Atlanta Braves Minor League Weekend Wrap: April 25 Edition
Atlanta Braves Minor League Weekend Wrap Up
Transactions
4/21 RHP Jose Ramirez activated by Gwinnett from DL
4/21 C Braeden Schlehuber assigned from Gwinnett to extended spring
4/22 RHP Joel De La Cruz demoted from Atlanta to Gwinnett
4/23 RHP Casey Kelly demoted from Atlanta to Gwinnett
4/23 RHP Madison Younginer demoted from Gwinnett to Mississippi
4/23 RHP Joel De La Cruz demoted from Gwinnett to Mississippi
4/23 RHP Lucas Sims promoted from Mississippi to Gwinnett
4/23 LHP Matt Marksberry promoted from Mississippi to Atlanta
4/24 RHP Rob Wooten assigned from Gwinnett to extended spring
4/24 C Braeden Schlehuber promoted from extended spring to Gwinnett
4/24 LHP Matt Marksberry demoted from Atlanta to Gwinnett
4/24 RHP Aaron Blair promoted from Gwinnett to Atlanta
4/24 LHP Sean McLaughlin promoted from extended spring to Carolina
4/24 LHP Michael O’Neal assigned from Carolina to extended spring
Hitter of the week – For the second week, Rio Ruiz takes the award with an even stronger week this week. His slash line on the week was .480/.519/.680 with 2 doubles, a home run, 2 runs, and 5 RBI with a 2/4 BB/K ratio. Gwinnett has been moving him up bit by bit in the lineup to the point where he has moved from 8th in the order to top 5 now. Honorable mention: Johan Camargo is in a major season where he has to show well on offense and defense to have a future in the organization. He’s struggled a bit with his moving around the infield in a utility role, but this week his bat took off, as he hit .409/.458/.545 with 3 2B, 6 R, 2 RBI, 2/2 BB/K.
Pitcher of the week – There is no other choice this week. In spite of only having one start, the award this week goes to Aaron Blair for his 7 innings of no-hit ball in his last start for Gwinnett before being called up to the major leagues for his Sunday start against the Mets. In his start with Gwinnett, Blair went 7 innings, allowing a single walk and striking out 10. Honorable mention: Chris Ellis had two very solid starts this week, totaling 12 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 6 K.
Next: Gwinnett Braves
AAA Gwinnett Braves (10-8)
Thursday
After an extended pitcher’s duel that was scoreless until the bottom of the 6th, Gwinnett fought back to tie the game at 1 in the top of the 9th and send the game into extras, but they ended up losing the game in the 10th to Charlotte 2-1. Gwinnett started Joel De La Cruz, and he went 3 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing 5 hits, walking one, and striking out 3. Overall, the Braves staff did not allow a single earned run in the game as 5 relievers combined to pitch the game in Casey Kelly’s absence after his call up. Rio Ruiz continued his hot streak, knocking out two singles. Tyler Moore had a single and a walk. Emilio Bonifacio stole his 7th base.
Friday
Through the top of the 9th, the Gwinnett Braves had a great game with a stellar start and a 4-1 lead, then they blew that lead in the bottom of the 9th to go to extras. The offense put a run across in the top of the 10th, but then the bullpen allowed a walk off grand slam to lose the game 8-5. John Gant had a great start, going 6 innings, allowing 1 run on 2 hits and 3 walks, striking out 7. Sean Kazmar and Chase d’Arnaud each had 3 hits, including a double. Matt Tuiasosopo had two singles. Tyler Moore walked twice. Rio Ruiz had a two-run home run. Ryan Lavarnway had a double.
Saturday
Lucas Sims made his first AAA start to replace Aaron Blair in the rotation, and he was impressive, with one home run really being his knock, though the team lost to Columbus 7-1. His final line was 5 innings, 2 runs, 3 hits, 4 walks, and 5 strikeouts. Indians star outfielder Michael Brantley was rehabbing with Columbus, and he went 0-3 against Sims. Matt Tuiasosopo had two hits, including a home run. Rio Ruiz had a single and a walk. Emilio Bonifacio had a single and a walk.
