(4-3) DSL Braves (RK)
Week Record: 3-3
Players of the Week
(C) Kelvin Pena
5 games, 7-for-21 (.333 BA), 4 2B, 4 RBI
With it being still such a young season (only seven games played), there’s not one player that’s clearly outperforming the rest, on this DSL Braves team.
Although, Pena has been terrific so far this season, batting .292 overall and up to four doubles with nine RBI ( in just six games).
At 18-years-old, the Bonao, D.R. native had his best game yet on Tuesday, going 3-for-5 with two doubles. Pena has already put up better numbers than he did last year, in 10 less games.
In 2018, he played 16 games with the DSL Braves, batting .196 with just two doubles and five RBI. The 5’11”, 210 lbs. catcher looks as if he’s set to have a much better season this summer, as opposed to his first one playing professional baseball last year.
(SP) Roddery Munoz
1 start, 4 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, BB, 2 K
Again, with it being so early in the season, many of the starting pitchers for the DSL Braves are obviously being worked in slowly, only pitching 3-4 innings per start. With such short outings, that means several different pitchers are getting appearances, usually only lasting a few innings apiece.
Munoz was one of the few starters to work four innings this past week, and he pitched well only allowing two hits and no runs. His start on Wednesday was his first taste of action in 2019.
Another pitcher of note so far this year, is reliever Carlos De La Cruz. The 22-year-old, in Del La Cruz, already has three saves this season and has yet to allow a run score.
In 2018, De La Cruz and Munoz had fared quite the opposite. The former ran a 2.28 ERA in 13 appearances (27.2 IP) and held opposing hitters to a .198 batting average; while the latter finished with a 6.88 ERA, giving up 13 earned-runs in 17 innings-pitched across 10 appearances.
Week at a Glance
June 3 – June 9
(6/3) Monday: Lost 4-0 vs. Dodgers Bautista
- (P) O. Sierra: 2 IP, 2 H, ER, 2 BB, 2 K
- (DH) A. Then: 1-4, K
- (RF) R. De La Cruz: 1-3, K
After a victorious season opener for the Dominican Braves last Saturday, Game 2 of the 2019 season was much different. As a team, the DSL Braves only managed two hits and struck out 11 times on Monday.
The two batters listed above was all she wrote for the Braves. No one else on the team picked up a hit.
Dodgers starter, Igor Avila, pitched the first four innings and struck out five Braves, yielding the only two hits. Three other Dodgers relievers would piece together the final five innings, striking out six and walking none.
The Dodgers recorded 10 hits as a team, with one double and one triple.
(6/4) Tuesday: Won 10-5 vs. DSL Athletics
- (P) R. Alesandro: 3 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
- (C/1B) K. Pena: 3-5, 2 2B, 3 RBI
- (3B/SS) J. Dilone: 2-5, R, BB, SB
The DSL Braves unleashed 10 runs on Tuesday, slugging five extra-base hits and stealing six bases in their win. Shortstop Alexander Then stole two bags and went 1-for-2 with an RBI, two runs-scored and two walks.
Randi De La Cruz (RF), Yerangel Medina (1B/3B) and Delvi Estrada (CF) all doubled.
The Braves deployed six different pitchers in Tuesday’s game, with Reibyn Corona (pitcher #2) picking up the win. Corona worked one inning of zeros, walking none and striking out none, while also giving up zero hits or runs.
As a whole, the six Braves pitchers struck out eight batters and walked five, while giving up 10 hits. With 21 combined hits and eight total pitching changes between the two teams, the game lasted a drawn-out 3 hours and 47 minutes.
(6/5) Wednesday: Won 2-1 vs. DSL Athletics
- (P) R. Munoz: 4 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, BB, 2 K
- (DH) R. De La Cruz: 1-4, RBI, 2 K
- (1B) K. Pena: 2-4, 2B, K
It was another game of pitcher-by-committee for the DSL Braves on Wednesday, as they bested the Athletics despite going 1-for-14 with RISP.
Roddery Munoz got the start and pitched well, but Luis Vargas received the win, working two innings of middle-relief. Vargas struck out none and walked one, giving up no hits.
