Week 15 Atlanta Braves Farm Report: Folty and Gausman each make pivotal starts

A weekly run down of the Atlanta Braves minor league organization, it’s Week 15 down on the Farm.

The Atlanta Braves 2019 playoff hopes are dependent on two factors at the moment: a) reinforcements at the trade deadline and b) restoration of starting pitchers Mike Foltynewicz and Kevin Gausman.

The latter of those two factors received some promise this past week, as Folty and Gausman each made two strong starts.

(54-39) GWINNETT STRIPERS

The first half of the week included two scheduled off days for the Stripers, followed by the IL vs. PCL 2019 All-Star Game, in which outfielder Travis Demeritte represented the Atlanta Braves farm system.

Demeritte belted 37 homers in the Home Run Derby on Tuesday than batted 6th in the interleague matchup on Wednesday.

Stripers reliever Matt Rowen also represented the team on Tuesday night:

• Demeritte: 0-for-1, R, BB, K
• Rowen: IP, 2 H, K, HR

Despite three days of no games, Gwinnett’s offense kept rolling, scoring 8.5 runs per game, thanks to a 27-run affair on Thursday versus Charlotte.

The winning record puts the Stripers just 1 1/2 GB from Durham in the South Division.

Overall, Gwinnett finished Week 15 with 10 homers and 18 XBHs, including Thursday’s shootout where they produced 18 hits (3 HR, 5 XBHs).

Individually, pretty much the entire Gwinnett lineup had a good week. But Adam Duvall, Alex Jackson, and Rafael Ortega stood out the most.

Duvall finished with 2 homers, 2 doubles, and 3 RBI, including a 3-for-4 Friday night. Here’s an absolute rope he hit on Sunday (those baseballs are so not normal!):

Jackson only played three games in Week 15, but he slugged 3 home runs and knocked in 10 runs, while also batting .428. The prospect catcher had a crazy Thursday night, going 4-for-5 with 2 homers and a double, finishing with 6 RBI.

Ortega was 8-for-16 with 2 homers and 3 doubles, finishing the week with 4 RBI.

Rehabbing Ender Inciarte is still struggling to get things going. Inciarte went 3-for-15 (.200 BA) with an RBI. Although, he did throw out at a runner attempting to score on Saturday, throwing a bullet from centerfield.

Speaking of Atlanta Braves players, pitcher Mike Foltynewicz started Saturday’s game, going 5 innings and striking out 4 and walking one. He allowed 4 runs from 9 hits in his 90-pitch outing (56 strikes)

Kyle Wright‘s quality-start on Friday was the best starting pitching performance of the week. Wright finished with a solid line, but allowed 2 homers.

6.1 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 5 K

The top Gwinnett reliever was Corbin Clouse. On Saturday he came in the game and struck out 5 while pitching 2 scoreless innings and picked up the hold.

Patrick Weigel labored through a nice outing on Sunday, tossing 5 innings of 5-hit ball and punching out 5. Weigel allowed 3 runs (including a home run) and walked 3, in Gwinnett’s win.

ROSTER MOVES

(9-14) MISSISSIPPI BRAVES 

The M-Braves scuffled a bit in Week 15, going 2-4 and scoring just a smidge over 3 runs per game (3.1), while allowing over 3.5 per contest (3.6). Mississippi is now 4.5 GB from 1st place, last in the South Division.

Once again, the starting rotation had success, pitching to a 3.19 ERA in 28.2 total innings pitched (8.61 K/9, 2.87 BB/9). The top dogs on the staff led the way this past week in Kyle Muller and Ian Anderson.

Muller started on Tuesday, striking out 5 and allowing 3 runs on his way to another quality start. He gave up 6 hits and walked  2 batters.

Anderson pitched Game 2 of Sunday’s doubleheader, striking out 6 in a strong 6-inning start. The Southern League strikeout leader allowed just 2 runs from 5 hits, while walking just one.

Reliever Jason Hursh perhaps had the best appearance by an M-Braves reliever, working a clean two innings on Tuesday and striking out two to preserve a 7-4 win over Biloxi.

Some good news for the Atlanta Braves: Starter Kevin Gausman went 6 innings on Thursday and allowed just 3 hits (3 strikeouts). Gausman threw 91 pitches (75 strikes) and generated 10 outs on the ground as he faced 22 batters. He also picked up a base-hit at the plate.

As you see by their scoring for the week, Mississippi’s offense wasn’t too great.

Drew Waters led with a .473 average (9-for-19), as he hit 2 doubles and plated 3 runs in Week 15. Christian Pache struggled, going 3-for-13 (.230 BA) with a double.

First baseman Ryan Casteel brought the power, belting 2 homers and hitting. 250 with 5 RBI. Casteel also had a triple this past week.

After a tough season so far, Greyson Jenista may be heating up. Jenista finished with a home run again (he hit one in Week 14) and 2 doubles, though batting just .214 (3-for-14). Yep, all 3 of his hits were XBHs.

ROSTER MOVES 

An unlikely player steps up

Rome’s lineup has been mainly a one-man wrecking crew, with the addition of shortstop Braden Shewmake. However, first baseman Griffin Benson had a little something to say about that this past week.

(8-18) FLORIDA FIRE FROGS 

Florida started the week terrible, losing their first four games of Week 15, but ultimately finishing 3-4, credited to some great starting pitching. Unfortunately, the Frogs are still in last place in the FSL North, lagging by 9.5 games from first.

As a whole, Florida’s starting rotation carried a 3.37 ERA in Week 15, striking out 8.77 batters per nine and only walking 1.80 per nine.

(40 IP, 39 H, 15 ER, 8 BB, 39 K)

Hunter Deal made two starts (Tuesday, Sunday), combining for 9.1 innings pitched. Deal struck out 9 and walked just 2, only 3 total runs.

