Atlanta Braves Minor League Weekend Wrap: May 9th
Atlanta Braves Minor League Weekend Wrap Up
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5/6 2B Jace Peterson placed on paternity list by Gwinnett
5/6 IF Gordon Beckham sent on rehab assignment to Gwinnett
5/7 IF/OF Adonis Garcia demoted from Atlanta to Gwinnett
5/7 1B Tyler Moore placed on DL by Gwinnett
5/7 RHP David Peterson promoted from extended spring to Gwinnett
5/8 RHP Brandon Cunniff demoted from Gwinnett to extended spring
5/8 RHP Matt Custred promoted from extended spring to Rome
5/8 RHP Kanekoa Texeira promoted from extended spring to Gwinnett
5/8 RHP Dalton Geekie demoted from Rome to extended spring
5/8 1B Matt Tellor placed on DL by Rome
5/8 1B Juan Yepez promoted from extended spring to Rome
Hitter of the week – Riding a 13-game hitting streak (that’s still active!), Joey Meneses has brought his average all the way up to .330 on the season, which leads all of the Braves minor league system. His week this week wasn’t just about hits, however. The Carolina first baseman smashed three doubles and two home runs along the way as he went .450/.450/.900 with 3 runs and 6 RBI and a 0/1 BB/K ratio. Honorable mention: Ronald Acuna had a great week this week for Rome, putting up a .389/.476/.500 line at the top of the Rome lineup, scoring 4 runs, slapping a triple, driving in 3 runs, and stealing 6 bases (!!) with a 3/5 BB/K ratio.
Pitcher of the week – With all respect to Brandon Barker‘s excellent two-start week, there were two incredible single starts this week to take the cake. Williams Perez got a complete game shutout, allowing only one hit and one walk, striking out seven. Honorable mention: If not for Perez, Casey Kelly would have certainly taken the cake this week, as he put up an exceptional start of his own, going 8 shutout innings, allowing 4 hits, walking 2, and striking out 4.
Next: Gwinnett Braves
AAA Gwinnett Braves (16-15)
Thursday
Gwinnett had the day off.
Friday
Williams Perez was the star on Friday with a complete game shutout as Gwinnett won 4-0. Perez went all 9 innings, allowing a single run and a walk while striking out 7. Ryan Lavarnway had a single and a double. Blake Lalli and Ozzie Albies each had two singles, and Albies added his first AAA steal. Ender Inciarte had two singles and a walk. Rio Ruiz had a single and a walk.
Saturday
Tyrell Jenkins just got shelled starting in the 3rd inning as the G-Braves lost 12-2. Jenkins totaled 5 2/3 innings, allowing 6 runs (5 earned) on 7 hits and 2 walks, striking out 3. Gordon Beckham had 3 hits, including 2 doubles.
Sunday
Gwinnett got a great start from underappreciated John Gant and gave him early support and held on to win 4-2 over Charlotte. Gant went 6 2/3 innings, allowing 2 runs (1 earned) on 6 hits and a walk, striking out 7. Ozzie Albies had a big day at the plate, getting 3 hits, including 2 doubles. Sean Kazmar had 3 singles. Ronnier Mustelier had a single, a triple, and a walk and drove in three runs. Gordon Beckham had a single and a walk.
Leaders
BA: Rio Ruiz .300
OBP: Rio Ruiz .379
HR: Rio Ruiz 2
SB: Emilio Bonifacio 10
W: Three with 2
SV: David Peterson 3
SO: John Gant 27
ERA: Kanekoa Texeira 1.20
Video Highlights
Next: Mississippi Braves
AA Mississippi Braves (13-17)
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Thursday
It wasn’t pretty, but Chris Ellis got his 4th win of the season Thursday as the M-Braves won 3-2. Ellis went 5 2/3 innings, allowing 2 runs on 4 hits and 4 walks, striking out 5. Dansby Swanson had a double and two walks. Willians Astudillo had two singles. Jacob Schrader had a home run. Matt Lipka and Sean Godfrey each had a steal.
Friday
Mississippi jumped on the Tennessee bullpen late to win 6-3. Starter Sean Newcomb went 6 innings, allowing 3 runs on 8 hits and a walk, striking out 8. Dustin Peterson had a single and a double. Willians Astudillo had two singles. Johan Camargo had a home run. Dansby Swanson had two walks.
Saturday
Mississippi got a solid start from Rob Whalen, but reliever Steve Kent blew up in the 6th inning to lose the game 5-3. Whalen went 5 innings, allowing 1 run on 3 hits and 3 walks, striking out 6. Johan Camargo had a single and a double. Dustin Peterson and Matt Lipka each had two singles, while Lipka added a steal. Steve Rodriguez had a single and a walk. Carlos Franco added a triple.
Sunday
Mississippi got another great start from Brandon Barker, but they gave him no support at all, losing 2-0 to Tennessee. Barker went 6 innings, allowing 2 runs on 5 hits and 2 walks, striking out 6. Johan Camargo had a single and two walks. Dian Toscano had a single and a walk. Dansby Swanson stole his second base.