The entire group of five pitchers for the Braves only struck out five batters, but limited the Athletics to just three hits on the day.
Kelvin Pena (above) hit a double and right fielder Jeremy Celedonio hit one as well, giving the Braves the only two extra-base hits in the game.
Leadoff hitter Geraldo Quintero, outfielder Carlos Paiva and third baseman Yerangel Medina rounded out the hitting for the offense. Quintero also stole second base.
(6/6) Thursday: Lost 8-3 vs. DSL Marlins
- (P) C. Moreno: 2 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, BB, K
- (CF) C. Paiva: 1-1, 2 RBI
- (SS) J. Dilone: 2-4, RBI, R
The DSL Marlins outhit the Braves 11-5 on Thursday, and picked up the win despite only one extra-base hit combined between the two teams. The loss snapped a two-game winning streak for the DSL Braves.
The Braves DH, Randi De La Cruz, kept his strong hitting going with a 1-for-3 finish, while also drawing a walk. No. 9 hitter Geraldo Quintero picked up a hit and a walk in two at-bats.
Two players stole bases for the Braves, with third baseman Alexander Then picking up his third swipe of the season, and outfielder Jeremy Celedonio stealing his first. So far in the early going, the DSL Braves like to run, as the team has tallied at least one stolen base in every game so far in 2019.
The pitching was utilized as it has been in the first four games of the season. The Braves used four pitchers Thursday, with reliever Kevin Solano lasting the longest on the mound. Solano pitched well, working three innings and striking out five, only giving up one hit and walking none.
(6/7) Friday: Lost 6-2 vs. DSL Marlins
- (P) J. Bautista: 2.2 IP, 4 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
- (1B) Y. Medina: 1-3, 2B, RBI, R
- (C) K. Pena: 1-3, 2B, BB
The DSL Braves dropped Game 2 of their series with the Marlins, resulting in a two-game sweep, as the teenage Bravos only mustered five team hits. The Marlins outscored the Braves 14-5 in the two-game set.
Jorge Bautista made his second start of the 2019 season, but was far from effective, surrendering five runs and unable to make it through the 3rd inning. The Braves once again used several pitchers in the loss, shuffling through five different relievers.
On offense, the Braves were just 1-for-9 with RISP, though they continued their streak of a stolen base in each of their games to start the season, now up to six-straight. The player to continue the streak was center fielder Leomar Jimenez, who finished 1-for-2 with a walk and a successful swipe of 2nd base.
Other than the listed batters above, only Deivi Estrada recorded a hit, going 1-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout.
(6/8) Saturday: Won 8-4 vs. DSL Astros
- (P) O. Sierra: 3.2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, BB, 3 K
- (LF) J. Celedonio: 2-4, HR, 2 RBI
- (2B/CF) G. Quintero: 2-5, HR, 2 RBI
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The DSL Braves picked up their fourth win on Saturday, while also hitting just their second and third home run as a team, hitting two in their victory over the Dominican Astros.
The Braves broke out for 12 hits overall, a welcoming improvement after a few games of poor offense. Shortstop Francisco Floyd picked up three hits, one a triple, as he knocked in a run.
The other multi-hit performer was first baseman Yerangel Medina, who went 2-for-5 with a strikeout. Medina was also one of three base stealers on Saturday.
Catcher Kelvin Pena knocked in a run of his own, going 1-for-5 with two strikeouts. Pinch-hitter Alexander Then and DH Deivi Estrada rounded out the hitting, as both went 1-for-5, with Estrada scoring a run.
The Braves used their usual four pitchers in the win, with reliever Rainiery Rodriguez picking up the win. Rodriguez tossed two innings of one-hit ball and struck out one, while walking none and surrendering zero runs.
(6/9) Sunday: OFF DAY
The Dominican Braves were off Sunday, after playing six-straight games. The Braves DSL action will resume on Monday when they face the DSL Astros again at 10:30 a.m. (EST)
In the DSL, most teams play two-game series.
Thanks for sticking with me through this lengthy recap, but hopefully it was beneficial in helping you keep up with all of the Atlanta Braves minor league teams and prospects.