Braves & BayBears Series Finale Cancelled

The Braves and BayBears got one-half inning of baseball in before the first rain-delay that lasted 48 minutes. The two teams then played another half-inning before rain halted play again and they decided at that point to cancel the series finale at Hank Aaron Stadium.

The Braves will enjoy an off-day on Monday and start up a five game set with the Montgomery Biscuits on Tuesday night at 7:05pm. The Braves are scheduled to send RHP Daniel Curtis (1-2, 5.64 ERA) to the hill while it is not known who Montgomery will counter with at this time. The Braves On Deck Circle powered by Nextel starts off the broadcast at 6:05pm on SuperSport 930 (WSFZ-AM-930).

BRAVES BITES:

*This is the second game to be postponed due to rain this season for the Braves. There will be no makeup date since the two teams do not meet again in the first half.

by
Bryan Eubank

Braves Respond & Even Up Series

Carlos Duran’s pinch-hit RBI groundout in the top of the sixth gave the Braves a 2-1 advantage they would not relinquish as the Braves evened up their five-game series with Mobile at two games apiece in front of 4,267 at Hank Aaron Stadium.

Matt Wright, Ryan Basner and Manny Acosta combined to limit the BayBears to four hits and only one run, while striking out thirteen to give the Braves their tenth win on the season.

Braves' starter Matt Wright, (5.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 7 K) in his first start of the season, allowed two walks in the first which led to the BayBears only run in the game on a Brett Bonvechio RBI single. After that, Wright faced one batter over the minimum getting a double play and six of his seven strikeouts.

BayBears starter, Jose Oyervidez (5.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 6 K, 3 WP, 1HB) pitched around three walks and three wild pitches but couldn’t pitch around Matt Esquivel’s mammoth leadoff homerun in the fourth that tied the game at 1-1. He was removed after throwing 90 pitches in 5 innings. Jarrod Saltalamacchia was the only Braves position starter to not get a hit tonight (0-5) which also stopped his current hit streak at 5 games.

The Braves and BayBears wrap up their five-game series starting Sunday afternoon at 2:05pm. LHP Chris Waters (2-0, 2.35 ERA) takes the mound for Mississippi while Mobile counters with LHP Sean Thompson (0-2, 4.87 ERA) in search of his first win. The Braves On Deck Circle powered by Nextel starts off the broadcast at 1:05pm on SuperSport 930 (WSFZ-AM-930).

BRAVES BITES:

*Jarrod Saltalamacchia had his five-game hitting streak come to an end. He was batting 7-20 (.350) during the streak.
*The Braves left 10 men on base for the second consecutive night.
*Michael Rosamond continued his hitting streak with an infield single in the eighth - (5-16, .313)
*Carl Loadenthal broke out of an 0-15 slump with a double in the sixth
*Eddie Perez got his third night off in a row.
*The Braves are now 7-0 when leading after 8 Innings.
*The Braves are in search of just their second series win. The first was also against Mobile (3-2).

by
Bryan Eubank

BayBears Return Favor & Shutout Braves

Mobile BayBears third baseman, Brett Bonvecchio led off the second inning with his third homerun of the season and that was plenty for Mobile as five pitchers combined to shut out the Braves 3-0 in front of 3,576 at Hank Aaron Stadium.

The Braves left 10 men on base and went 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position. Braves' starter Francisely Bueno (2.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K) left the game in the third with a shoulder stiffness and got tagged with his second loss of the season. He will be re-evaluated Saturday. The Braves bullpen held Mobile to just one run that scored on a double play in the sixth.

BayBears starter, Jared Wells, threw 5 innings of no-hit ball, but was removed after 90 pitches. Then the BayBears bullpen took over and allowed only two base hits and one base runner past second. The Braves were victimized with hard-hit balls right at the BayBears all night long.

The Braves and BayBears play game four of their five-game series starting Saturday night at 7:05pm. RHP Matt Wright (0-1, 3.86 ERA) gets his first start of the season for Mississippi while Mobile counters with RHP Jose Oyervidez (1-2, 3.74 ERA). The Braves On Deck Circle powered by Nextel starts off the broadcast at 6:05pm on SuperSport 930 (WSFZ-AM-930).

