SL Mississippi Braves

Valdes Homers in Double-A Debut, M-Braves Fall to Smokies 4-1

Published on August 9, 2022 under Southern League (SL)
Mississippi Braves News Release


PEARL, MS - Javier Valdes slugged an opposite-field homer in his Double-A debut, but the Mississippi Braves (47-56, 18-16) fell 4-1 to the Tennessee Smokes (56-47, 19-15) on Tuesday night at Smokies Stadium.

Valdes finished 2-for-4 with a solo home run as the designated hitter. He was promoted earlier today from High-A Rome. The catcher hit .263 with 11 home runs and 34 RBI in 54 games for Rome. Atlanta drafted Valdes in the 21st round of the 2019 First Year Player Draft from Florida International University.

RHP Allan Winans posted the longest outing of his career, going six innings. The right-hander allowed four runs off seven hits. He walked one with four strikeouts.

Vaughn Grissom went 3-for-4 with a double. Atlanta's No. 1 prospect has hit in 19 of 22 games for the M-Braves, hitting .363 with two home runs and 11 RBI. He is currently riding a six-game hit streak.

Tennessee scored two runs in both the second and third innings. Chase Strumpf blasted a two-run homer to left field in the third to make it 4-0.

Valdes homered in the sixth to make it 4-1.

In the eighth, Grissom smoked a double off the third baseman and down the left field line to lead off the inning. Drew Lugbauer drew a walk, but the M-Braves came up empty, leaving runners on the corners.

In the bottom of the inning, Grissom dove to block a groundball up the middle, and quickly rising to his feet, gunned down the runner at first base to send it to the final inning. The play secured a 1-2-3 inning with two strikeouts for RHP Justin Yeager.

The M-Braves went down in order in the ninth.

The series finale is on Sunday at Trustmark Park. RHP Tanner Gordon (5-4, 6.47) will make the start for Mississippi against LHP DJ Herz (1-0, 6.30) for Tennessee. The first pitch is at 6:15 pm CT, with coverage starting at 6:00 pm CT on 103.9 WYAB, First Pitch App and MiLB.tv.

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Southern League Stories from August 9, 2022


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