Atlanta Braves Week 9 Farm Report: Rome Struggles, Drew Waters Thrives

(23-33) Florida Fire Frogs (A+)

Week 9 Record: 3-3

Players of the Week

(OF) Jefrey Ramos

5 games, 7-for-21 (.333 BA), 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, SB

How is a guy successful with a walk-rate of 3.4%? Well, I guess ask Jefrey Ramos, because he’s currently walking at that minuscule rate and is still slashing .263/.293/.420 (.713 OPS).

Even with his super-low walk rate, Ramos is striking out 25.8% of the time, which frankly isn’t that bad when considering he only has seven walks in 205 at-bats this season. The reason Ramos has been so successful is because, well, he hits the ball a lot!

In Week 9, Ramos continued his 9-game hitting streak, getting a knock in every single game of the week. And guess what? He didn’t walk one time, either. But, he also only struck out three times, with all three strikeouts coming in Tuesday’s game.

For the season, Ramos has seven home runs, seven doubles and 30 RBI.

(SP) Nolan Kingham

1 start, 9 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, BB, 4 K

You can read more about Kingham’s second complete-game shutout this season down on Friday’s game recap. The righty has been up-and-down this season, giving up seven earned runs in his first two starts of 2019.

For the 2019 season, Kingham’s ERA is still a bit bloated from those poor starts, at 4.56. However, with a 3-3 record and plenty of season left, he still has time to finish with a solid season.

Kingham started 2019 in Rome, making three starts and pitching to a 0.56 ERA. He’s worthy of pitching in High-A, but now he needs to show it on a consistent basis.

Week At A Glance

(May 27 – June 2)

(5/27) Monday: OFF DAY

The Fire Frogs were off Monday, and going into Tuesday they found themselves in last place in the North division of the Florida State League (9.5 GB from 1st).

(5/28) Tuesday: Lost 7-5 (F/10) vs. Fort Myers Miracle – FULL RECAP

• (P) P. Pfeifer: 6 IP, 10 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 6 K
• (C) W. Contreras: 1-5, HR, 2 RBI
• (RF) G. Jenista: 1-4, HR, RBI

Thanks to a Fort Myers wild pitch in the 9th inning, Rome’s Kevin Josephina scored from third base to send the game into extra innings, but in the 10th, the Miracle scored three runs and put the game out of reach for the Fire Frogs.

The Florida bats were hot on Tuesday, tallying nine hits as a team and two home runs, including William Contreras and Greyson Jenista‘s back-to-back homers in the 6th inning.

Josephina (2-for-3), Drew Lugbauer (1-for-4) and Jefrey Ramos (1-for-4) all contributed with doubles; and Brett Langhorne, Izzy Wilson and Riley Delgado all finished with base-hits in the loss. Wilson also finished with a stolen base (his sixth of 2019).

Florida had the pleasure of facing the Minnesota Twins top-prospect, shortstop and leadoff hitter Royce Lewis, who hit a solo homer on the third pitch of the game in the 1st inning. Lewis finished 1-for-5 with three strikeouts.

Philip Pfeifer dealt with runners on the basepaths seemingly all evening, but his 6 innings-pitched on Tuesday was his longest outing of his 2019 season, and it was also an improvement from the four walks in his last start.

(5/29) Wednesday: Lost 7-1 vs. Fort Myers Miracle – FULL RECAP

• (P) F. Tarnok: 6.1 IP, 9 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
• (LF) J. Ramos: 1-4, HR, RBI
• (CF) S. Michel: 2-3, 2B, K

Florida’s Freddy Tarnok threw 100 pitches for the second time this season, but was knocked around a bit in Wednesday’s loss.

The Fire Frogs only managed 5 hits, with two of them coming from Shean Michel, who just got transferred back to Florida before the game.

Kevin Josephina added a hit and a stolen base while Juan Morales went 1-for-3, rounding out the hitting.

Relievers Bradley Roney and Daysbel Hernandez pitched 2.2 innings and struck out three batters combined, with Hernandez surrendering a two-run homer from last year’s 20th pick in the draft, Trevor Larnach.

(5/30) Thursday: Lost 3-2 vs. Fort Myers Miracle – FULL RECAP

• (P) H. Deal: 6 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
• (C) R. Estrada: 1-4, 2B, 2 RBI
• (1B) K. Josephina: 3-4, 2B, R

Kevin Josephina turned in three hits for the Fire Frogs, giving him a 4-game hitting streak, but it wasn’t enough as the Miracle slugged a go-ahead solo homer in the 8th to win Thursday.