If you're headed to Hank Aaron Stadium, don't forget to bring your radio to the ballpark and tune into the broadcast on the frequency of 104.3-FM exclusively at The Hank.

You can also check out the Braves Minute, which is a 60 second recap of last night's game

BRAVES BITES:
*Joshua Arteaga had his team-high seven game hitting streak come to an end at seven games. He was batting 9-23 (.391) during the streak. He pinch-hit in the ninth and grounded out to short.
*The Braves were held to a season-low two hits in the game.
*Saltilamacchia has now hit safely in five straight games (7-20, .350), while Rosamond has hit safely in three straight games (4-12, .350)
*Carl Loadenthal is mired in an 0-13 slump.
*Eddie Perez got his second night off in a row.
*The Braves are now 0-13 when trailing after 8 Innings.

by
Bryan Eubank

FINALLY: Minor League Umps End Strike

Minor League umpires will be returning to the Southern League soon.

The Professional Baseball Umpire Corporation (PBUC) reached a tentative six-year agreement with the Association of Minor League Umpires (AMLU), the umpiring union, late on Thursday evening.

Financial terms of the deal were as of yet unknown, but a source close to the AMLU believed there would be a bump in salary as well as the per diem for all Minor League umpires, two of the key issues that led to the strike. The union will vote on the deal on Sunday, and the source was confident it would pass.

The results of the vote should be known on Monday, May 1st. If the agreement is ratified, the strikers will be returned to work on or before May 8.

by
Bryan Eubank
(Taken from MiLB.com)

Braves Blank BayBears at The Hank

Madison native Michael Rosamond launched his fourth homerun of the season to lead off the second inning and that proved to be enough as the Braves shut out Mobile 1-0 in front of 1,822 at Hank Aaron Stadium.

Four Braves pitchers combined to leave 10 BayBears stranded on base while Mobile finished 0-11 with runners in scoring position.

Braves' starter Sean White (5.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 3 K) scattered five hits and four walks and left 8 BayBears on base. BayBears’ starter Cesar Carrillo (6.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K) also pitched well for Mobile allowing just the Rosamond homerun in the second.

Both bullpens were strong as Glenn Tucker allowed a leadoff triple in the sixth, but retired the next three batters to prevent a run from scoring. Manny Acosta entered the game with a runner at second and one out and proceded to strike out both batters he faced.

The Baybears staff combined to prevent the Braves from getting a runner past first base for six straight innings (3rd-8th).

The defensive play of the game was probably in the bottom of the eighth when Drew Macias lined out to Rosamond at first and he stepped on the bag to complete a double play.

The Braves and BayBears play game three of their five-game series starting Friday night at 7:05pm. LHP Francisely Bueno (0-1, 3.27 ERA) takes the hill for Mississippi while Mobile counters with righty Jared Wells (2-1, 2.49ERA). The Braves On Deck Circle powered by Nextel starts off the broadcast at 6:05pm on SuperSport 930 (WSFZ-AM-930).

BRAVES BITES:

* Joshua Arteaga broke the current season record as he extended his hitting streak to seven games. He's batting 9-23 (.391) during the streak.
* The Braves dropped their team ERA from 4.11 to 3.92 with the shutout.
* Saltilamacchia has now hit safely in foUr straight games (6-16, .375).
* Escobar is batting (6-9, .667) in his last three games.
* Carlos Duran rejoined the MS Braves after being optioned down from Richmond.
*Barbaro Canizares was sent to the DL with his injured shoulder.
*Dax Norris earned a promotion to Richmond.

by
Bryan Eubank

Braves Roughed Up by BayBears

The Braves and Daniel Curtis were tagged for 6 runs in the first two innings and it was over before it started as the BayBears blew out the Braves 12-3 in front of 1,293 at Hank Aaron Stadium.

The Braves helped out the BayBears with 9 walks and 4 errors in the field as Mobile put the game away early with two huge doubles by Drew Macias as finished with 5 RBIs. The biggest blow came in the sixth as the BayBears erupted for 5 runs off reliever Bryan Digby.