Sunday
The Braves could not have asked for anything more from starter Mike Foltynewicz, but they certainly would have thought the offense would give at least one run. Instead, the G-Braves lost 2-0. Folty went 7 innings strong, allowing one unearned run on four hits and four walks, striking out seven. Rio Ruiz had two singles. Chase d’Arnaud stole his 5th base of the year.
Leaders
BA: Rio Ruiz .381
OBP: Rio Ruiz .435
HR: Matt Tuiasosopo 4
SB: Emilio Bonifacio 7
W: Aaron Blair 3
SV: David Peterson 2
SO: Aaron Blair 22
ERA: Aaron Blair 1.42
Video Highlights
Next: Mississippi Braves
AA Mississippi Braves (6-12)
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Thursday
Mississippi got yet another great start from Brandon Barker, as they won 4-2 over Chattanooga. Barker went 6 scoreless innings, allowing 6 hits and 2 walks, striking out 5. Only Johan Camargo had multiple hits with a double and a single. Carlos Franco walked twice. Dustin Peterson had a single and a walk. Matt Lipka had a 3-run triple.
Friday
Due to promotions coming, Andrew Thurman was inserted back into the rotation in Mississippi, but due to a pitch count, he wasn’t allowed to go deep into the game, though the relievers that came in continued Thurman’s sparkling start on Friday night to win the game 5-0. Thurman went 3 innings, allowing one hit and one walk, striking out 6. Steve Janas came in to follow him and threw 5 innings, allowing a hit and a walk, striking out 4. Mauricio Cabrera closed out the game with a scoreless inning. Jacob Schrader was on base three times with a single and two walks. Carlos Franco had a single and a walk. Ozzie Albies had two walks. Matt Lipka stole his first base of the season. Dustin Peterson had a very impressive assist from left field, gunning down a runner at first base to complete a double play.
Saturday
Mauricio Cabrera was entrusted with a 1-0 lead to close out the game for Mississippi Saturday, and instead he blew the save, leading to a 2-1 Biloxi win over the M-Braves. Chris Ellis had another great start, going six scoreless innings, allowing only one hit, walking 4, striking out 4. Johan Camargo had a single and a double. Dustin Peterson had two singles. Carlos Franco had two singles. Willians Astudillo had a double.
Sunday
Sunday’s Mississippi game featured two of the premier left-handed pitching prospects in all of baseball, Mississippi’s Sean Newcomb, and Biloxi’s Josh Hader. Through 4 innings, it was all it was billed to be, with both pitchers matching zeros. Then Hader left, and Newcomb fell apart. Newcomb’s final line was 5 innings, 3 runs allowed on 5 hits and 4 walks, striking out 3. Emerson Landoni had 3 singles. Jordy Lara and Jacob Schrader each had a single and two walks. Ozzie Albies had a single and a double, in spite of not even starting the game. Matt Lipka and Dustin Peterson also had a double each.
Leaders
BA: Ozzie Albies .338
OBP: Ozzie Albies .408
HR: Dustin Peterson 2
SB: Ozzie Albies 2
W: Chris Ellis 2
SV: Mauricio Cabrera and Matt Marksberry 2
SO: Lucas Sims 26
ERA: Brandon Barker 1.06
Video Highlights
Next: Carolina Mudcats
Carolina Mudcats (7-11)
Thursday
Carolina spotted Myrtle Beach 3 runs in the bottom of the 1st, but then shut down the Pelicans until the bottom of the 9th, when they allowed walk off 3-run home run to lose 6-5. Ryan Clark went 5 innings, allowing 3 runs (2 earned) on 6 hits and 3 walks while striking out 3. Dansby Swanson had an inside the park home run, a double, and a walk, driving in 3 runs, though he also committed his 2nd error of the season. Tanner Murphy had two singles. Braxton Davidson had two walks. Joey Meneses had a single and a walk. Keith Curcio had a double.