Starting pitcher Hunter Deal pitched another great game, but made a couple of costly mistakes at the wrong time. His two walks both came in the 5th inning, and Fort Myers benefited by scoring both walked runners.

Greyson Jenista and William Contreras both went hitless, with Jenista striking out twice and Contreras striking out once.

(5/31) Friday: Won 7-0 vs. Palm Beach Cardinals – FULL RECAP

• (P) N. Kingham: 9 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, BB, 4 K
• (C) W. Contreras: 1-3, HR, 2 RBI, BB
• (CF) S. Michel: 2-4, RBI, R, BB

In 103 pitches on Friday night, Florida’s Nolan Kingham tossed a complete-game shutout, giving the Fire Frogs only their third nine-inning shutout in franchise history. He already had one back on May 1st against Lakeland.

https://twitter.com/FireFrogsBB/status/1134613339009703941?s=19

Florida’s offense did their job as well, coming up with 11 hits on the night. With a 4-0 lead in the 5th, Kevin Josephina (finished 2-for-4) plated a run, putting the Frogs up by five.

https://twitter.com/FireFrogsBB/status/1134600297224036353?s=19

Shortstop and #2 hitter Riley Delgado, picked up two hits as well. Delgado knocked in a run from a sac-fly in the 8th inning and became the first player in the FSL to accrue 60 hits this season. His multi-hit game Friday gives him 17 total so far in 2019.

Greyson Jenista finished 1-for-4 with 3 strikeouts and Drew Lugbauer was hitless in 4 at-bats. Friday’s DH Rusber Estrada went 2-for-2 with two runs and a walk.

(6/1) Saturday: Led 2-0 vs. Palm Beach Cardinals (SUSPENDED / TOP 2ND) 

Due to unplayable conditions from rain, the Fire Frogs game on Saturday was suspended after one inning. Sean Michel doubled and Jefrey Ramos homered later in the inning to put Florida up 2-0. Matt Withrow started the game on the mound for Florida.

(6/2) Sunday: GM1 Won 9-7 vs. Palm Beach Cardinals (RESUMED GAME) – FULL RECAP

GM2 Won 4-0 vs. Palm Beach Cardinals – FULL RECAP

Game 1:

• (P) P. Pfeifer: 5 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
• (LF) J. Ramos: 3-4, HR, 3B, 4 RBI
• (CF) S. Michel: 3-4, 2 2B, 4 R, BB, SB

Saturday’s suspended game was resumed on Sunday, starting in the top of the 2nd inning. Since Saturday’s starter, Matt Withrow, only pitched an inning before the game was suspended, Philip Pfeifer was tasked with the shortened game on Sunday.

Sean Michel did it all in Game 1 as he continues to tear up High-A baseball. Michel scored four of the nine runs the Fire Frogs scored on Sunday. The leadoff hitter is batting .276 in Florida, after hitting only .100 in Mississippi before he demotion. He’s already got three triples in just 19 games with the Fire Frogs.

Greyson Jenista got in the hit column with a base-hit in four at-bats.

Pfeifer’s win in Game 1 gives him a 1-2 record in five starts and one appearance for Florida (4.75 ERA). He appeared in seven games as a reliever in Mississippi this season, posting a 1-1 record with a 4.91 ERA.

Game 2:

• (P) W. Borkovich: 3 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, K
• (DH) G. Jenista: 2-3, 2B, RBI, R
• (C) W. Contreras: 1-3, RBI, R

The Florida bats cooled off in Game 2, only managing three hits as a team, despite scoring four runs and sweeping the two games on Sunday.

Reliever Daysbell Hernandez picked up the win after relieving Walter Borkovich in the 4th inning. Hernandez pitched two innings and struck out four with just one walk and no hits or runs. He’s now 4-1 in 15 appearances, and has a 1.90 ERA and 33 strikeouts in 23.2 innings-pitched.

Greyson Jenista’s double and two hits pushes his poor batting average up a bit to .225 (.683 OPS). Jenista, in 53 games with Florida, has 13 doubles and four home runs. He’s knocked in 26 runs as well.

Catcher William Contreras was the only other batter to record a hit, besides Jenista. Contreras is having a respectable season thus far, batting .269 (.707 OPS) with three homers and 11 doubles in 48 games.