Week 14 Braves Farm Report: A strong week of pitching for Gwinnett and Mississippi

Rookie teams scoring runs in bunches

With the exception of Danville, the Rookie-level Braves have struggled to score runs so far in 2019. However, Week 14 featured more runs from the GCL team and homers from the DSL squad.

(9-10) Danville Braves

The Danville Braves had a strong week on offense (averaged just under 6.5 runs per game), but didn’t quite get the results they were after as they went 2-5 in Week 14.

A lot of the offense came in Saturday’s shootout when Danville unleashed 17 hits and 3 home runs.

First baseman Bryce Ball just keeps hitting, knocking in 5 runs and hitting 4 doubles this past week. Ball was 6-for-20 (.300 BA) in the six games he played in.

Outfielder and10th round pick in June’s draft, Brandon Parker, hit .318 with a home run and 4 RBI. Parker also stole a base and hit 3 doubles.

Mitch Stallings has been the top arm for Danville this season and continued to be in Week 14. Stallings made two starts, totaling 10 innings and 8 strikeouts. He allowed 2 runs in his first start (Monday) and one run in his second outing (Saturday).

(3-7) GCL Braves

The GCL Braves finished 2-3 in Week 14. Saturday’s game was suspended in the fourth inning and Sunday the Braves were off. The young team, despite not much power, was able to score 5.6 runs per game last week.

The Braves suffered a heartbreaker on Tuesday, as the GCL Pirates walked it off in the ninth, right after the Braves came back and tied it up in the eighth inning, 5-5. Rehabbing starter, Freddy Tarnok, pitched the first inning of that game, allowing a run and walking one.

Outfielder Michael Harris provided the contact for the Braves’ offense last week, while third baseman Darling Florentino contributed with the power.

Harris finished Week 14 with a .375 average, knocking in 4 runs with a triple and a double. Florentino only played in four games and picked up 3 hits, but two of those knocks were home runs, as the former Rome infielder plated 4 runs.

Before being transferred to Florida, Tristan Beck, another rehabbing starter, pitched a strikeout-filled game on Monday for the Braves, punching out 11 batters in just 4.1 innings pitched. He allowed 4 runs from 7 hits, while also walking two.

(13-18) DSL Braves

Two off days gave the DSL Braves just a 5-game slate, and they ended up going 2-3, while scoring 5 runs per game as the team has started producing some power.

The Braves hit 5 home runs in Week 14, with 3 of them coming from Tuesday’s 15-hit affair against the DSL Rays, which the Braves won, 10-4.

Before going hitless in his last three games, outfielder Deivi Estrada went 4-for-4 during Tuesday’s bashing, hitting a home run and plating 2 runs.

The lineup overall was led by catcher Kelvin Pena, who hit 2 homers last week and knocked in 5 runs while batting .250.

The pitching as a whole wasn’t too great last week, but starters Jorge Bautista and Roddery Munoz pitched well, both combining for a 3.75 ERA with 14 strikeouts and 7 walks in 12 innings pitched.