Braves' starter Daniel Curtis (5.0 IP, 7 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 6 BB, 6 K) struggled through the first two innings, but settled down allowing just one run the next three innings. Roger Deago (6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K) pitched brilliantly in just his second start of the season for Mobile.

The Braves and BayBears play game two of their five-game series starting Thursday night at 7:05pm. RHP Sean White (0-2, 5.68 ERA) takes the hill for Mississippi while Mobile counters with righty Cesar Carillo (1-0, 2.86 ERA). The Braves On Deck Circle powered by Nextel starts off the broadcast at 6:05pm on SuperSport 930 (WSFZ-AM-930).

The Braves On-Deck Circle powered by Nextel will start things off at 6:05pm. If you're headed to Hank Aaron Stadium, don't forget to bring your radio to the ballpark and tune into the broadcast on the frequency of 104.3-FM exclusively at The Hank.

You can also check out the Braves Minute, which is a 60 second recap of last night's game

BRAVES BITES:
*Eddie Perez has hit safely in five of the six games he has played in (9-25, .360).
*Michael Rosamond ended an 0-12 slump with an RBI triple in the seventh for his eighth extra-base hit of the season.
*Josh Arteaga kept his current team-high hitting streak alive and extended it to six games. He's batting 8-19 (.421) during his last six games.
*The Braves now have the worst ERA in the league at 4.11, Mobile is ninth at 4.09

by
Bryan Eubank

Braves Start 11-Day, 10-Game Road Trip

The Braves hopped on a bus at 11:30pm Tuesday night and drove to Mobile, AL. The guys enjoyed the magic tricks of Dave Coggin to start the trip. Some fell asleep while the rest of us watched Wedding Crashers with Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson. We arrived in Mobile at around 3am and checked into a different hotel than last year, The Riverview Plaza Hotel. It's nice, but it's undergoing a 55-million renovation and there is currently no internet service. I had to pay for the internet that I am currently using to post this blog. We are in downtown Mobile and I have a great view from the 18th floor.

Though it hasn't been officially released from the MS Braves Office, Martin Prado has been optioned back to the MS Braves as Chipper Jones was reactivated from the DL. He will be a welcome addition to the lineup when he arrives. Also, former MS Brave, Jeff Francouer is now sporting a buzz cut in Atlanta to see if he can break out of his season-opening slump.

COMING SOON ON EUBIE'S BLOG:
Rosamond comes through in the clutch for the off day.

by
Bryan Eubank

Braves Salvage Series Finale

Pearl, MS - The Braves avoided their first series sweep this year with a 4-run sixth inning in front of 2,229 at Trustmark Park. In a game that shifted back-and-forth between the Biscuits and Braves it was the sixth inning that did in Montgomery.

The Braves tried to help out the Biscuits with a 3-error inning in the third as the Biscuits took an early 2-0 advantage. The Braves tied it in the bottom of the frame and never trailed in the game after each completed inning.

Saltalamacchia and Arteaga each drove in 3.

The Braves travel to Mobile, AL to take on the Mobile BayBears in the first game of a five-game series Wednesday night at 7:05pm. RHP Daniel Curtis (1-1, 3.63 ERA) takes the hill for Mississippi while Mobile counters with LHP Roger Deago (2-0, 2.63 ERA). The Braves On-Deck Circle powered by Nextel will start things off at 6:05pm.

If you're headed to Hank Aaron Stadium, don't forget to bring your radio to the ballpark and tune into the broadcast on the frequency of 104.3-FM exclusively at The Hank. If this frequency doesn't work, we will change it up.

You can also check out the Braves Minute, which is a 60 second recap of last night's game.

BRAVES BITES:
* Joshua Arteaga hit safely in every game of the homestand - (7-16, .438) .
* The Braves set a record for stolen bases in a game with 6. They also broke the record for most stolen bases between two teams (8). They also set a record for the most stolen bases allowed against Montgomery.
* Yunel Escobar went 3-4 with 1 RBI.
* The Braves have still not gotten a hit out of the DH position (0-18).
* Willie James collected his first base hit and RBI as a Brave with a RBI single in the seventh.
*Gregor Blanco scored his Southern League leading 18th run of the season. He also drew a single-game team high three walks on the night and stole a season-high three bases.

by
Bryan Eubank

Braves Ruin Great Effort From Basner

The Braves wasted the best outing of Ryan Basner's season by falling to the Montgomery Biscuits 3-2 Monday night in front of 2,768 at Trustmark Park. Ryan Basner (6.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 10 K) struck out 10 Biscuits and pitched 5 perfect innings before the Biscuits finally broke through in the 6th against him tying the game at 1-1.

