M-Braves continue the 12-game road trip on Tuesday with game one of a six-game series against the Birmingham Barons at Regions Field. This is the second and final meeting between the clubs in 2021. The M-Braves went 5-1 against the Barons at Trustmark Park, June 15-20

- The M-Braves lead the all-time series, 120-106, while Birmingham holds the edge in games played in Birmingham, 61-54. The M-Braves are 22-22 in games played at Regions Field.

- The M-Braves are 4-2 on the current 12-game road trip to Pensacola, and Birmingham. The M-Braves went 4-2 during the first leg of the road trip in Pensacola.

M-BRAVES HIT 19TH AND 20TH HOMER OF SERIES IN 11-3 LOSS ON SUNDAY: The M-Braves got home runs from CJ Alexander and Justin Dean in Sunday's 11-3 loss at Pensacola. Starter Victor Vodnik gave up seven runs in 1.1 innings, and Pensacola rolled to the win.

TOP HOME RUN HITTING TEAM IN CLUB HISTORY: The M-Braves hit 20 home runs over six games in Pensacola, by nine different players, and passed the club record for home runs in a single season. The 100 home runs this season in 78 games, ranks 2nd in the Double-A South, and 6th in all of Double-A.

- The M-Braves have hit 65 home runs on the road, and 35 at Trustmark Park, which statistically ranked 30th in Double-A for homers per game in 2019, at 1.1 combined.

- The club is on pace for 154 home runs this season.

- The M-Braves have four players with double-digit home runs for the first time since 2008, Shea Langeliers leads the way with 17, while Drew Lugbauer and Greyson Jenista have 12, and Wendell Rijo has 10. In 2008, Kala Ka'aihue (14), Jason Perry (13), Reid Gorecki (10), and Jordan Schafer (10) reached double-digit homers. Langeliers' 17 homers is T-4th-most in a single season by an M-Braves player.

- The M-Braves set a club record for homers in a game on July 27, at Pensacola with seven in a game, and four during an inning.

ANOTHER WINNING MONTH: The M-Braves went 14-13 in July, and have not had a losing month this season. The M-Braves had the best June in club history, going 18-8, and were 12-12 in May. The 44 home runs in July were the most in any month in club history.

THE SLUGBAUER: Drew Lugbauer has homered in five of his last eight games. Over those eight games, the Pleasant Valley, NY native is batting .321 with 5 HR, 10 RBI, and a 1.335 OPS. He has also been on a 6-game hitting streak.

THE LANGELIERS FACTOR: Shea Langeliers is 23-for-48 in catching opposing base stealers, 48%. His 23 caught stealings are 1st in MiLB, while nine double plays and 50 assists are tops among catchers in minor league baseball.

- At the plate, Langeliers leads the club with 17 home runs, and is on a five-game hitting streak, batting .368 with three home runs, five runs scored, and a double.

TURNAROUND FOR SHEWMAKE: Since June 17, Braden Shewmake is batting .354 with 8 doubles, 2 triples, 5 home runs, 20 RBI, and 18 runs scored in his last 25 games. Prior to June 17, in his first 31 games, Shewmake was batting .133.

40 WINS SINCE MAY 19: Despite a 9-game losing streak, July 17-25, since May 19 (starting 4-8), the Braves are 40-25. The 40 wins are tops in Double-A over that time.

M-BRAVES DROPPED FIRST SERIES SINCE MAY 16: The M-Braves were swept in a six-game series to Biloxi, July 20-25, and have lost eight straight games for the first time since dropping eight-straight in 2019, 6/29-7/6. The M-Braves went nine consecutive series without dropping one. Overall, the club is 5-3-4 in series' this season.

TOPS IN STRIKEOUT PERCENTAGE: Reliever Indigo Diaz over 34.2 innings this season between Rome and Mississippi has allowed, 14 hits, 3 ER, 11 walks, 66 strikeouts, 0 HR, 17.13 K/9, 5-1, 0.78 ERA, 0.72 WHIP, .119 BAA.

PITCHING AND DEFENSE: The M-Braves lead the league, and are T-3rd in Double-A baseball, with a 3.83 ERA. The 312 runs allowed is the 3rd-fewest in Double-A baseball this season. M-Braves hurlers have served up 52 home run balls, which is the fewest in Double-A baseball, and 7th fewest in all of minor league baseball. The starting rotation holds a 3.71 ERA, 5th in Double-A baseball. The M-Braves still lead the Double-A South and are T-3rd in Double-A with a .981 fielding percentage.

151 MAJOR LEAGUE DEBUTS: LHP Kyle Muller made his major league debut for the Atlanta Braves on June 16 vs. Boston. Muller became the first M-Braves alum to debut in 2021 and 151st all-time.

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 #56 on the MLB.com Top 100 and sixth-ranked catching prospect in baseball.

- Overall, the M-Braves feature 11 of the Braves' Top 30 prospects by MLB Pipeline. After Langeliers and Shewmake, RHP Freddy Tarnok (10), RHP Bryce Elder (#11), OF Trey Harris (#12), RHP Victor Vodnik (#13), RHP Daysbel Hernandez (15), INF Greyson Jenista (#17), C.J. Alexander (#18), RHP Spencer Strider (19), INF and OF Justin Dean (#24) are among the Top 30.

M-BRAVES RECORD FOURTH NO-HITTER IN TEAM HISTORY: On Saturday, July 10, Bryce Elder and Daysbel Hernandez combined for the fourth no-hitter in club history, stretching Mississippi's winning streak to six games at the time. Elder went the first 7.0 innings, striking out six and walking four. Hernandez pitched the final 2.0 innings with four strikeouts and one walk. It was the first no-hitter since Ian Anderson and Jeremy Walker combined for one on June 28, 2019, vs. Jackson.

AMONG THE LEAGUE LEADERS:

Shea Langeliers -HR (T-1st, 17), slugging (2nd, .515), OPS (6th, .844), XBH (8th, 26), and total bases (T-3rd, 117)

Justin Dean - SB (1st, 22), runs (9th, 39), 3B (T-5th, 3), walks (T-10th, 32) and OBP (7th, .364).

Braden Shewmake - 3B (T-5th, 3).

Drew Lugbauer - OBP (4th, .377), OPS (1st, .890), HR (T-9th, 12), slugging (3rd, .513), XBH (T-8th, 25)

Trey Harris - hits (10th, 62)

Greyson Jenista - walks (T-4th, 41), HR (T-9th, 12)

Brandon White - saves (T-4th, 7)

Odalvi Javier - wins (T-4th, 5), ERA (3rd, 3.23), BAA (3rd, .206), and WHIP (4th, 1.13)

Hayden Deal - IP (5th, 73.0), BAA (10th, .253), and T-1st in starts (15).

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).

Check out the Mississippi Braves Statistics



Southern League Stories from August 3, 2021


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