Leaders
BA: Dansby Swanson .310
OBP: Dansby Swanson .444
HR: Dustin Peterson 3
SB: Matt Lipka 3
W: Chris Ellis 4
SV: Mauricio Cabrera 4
SO: Sean Newcomb 32
ERA: Brandon Barker 1.59
Video Highlights
Next: Carolina Mudcats
Carolina Mudcats (12-17)
Thursday
Carolina was rained out.
Friday
Carolina was rained out.
Saturday
Carolina split a double header Saturday. In game 1, Carolina won 5-4 behind a solid start from Enderson Franco. Franco went 5 innings, allowing 3 runs on 8 hits, striking out 5. No Carolina hitter was on base twice. Tanner Murphy hit his first home run of the season. Reed Harper and Joey Meneses each had doubles. Stephen Gaylor and Erison Mendez each had a steal.
The second game didn’t go as well as Carolina fell 7-2. Ryan Lawlor got the start, going 5 innings, allowing 3 runs on 5 hits and 3 walks, striking out 2. Joseph Odom had a monster game, with a double and a home run, driving in both of the Carolina runs.
Sunday
Matt Withrow had his worst start of the season Sunday, and Carolina lost 10-3 to Lynchburg. Withrow went 4 1/3 innings, allowing 6 runs on 4 hits and 4 walks, striking out 4. Joey Meneses had a monster day, collecting 3 extra base hits, 2 doubles and a home run. Joseph Odom had a single and a walk. Keith Curcio had a double.
Leaders
BA: Joey Meneses .330
OBP: Joey Meneses .383
HR: Joey Meneses 3
SB: Stephen Gaylor 8
W: Enderson Franco 3
SV: Chase Johnson-Mullins 5
SO: Max Povse 26
ERA: Max Povse 2.97
Video Highlights
None posted
Next: Rome Braves
Rome Braves (10-20)
Thursday
Rome split a double header on Thursday with Hickory. They took the first game 4-3 as Touki Toussaint had a very effective performance, going 5 innings, allowing 2 runs on 5 hits and a walk, striking out 4. The 2 runs both came courtesy of a wind-aided home run as well, so he pitched even better than the stat line may suggest. Ronald Acuna had a triple and two singles along with two stolen bases and scored the winning run in the bottom of the seventh and final inning. Alejandro Salazar had two singles. Jonathan Morales had a single and a walk. Justin Ellison hit a home run. Ray-Patrick Didder stole his 7th base.
The second game saw the worst and best of Mike Soroka as Rome fell 6-0. His stuff simply wasn’t moving like it typically does, and hitters were on Soroka right away, as he gave up 4 runs in the first inning, all on singles and an error by the Rome defense. Even without his best stuff, that’s all the hitters could get as he was able to grind through 4 innings, allowing 6 runs (4 earned) on 7 hits and 3 walks, striking out 3. Ray-Patrick Didder was the only Rome hitter to reach base multiple times with a single, double, and a walk.
Friday
Hickory got 3 in the first, and even though that’s all Patrick Weigel would give up, Rome could not give him any support as they fell 3-1. Weigel’s final line was 7 innings, 3 runs (2 earned) allowed on 3 hits and 2 walks, striking out 3. No Rome hitter reached base twice. Austin Riley had a double. Ronald Acuna had a steal.
Saturday
Augusta’s offense was absolutely on point on Saturday, attacking Max Fried early and continuing after relievers left and right all game as they defeated Rome 14-8. Fried went 4 1/3 innings, allowing 8 runs (7 earned) on 9 hits and 3 walks, striking out 2. Lucas Herbert had a single and a home run and walked twice, scoring three runs. Austin Riley had a single and a home run. Wigberto Nevarez had a double and a walk. Ronald Acuna had a single and a walk, adding a steal.
Sunday
Rome made a valiant effort to come back, but fell just short against Augusta, losing 7-6. Ricardo Sanchez was rolling through 3 scoreless, but he was blown up in a 6-run 4th in a crazy BABIP inning where he gave up 5 hits, and 4 of them were singles, 3 of which (and the double as well) could have been outs just a foot in a different direction. To Sanchez’s credit, he kept his composure and got out of the inning with a nice pickoff move to get the third out of the 4th. He then gave up a solo home run in the top of the fifth and struck out the next two hitters (the 3-4 hitters in the Augusta lineup) to get through the 5th, so I was impressed by his performance in spite of a line of 5 innings, 7 runs allowed on 7 hits, 2 walks, and 4 strikeouts. What’s crazy to consider is that outside of that 4th inning, his line was 4 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 3 K.
Ronald Acuna capped a great week with three hits and two steals, bringing his season total to 12. Jonathan Morales also had three singles and a welk. Luke Dykstra had three singles and drove in three runs while adding his second steal. Juan Yepez made his Rome debut, tallying a single and a walk. Austin Riley had two singles.
Leaders
BA: Ray-Patrick Didder and Jonathan Morales .310
OBP: Ray-Patrick Didder .405
HR: Austin Riley 3
SB: Ronald Acuna 12
W: Three with 2
SV: Oriel Caicedo 2
SO: Patrick Weigel 34
ERA: Mike Soroka 2.32
Next: Braves Minor League Database