In the bottom of the 6th the Braves retook the lead on a RBI single by Eddie Perez his fourth straight game with a hit as a MS Brave. The Biscuits came back to tie it in the top of the 7th on a solo homerun by Gabriel Martinez off of reliever Matt Wright.

The Biscuits broke the tie in the ninth with a throwing error by Matt Wright allowing the go-ahead run to score all the way from first in the form of Jason Pridie. Jean Machi pitched a perfect ninth to record his second save of the season.

The Braves also wasted the third homerun of the season by Jarrod Saltalamacchia, which was his first from the right side of the plate.

The Braves and Biscuits play the series finale of the five-game series Tuesday night at 7:05pm. LHP Chris Waters (1-0, 1.59 ERA) takes the hill for Mississippi while Montgomery counters with RHP Chris Flinn (0-1, 6.08 ERA). The Braves On-Deck Circle powered by Nextel will start things off at 6:05pm.

Don't forget to bring your radio to the ballpark and tune into either AM-930 or our Trustmark Park frequency of 104.3-FM.

BRAVES BITES:
* Eddie Perez is batting (.444 - 8-18) since joining the Braves.
* Gregor Blanco leads is now stuck in an 0-7 hole.
* Hitting Streaks - Serrano: 2 games, (2-6, .333) - Perez: 4 games (8-18, .444) - Arteaga: 4 games (5-15, .333),
* 2B Willie James recorded his first hit as a MS Brave.
* The Braves lost their first game when tied after 8 innings.
* Ryan Basner set a new career-high for strike outs in a game with 10 Ks. That also makes two starters in a row with 10 strikeouts
* This also marks the third straight game for the Braves to lose in which they have outhit their opponent.

by
Bryan Eubank

Prado Gets First Big League Hit

Infielder Martin Prado made his first Major League appearance and start in Sunday night's game with Washington.

Prado made the jump from Double-A on Friday, where he had a .302 batting average. The 22-year-old was working on staying relaxed before the game.

"It's the same game," Prado said with a smile. "I'm just going to try to have fun."

Prado delivered in the 8th with a leadoff triple (his first major league hit) that keyed an eventual 3-run inning thanks to Wilson Betemit's 3-run Homerun off of Gary Majewski.

Other former MS Braves Performances: Brian McCann - 1-4 at the plate (.288 season avg), Jeff Francoeur - 0-3 at the plate, HBP (.194 season avg), John Thomson - 6.0 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 5 K (1.31 ERA for the season)

by
Bryan Eubank

Braves Drop 3rd In A Row

The Braves have lost three in a row for the first time this season as they ran into a buzzsaw in Jim Magrane (3-1, 1.88 ERA). Magrane retired the final 11 batters he faced in front of 2,792 at Trustmark Park.

The Braves got a nice outing from lefty Francisely Bueno (0-1, 3.27 ERA) as he struck out 10 Biscuit batters including four straight to start the game. Bueno made one mistake to Ryan Christianson and he deposited the mistake into the Braves bullpen in left field.

The Biscuits padded their lead with a RBI single in the third from Jason Pridie, but Bueno settled in after that and lasted through the 6th. THe Bravs bullpen got the job done of keeping the Biscuits off the board as Schmitt delivered 2 innings of scoreless relief and Will Startup threw a perfect ninth striking out two.

The Braves avoided the shutout thanks to Eddie Perez and his third base hit in the game, a RBI single scoring Grego Blanco. The Braves outhit the Biscuits but still lost 3-1.

The Braves and Biscuits play game four of the series Monday night at 7:05pm. RHP Ryan Basner (0-2, 9.31 ERA) takes the hill for Mississippi while Montgomery counters with LHP Chuck Tiffany (0-1, 3.65 ERA). There will be no Braves On-Deck Circle powered by Nextel due to the Rebel Yell Hotline.