Starter Tristan Beck is rounding into form after his injury, as he punched out 8 batters in Game 2 of Saturday’s doubleheader. The former Stanford pitcher allowed 6 hits and walked none in his excellent outing.

Philip Pfeifer pitched Game 1 that day and tossed a 6-hitter over 7 innings. Pfeifer allowed a 2-run homer, but readjusted, striking out 7 and walking just one.

Outfielder Trey Harris and first baseman Drew Lugbauer led the Fire Frogs offense, with Harris batting .300 and slugging a homer (3 RBI); and Lugbauer — a low-average hitter — hitting a cool .333, with 3 home runs and 2 doubles (4 RBI). The power-hitting first baseman also ripped off a 7-game hitting streak.

Outfielder CJ Alexander — he’s missed almost three months before returning during Week 14 — went 3-for-18 (.166 BA); and Andrew Moritz picked up a couple of RBI and stolen bases, also hitting .333 for the week.

(13-11) ROME BRAVES

Tied for 1st place in the SAL Southern division, Rome managed a 3-3 week, scoring 5 runs per game and allowing 4.66.

The starting rotation was decently consistent, providing good but-not-great outings all week.

Twenty-one-year-old Alan Rangel had the best outing in Week 15, tossing a quality-start on Sunday. Rangel threw 6.2 innings and struck out four while only allowing a run from 6 hits in their 9-3 win over Kannapolis.

Rome’s bullpen was strong on Friday and Saturday despite resulting in two losses, as William Woods and Jose Montilla each had shut-down relief appearances.

Woods appeared in Friday’s game and punched out five in just 2.2 innings pitched. He allowed a run from 3 hits, walking three. Montilla attempted to preserve Saturday’s game, striking out four over 2.2 innings pitched and allowing a run.

Saturday’s loss came at the hands of Kannapolis’ most recent draftee, Andrew Vaughn, who slapped a walk-off single in the 9th, beating Rome 6-5.

The offense was the tale of two players who’ve had two different 2019 seasons thus far.

First baseman Griffin Benson has carried a low average all season, struggling to maintain contact. But in Week 15, Benson ripped off a strong .400 average while slugging 3 homers and 9 RBI, including a 2-homer night on Sunday.

Braden Shewmake has been on fire ever since he was drafted last month, but this past week didn’t go so hot for the former Texas A&M shortstop. Shewmake went 5-for-27 (.185 BA) with 6 strikeouts and zero walks, also committing 4 errors in the field.

He did manage two strong games at the end of the week, going 4-for-10 combined with a double and a stolen base.

It takes both hitting and pitching

Despite Bryce Ball‘s torrid start to pro baseball, Danville just hasn’t played well lately, largely because of a starting rotation that can’t seem to prevent runs.

The DSL Braves don’t seem to be having any problems winning games of late.

(10-15) DANVILLE BRAVES

Week 15 was disappointing for Danville, as they finished 1-5 and solidified their current last-place standing in the Appy East division (5.5 GB from 1st place).

The offense was led again by young first baseman Bryce Ball, who kicked off Week 15 with a 2-homer game on Monday, on his way to a .350 average for the week. Ball totaled 3 homers and 2 doubles, as well as 5 RBI.

The 21-year-old power hitter has 8 home runs in his first 21 games, slashing .351/.438/.776.

Danville’s starting pitching was atrocious, highlighted by an 8.50 staff ERA. No Danville starter could make it past the 5th inning in Week 15. Although the group did manage to run BB/K rates of 9.5 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9, only allowing 2 homers all week.

Mitch Stallings provided the one decent outing, a 5-inning performance that ended with 7 hits and 3 runs allowed in Danville’s 10-0 loss to Greeneville. Stallings walked none and struck out six.

(4-9) GCL BRAVES

Between rain and scheduled off days, the GCL Braves only played three games in Week 15, finishing 1-2  for the week.

Shortstop Vaughn Grissom led the way with a 4-for-12 week (.333 BA) that consisted of 3 XBHs (HR, triple and double). Vaughn also knocked in 4 runs.

Starting pitcher Freddy Tarnok pitched a strong 4.2 innings in the Braves 5-4 win over the GCL Red Sox, on Wednesday.

Tarnok struck out five and walked none with just a home run being his sole mistake, as he only allowed 2 hits.

Lefty reliever Miguel Jerez pitched a fantastic relief appearance on Saturday, allowing just one hit and striking out six in 3.2 innings of work.

(17-19) DSL BRAVES

The Dominican team had the best week in the Atlanta Braves system, going 4-1 in Week 15 and finishing with a +10 run differential, as they scored 4.8 runs per game.

As you know by now, the DSL Braves produce runs using small-ball, and they did just that this past week. Only second baseman Alexander Then finished with multiple XBHs, slapping 3 doubles in his 3-for-11 (.272 BA) week.

Infielder Jose Dilone hit a double as well, going 7-for-13 (.538 BA) with 3 RBI in Week 15. Catcher Kelvin Pena plated 4 runs, batting .260 (6-for-23), as most of the Braves lineup swung the bat rather well.

Staff leader, Roddery Munoz, led the rotation with 9 strikeouts, in his outing on Thursday. Munoz pitched 5.2 innings and allowed just 3 hits and 3 runs, walking one.

Lisandro Santos notched the win on Friday after he struck out 5 in 5 innings. Santos allowed 3 hits and walked two, preventing any runs to cross home plate.

Ronaldo Alesandro worked a clean inning on his way to converting the save, striking out two batters in one inning of work.

Overall, DSL Braves’ pitching did a great job limiting the damage, holding opponents to just 2.8 runs per game throughout Week 15.