The Atlanta Braves minor league affiliates bats were a tail of two extremes. They scored one or fewer runs in four of their five games, but in their other game they dropped 11 runs. However, they were able to win two games yesterday due to one of the best pitching performances a member of the Braves organization will have all season.
(19-20) Gwinnett Stripers 1, (20-19) Memphis Redbirds 6 F/7
- J.P. Martinez 2-3, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 SB
- Eli White 1-3, 1 SB
- Dylan Dodd, SP, 5 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
Martinez and White combined to go 3 for 6, the rest of the lineup went 2 for 19. Martinez’s two base knocks meant he has now picked up hits in 11 of his last 13 games. Yuli Gurriel has continued to struggle going 0 for 2 which drops his season average to .231.
It looked like Dylan Dodd was going to escape the third inning with only two runs on his ledger. However, a two out throwing error by Cesar Prieto led to an RBI single followed by a three run home run, tagging Dodd with four unearned runs. It is difficult to forecast exactly how Dodd would’ve performed had it not been for the Prieto error. He was able to battle getting through five innings, but did allow nine base runners.
(20-20) Gwinnett Stripers 1, (20-20) Memphis Redbirds 0 F/7
- Eli White 2-3, 1 RBI, 1 2B
- Forrest Wall 1-3, 1 R, 1 K, 1 SB
- Zach Logue, SP, 7 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 8 K
The Stripers bats did even worse from a hit standpoint than they did in game one, however, unlike that one they were able to scratch across a run via first inning double. After that first frame, the Stripers picked up just two more hits.
Logue carried a perfect game into the fifth and a no hitter into the seventh. The first base runner he allowed came via a one out Alfonso Rivas lll hit by pitch. The next batter to reach safely came in the seventh when Thomas Saggese broke up the no no with a single. Logue was extremely efficient and in command of his stuff needing just 88 pitches to throw all seven innings and 61 of those pitches were strikes. What is possibly the most impressive stat of the night is Logue allowed just two hard hit baseballs (batted balls of 95 MPH or higher).
(18-14) Rome Emperors 11, (13-20) Asheville Tourists 1
- Kevin Kilpatrick Jr. 5-6, 1 2B, 2 R, 1 RBI
- Ethan Workinger 2-5, 3 RBI, 1 R, 1 HR
- Owen Murphy, SP, 6 ⅓ IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 11 K
After three consecutive games of scoring three or fewer runs, the Emperor bats have erupted for 19 runs over their previous two. Kilpatrick Jr. had the game of lifetime, racking up five hits and a double. After yesterday’s game he already has five three plus hit games this season and has picked up a base knock in six of his last eight games. Every Emperor hitter picked up a hit with seven of them reaching base safely multiple times. Ambioris Tavarez did strike out again meaning he has struck out in 27 of 28 games.
For as dominant as the bats were, Owen Murphy and Cory Wall were equally great. The duo combined to pitch the entire game and racked up 16 strikeouts compared to just five base runners allowed. Murphy has gotten off to a fantastic start this season with his gem yesterday dropping his season ERA to 1.54.
(16-18) Salem Red Sox 5, (15-18) Augusta GreenJackets 0
- Diego Benitez 1-4, 1 K
- Jace Grady 1-3, 1 BB, 1 K
- Adam Shoemaker, SP, 2 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 5 BB, 2 K
It’s tough to be much worse than the GreenJackets were. Their hitters went 4 for 30 with 10 strikeouts and no extra base hits. They went 0 for 5 with runners in scoring position and left seven men on base.
Through his first three starts of the season, Shoemaker had a 1.64 ERA. Since then a string of short and often poor starts has seen it rise to a 5.68. The Braves have prevented Shoemaker from going deep in his starts with four innings pitched being his longest outing this season and yesterday was the third time that he’s thrown two or fewer innings. LJ McDonough and Didier Fuentes did enough to keep the game tight, allowing one run across seven frames in relief.
(0-8) FCL Braves 0, (4-4) FCL Orioles 4
- Mario Baez 0-3, 1 BB, 1 K
- Douglas Glod 0-3, 1 BB, 2 K
- Jhonly Tavares, SP, 2 ⅔ IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
The Braves bats did a whole lot of nothing racking up two hits in 28 at bats. They hit into two double plays and were picked off at first base twice. Douglas Glod’s early struggles continued as he is hitless in 6 of his last 7 games with 10 strikeouts over that span.
Tavares had his struggles yesterday, but the 2 and ⅔ innings pitched were tied for the second longest outing of his career. His three punchouts were tied for the second most he has had in a start since the start of 2023.