Don't forget to bring your radio to the ballpark and tune into either AM-930 or our Trustmark Park frequency of 104.3-FM.

BRAVES BITES:
* Eddie Perez is batting (.500 - 7-14) since joining the Braves.
* Gregor Blanco leads the Southern League with 16 Runs scored and is tied for second in all of Minor League Baseball
* The Braves did not get a man to second base until the ninth inning.
* Hitting Streaks - Serrano: 2 games, (2-6, .333) - Perez: 3 games (7-14, .500) - Arteaga: 3 games (4-11, .363)
* The Braves also fall to 0-5 when only scoring in one inning.
* The Braves have still not been invloved in a shutout all year.
* Francisely Bueno set a new single-game team-high for strike outs in a game in '06 with 10 Ks on the day.
* Will Startup extended his team-high consecutive scoreless innings pitched streak to 8.2 IP. Dating back to his days in Myrtle Beach, Startup hasn't allowed a run in 10.2 IP.

by
Bryan Eubank

Perez Homers but Braves Lose Both

Eddie Perez homered in his second game as a MS Brave but the solo shot only brought the Braves to within 2 in the second game of the night and the Braves would get no closer as they lost 6-4 to the Montgomery Biscuits in front of 4,480 at Trustmark Park.

The Braves showed some signs of life in the completion of the first game as the Biscuits tossed two errors in the bottom of the ninth allowing the Braves to tie the game at 4-4. The Biscuits, however, used agressive baserunning in the 10th as Elliot Johnson scored all the way from first on a two-out single by Jason Pridie. Then, Salas, who blew the save in the ninth collected win in the tenth by retiring three of the four batters he faced.

The two teams will turn around and play game three of the series Sunday afternoon at 1:05pm. LHP Francisely Bueno (0-0, 1.80 ERA) takes the hill for Mississippi while Montgomery counters with RHP Jim Magrane (2-1, 2.81 ERA). The Braves On-Deck Circle powered by Nextel starts it off on SuperSport 930 at 12:05pm. Also Diamond Gems with George Castle starts at 11:05am as they take a look around the entire world of baseball.

Don't forget to bring your radio to the ballpark and tune into either AM-930 or our Trustmark Park frequency of 104.3-FM.

BRAVES BITES:
* Eddie Perez is batting (.400 - 4-10) since joining the Braves.
* Gregor Blanco has safely hit in four straight games (5-12, .313).
* Blanco also has 9 Doubles good for second in the SL, and 15 Runs scored which leads the league.
* The Braves left 22 men on base in the first two games and 10 of those were in scoring position with two outs.
* The Braves had 10 hits in the second game and only one extra-base hit, the solo homer by Eddie Perez.

by
Bryan Eubank

Braves & Biscuits Postponed in 8th

The Braves are trailing in the first game of the series vs Montgomery, 4-2. After a one hour rain delay, the game was suspended in the bottom of the eighth.

Tonight's game will be concluded at 7:05 pm tomorrow night before the start of tomorrow night's regularly scheduled game. Mississippi is down 4-2 with a runner on first with two outs in the bottom of the eighth. The full nine inning game must be concluded.The Braves and the Biscuits play game two of this series tomorrow night at 7:05 pm. RHP Sean White takes the hill for Mississippi while Montgomery counters with righty Tony Peguero. The Braves On-Deck Circle powered by Nextel starts it off on SuperSport 930 at 6:05pm. Don't forget to bring your radio to the ballpark and tune into either AM-930 or our Trustmark Park frequency of 104.3-FM.

You can also check out the Braves Minute, which is a 60 second recap of last night's game.

by
Bryan Eubank

Eddie Perez Joins the M-Braves

Eddie Perez has joined the MS Braves in the hopes of catching on with a major league team. He suffered last year through tendinitis in his right shoulder. He managed playing in only 16 games last season with the Atlanta Braves where he hit .211 with 2 HR and 6 RBIs. He was given a minor league deal during spring training.

