The story of Tuesday had to be a rough first inning for Atlanta Braves top prospect Didier Fuentes. More importantly the way he bounced back in a big way after facing that adversity to give Gwinnett seven solid innings. We also saw Sean Murphy start his rehab assignment, Aiven Cabral pitch a gem, and Herick Hernandez continued to make hitters struggle to make contact.
Memphis Redbirds 4, Gwinnett Stripers 3
- Brett Wisely, 2B: 2-4, HR, 2B, R, RBI
- Jim Jarvis, SS: 1-3, BB, R, RBI, 2 SB
- DaShawn Keirsey Jr., CF: 2-4, 2B, R
- Didier Fuentes, SP: 7 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
Memphis scored four in the first and the Stripers were in comeback mode for the rest of the night, before falling
just short at 4-3. It was Didier Fuentes’ night, which means he struggled out of the gate. He allowed those four first inning runs, though only three were earned, including a homer. However he settled down and went six additional innings without allowing a run. He allowed just three hits and no walks over his final six innings and picked up a total of five strikeouts on 13 whiffs. This ability to bounce back from adversity is definitely a plus for the talented young prospect, especially while facing a good lineup featuring a number of Cardinals prospects. Anderson Pilar pitched the eighth and didn’t allow a base runner, as the Stripers only needed two arms on Tuesday.
Once again Jim Jarvis stayed hot, but the story for the Striper lineup was actually his double play partner. Second baseman Brett Wisely was two for four with a homer and double, picking up a run scored and one batted in in the process.
Jarvis reached base multiple times again, going one for three with a walk, two steals, a run scored, and one batted in. Center fielder DaShawn Keirsey Jr. also had a multi-hit game, going two for four with a double, and scoring one of the Stripers runs. The only other hit was a Jair Camargo single.
Biloxi Shuckers 4, Columbus Clingstones 2
- Lizandro Espinoza, CF: 2-3, HR, BB, R, RBI, SB
- David McCabe, DH: 1-3, BB, R
- Herick Hernandez, SP: 4 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 7 K
The Herick Hernandez experience was on in this one. Hernandez mixed making guys swing and miss and missing with his command as he threw 46 of his 81 pitches for strikes, picking up four walks and seven strikeouts on 13 whiffs. Hernandez, who allowed a homer, was charged with three runs – though none of those were earned. Luis Vargas was next and allowed the fourth run to score during his inning and two thirds. Blayne Enlow pitched a scoreless inning and a third, while Blane Abeyta and Ryan Bourassa each threw a scoreless frame to complete things from the pitching side.
Columbus struggled to get the offense going in this one, which made this game feel like it was more out of reach than the final 4-2 score indicates. As a team they managed just three hits, from only two players, plus five walks. Lizandro Espinoza and David McCabe essentially were the offense. Espinoza homered, singled, walked, stole a base, scored a run, and batted one in as he reached base three times in his four trips to the dish.
McCabe singled, walked, and scored a run. Those two accounted for all of the Columbus hits and 40% of the walks, with Archer Brookman, Jordan Groshans, and Luke Waddell each having a walk as well.
Jersey Shore BlueClaws 12, Rome Emperors 1
- Isaiah Drake, LF: 1-4, R
- Owen Carey, RF: 1-3, BB, RBI
- Colby Jones, 3B: 1-4, 2B
- Jeremy Reyes, SP: 3.1 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 2 BB 4 K
This one was over early on, as Jersey Shore struck for two in the first and never looked back on their way to what looked like a 12-0 shutout, before Rome was able to punch in a run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. Jeremy Reyes started for Rome and lasted just three and a third, allowing four runs on seven hits and a pair of walks. On the positive side he had four strikeouts and eight whiffs. David Rodriguez got the next inning and two thirds, allowing two runs (one earned), before Jacob Wallace went a scoreless frame – the lone Rome pitcher not to have anyone score on him last night. The game broke open when Trent Buchanan came in for a third of an inning and gave up four runs. The night was finished off by Logan Samuels allowing an unearned run in an inning and two third and finally Jacob Kroger allowing a run in his inning of work.
The offense never got started for the Emperors, as they scored their lone run with one out to go in the game after totaling just three hits in the game. Isaiah Drake, who scored the only run, Colby Jones, who had a double for the lone extra base hit, and Owen Carey, who also walked and batted in the run, were the three players to record hits. John Gil, Cody Miller, and Mason Guerra each joined Carey in drawing walks. A rehabbing Sean Murphy was hitless in two at bats, with one strikeout, before being removed from the game – something normal for rehabbing players in the Braves system.
Augusta GreenJackets 4, Fayetteville Wood Peckers 2
- Tate Southisene, 2B: 0-3, BB, R, RBI, 2 SB
- Nick Montgomery, C: 2-4, 2B, R
- Aiven Cabral, SP: 6 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 K
- Styven Paez, RP: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K
Aiven Cabral turned in a great start in this one. A late pick from Mike Glavine’s Northeastern squad last team, Cabral allowed a run on four hits and two walks over six innings for a quality start. Cabral struck out eight and picked up 14 whiffs in the process.
Styven Paez relieved Cabral and in his inning and two thirds, he didn’t allow a hit or run, though walked two and picked up a pair of strikeouts on seven whiffs. Jaylen Paden went the final inning and a third for the save, though the undrafted free agent out of Georgia Tech did allow a solo homer in the ninth inning.
The story of the Augusta offense was a pair of recent high draft picks who struggled here last year, but are off to strong starts this year. Catcher Nick Montgomery, an overslot fifth rounder from 2024, was two for four with a double and a run, as he is looking far more advanced with both the bat and behind the plate than he looked just last year. Last year’s first round pick, Tate Southisene, was hitless in three at bats, but walked, scored a run, batted one in, and also stole two bases. Southisene continues to look great following a big week for himself last week. Luis Guanipa and Alex Lodise were each hitless in four at bats, with each picking up a pair of strikeouts. The recently activated Juan Mateo had a single in four at bats, and came home to score a run.