Friday
Carolina scored early and held onto their lead as both pitching staffs put the clamps to scoring after the second inning in a game ended early due to rain as they won 6-3. Enderson Franco went 5 innings on the start, allowing 3 runs on 7 hits and 2 walks, striking out 3 to get his first win of the season. Braxton Davidson provided the power on the night with a double and his first home run of the season. Omar Obregon had a double and a single. Jordan Edgerton had a double and a walk. Dansby Swanson had a single and a walk. Keith Curcio walked twice and stole a base. Stephen Gaylor stole 2 bases on the day.
Saturday
Carolina found themselves in a 6-0 hole, but rallied to come just one run short, losing 6-5 on Saturday to Myrtle Beach. Ryan Lawlor struggled in his start, going 5 innings, allowing 6 runs on 6 hits and 3 walks, striking out 6. Joey Meneses had a double and a walk. Braxton Davidson and Joseph Odom had a double.
Sunday
Carolina dropped their Sunday contest 4-2. Matt Withrow allowed his first earned runs of the season, going 5 innings, allowing 2 runs on 2 hits and 4 walks, striking out 1. His stuff was just off throughout the game. Stephen Gaylor had three singles and stole a base. Joey Meneses had two singles. Ryan Gebhardt had a single and a walk.
Leaders
BA: Ryan Gebhardt .333
OBP: Ryan Gebhardt .429
HR: Four with 1
SB: Stephen Gaylor 5
W: Zachary Bird 2
SV: Chase Johnson-Mullins 3
SO: Ryan Lawlor 20
ERA: Max Povse 1.42
Video Highlights
Next: Rome Braves
Rome Braves (5-13)
Thursday
The Rome offense exploded on Thursday, and they needed nearly none of it, winning 14-1 behind an exceptional showing by Ricardo Sanchez. Sanchez went 6 innings, allowing 1 run on 3 hits and 2 walks, striking out 5. Rome’s 2-3-4 hitters each had a home run in the game. Ronald Acuna reached base three times for the Braves on a home run and two walks. Austin Riley and Jonathan Morales each had a single and a home run, Morales’ being of the grand slam variety. Luke Dykstra had a single and a double. Alejandro Salazar had two singles. Ray-Patrick Didder had a single and a walk. Every member of Rome’s lineup had at least one hit on the game.
Friday
Touki Toussaint continued his struggles in 2016 on Friday as Rome lost 11-3. Toussaint went 5 innings, allowing 8 runs (7 earned) on 10 hits and 2 walks, striking out 2, though all the runs should have been allowed in my book as the error was actually on Toussaint. Ray-Patrick Didder had a single and a triple on the day. Ronald Acuna added two singles and his 6th steal on the season. Matt Tellor had two singles. Alejandro Salazar had a single and a walk.
Saturday
Rome found themselves on the short end of a pitching duel 2-1 with Asheville on Saturday. Mike Soroka pitched very well, being burned by rough defense from his infield, specifically Austin Riley. Soroka’s line was 5 innings, allowing 1 unearned run on 5 hits, walking none and striking out 5. Jonathan Morales had a home run and two walks. Ronald Acuna had a walk and a single.
Sunday
Rome made many attempts but could never push across runs after the 3rd inning, falling 4-3 to Asheville Sunday. Patrick Weigel had a very solid start, giving up a 3-run home run as the big dagger. His final line was 5 innings, 4 runs on 7 hits and 3 walks, striking out 6. Austin Riley had 3 singles. Matt Tellor and Lucas Herbert had two singles each. Ronald Acuna had a single and a walk. Bradley Keller had a double.
Next: Blair Impressive In Debut
Leaders
BA: Jonathan Morales .333
OBP: Ray-Patrick Didder .435
HR: Three with 2
SB: Ronald Acuna 6
W: Dalton Geekie 2
SV: Grayson Jones and Oriel Caicedo 1
SO: Patrick Weigel 24
ERA: Mike Soroka 1.80