Perez will start tonight at first base for the Braves against the Biscuits. Gametime 7:05pm.

by
Bryan Eubank

CONGRATS: Prado Gets The Call

Well the injury bug has struck the parent club again so that means someone has to go up.

An MRI taken in Atlanta on Thursday morning showed that Braves second baseman Marcus Giles has a sprained ligament in his left middle finger. With shortstop Edgar Renteria likely out until at least Sunday because of a strained left rib cage, the Braves have decided to promote Martin Prado your Mississippi Braves.

Prado marks the first promotion this season directly to Atlanta from Mississippi. It also proves that anytime the M-Braves go to West Tenn someone might get the callup. Last year Brian McCann was called up on June 8th as the Braves were in Jackson, TN on an off day before taking on the D-Jaxx. Blaine Boyer was called up a few days later (6.12) before another game versus West Tenn.

Prado was the easy choice because he was already on the 40-man roster. To make room for Prado, the Braves will send one of their relievers back to Triple-A Richmond. It will likely be Peter Moylan, the right-handed hurler from Australia, who allowed one hit and completed a scoreless inning in his only appearance with Atlanta.

Because they've had three of their starters toss complete games in the span of their past five games, the Braves can afford to go with a 10-man pitching staff for a few days. Their bullpen has worked just five innings since last Friday's game against the Giants.

Compiled by
Bryan Eubank
from Wire Reports

Quick Turnaround For Tonight

The Braves arrived in Pearl this morning at 4:00am and unloaded at the clubhouse before heading home to sleep. This broadcaster got about 90 minutes of sleep because of another coughing attack, a 4 1/2 week old baby that got hungry at about 4:45am, and a 4-year old that was happy to see her daddy at 6am. There is no better feeling than to be missed and loved and I am lucky to have that.

On the way home the Braves watched the 40-year old Virgin with Steve Carell. It was hysterical. We also drove through some nasty thunderstorms that sent the bus rocking back and forth, so needless to say with all of those distractions I got no sleep on the bus.

Come out to the park tonight and see the Braves take on the Biscuits.

by
Bryan Eubank

Braves Water(s) Down the Jaxx

Madison native Michael Rosamond picked up where he left off last night hitting a solo homerun (3) in the seventh to tie the game and then ripping a RBI double down the line in the ninth to give the Braves the lead 3-2 in front of 993 at Pringles Park.

The Braves took the early lead on a solo homerun by Carl Loadenthal (1) in the first. The D-Jaxx grabbed the lead back in the bottom of the fifth with a two-run two-out single by Luis Montanez.

The real story of the night was Pitcher Chris Waters (8.0 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 2, BB, 6 K, 1 HB). The lefty went a season-high eight innings and only gave up two unearned runs to the D-Jaxx in the fifth. The Braves defense helped him out by turning three double plays, all off the bat of Tony Ritchie.

Will Startup pitched the ninth and allowed a leadoff double to Richard Lewis and then proceeded to strike out the side for his first save as a Brave. Startup has not allowed a single run in his 9.2 IP this season in the minors.

Juan Mateo (6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K) had a good outing for the D-Jaxx but got outlasted by Waters.

The Braves start up a new five-game homestand Friday night as the Montgomery Biscuits come to town. The first pitch set for 7:05pm. The Braves On-Deck Circle powered by Nextel starts it off on SuperSport 930 at 6:05pm. Braves RHP Daniel Curtis (1-1, 4.50 ERA) faces off against RHP Andy Sonnanstine (1-1, 3.86 ERA) for the D-Jaxx.

BRAVES BITES:
Saltalamacchia had his 6-game hitting streak come to an end (9-19, .474 avg).
Michael Rosamond is now 3-5 in his last two games with two doubles and a homerun. He also leads the team in homers with 3.
Yunel Escobar pushed his hitting streak to 3 games (5-12, .417)
Gregor Blanco hit his 7th double on the season putting him in second in the Southern League.
The Braves are now 3-0 when tied after 8 innings and 2-1 in the final game of a series.

Don't forget to bring your radio to the ballpark and tune into either AM-930 or our Trustmark Park frequency of 104.3-FM.

You can also check out the Braves Minute, which is a 60 second recap of last night's game.

by
Bryan Eubank

Braves Let One Slip Away

With the Braves one out away from getting out of the eighth inning the Diamond Jaxx scored 3 times to sneak one away from the Braves 6-4, in front of 998 at Pringles Park. The Braves lost their first game this season when leading after 6 innings as Glenn Tucker gave up a two-out two-run double to Jose Reyes in the eighth. The D-Jaxx added another run on a passed ball by Saltalamacchia to provide the final margin.

The Braves took the early lead on a RBI single by Salty in the first scoring Gregor Blanco. The D-Jaxx grabbed the lead back in the bottom of the first with a two-run Homer by the red-hot Micah Hoffpauir, who has gone 9 for 16, (.563 avg) in the series with 3 Homeruns, 2 Doubles, and 8 RBIs West Tenn padded their lead with a RBI Double by Scott Moore in the third.

The Braves responded from the most unlikely of sources as Josh Arteaga blasted his first homer of the season, a two-run shot to left tying the game in the fourth. Saltalamacchia then got a bases-loaded walk to give the Braves the lead 4-3.

Eric Schmitt (optioned from Richmond before the game) wound up taking the loss in relief (2.2 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, 1 HB).

Braves Starter Dave Coggin (5.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 WP) lasted through the fifth and was in line to pick up his first win until the three-run eighth by the D-Jaxx.

BRAVES BITES:
Jarrod Saltalamacchia extended his team-best hitting streak to 6 games (9-19, .474 avg).
Saltalamacchia also added 2 RBIs, giving him the team lead at 9.
Gregor Blanco added to his Southern League lead in Runs Scored (13).
From the bottom of the fourth through the top of the eighth neither team advanced a runner past second base.
Michael Rosamond broke out of a 0-6 slump with a pinch-hit leadoff double in the 9th.

The Braves and D-Jaxx play the final game of the five game series Thursday with the first pitch set for 7:05pm. The Braves On-Deck Circle powered by Nextel starts it off on SuperSport 930 at 6:05pm. Braves LHP Chris Waters (0-0, 3.00 ERA) faces off against RHP Juan Mateo (0-1, 3.60 ERA) for the D-Jaxx. If you're headed to or are already in Jackson, TN then take your radio and tune to 104.3-FM. You can also check out the Braves Minute, which is a 60 second recap of last night's game

by Bryan Eubank

Braves Earn Doubleheader Split

The Braves and Diamond-Jaxx played a Southern League Doubleheader on Tuesday in front of 907 at Pringles Park. The D-Jaxx roughed up Ryan Basner and Macay McBride in Game One en route to their 12-1 win. In Game 2, it was all about survival and timely hitting as the Braves forced extra innings and Gregor Blanco delivered a two-out RBI Double down the left-field line to score Ray Serrano as the Braves went on to win Game Two, 4-2.

The Diamond Jaxx were unstoppable in Game One as Micah Hoffpauir went 4-4 with 6 RBIs on two two-run doubles and a two-run Homerun as well. Hoffpauir added a solo shot in Game Two in his first at-bat. The other great story was Carlos Marmol, a converted outfielder/catcher turned pitcher, as he pitched 5.1 innings and gave up just one run on five hits. He also went 3 for 3 at the plate, with 2 RBIs.

Ryan Basner (1.0 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 1 BB, 2 K) and Macay McBride (1.2 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 WP) both had rough outings in Game 1. Paul Bush and Bryan Digby pitched well in relief. The real story for the Braves pitching staff came in Game Two as Francisely Bueno (5.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K) pitched his first M-Braves game with spectacular results. He also picked up his first hit as a Mississippi Brave.

The Braves and D-Jaxx play game four of the series Wednesday with the first pitch set for 7:05pm. The Braves On-Deck Circle powered by Nextel starts it off on SuperSport 930 at 6:05pm. RHP Dave Coggin (0-2, 6.43 ERA) faces off against LHP Chris Shaver (0-0, 0.00) makes his first start for the D-Jaxx.

BRAVES BITES:
Saltalamacchia extended his team-besthitting streak to 5 games (8-16, .500 avg).
Prado also extended his hitting streak to 5 games (8-18, .444 avg)
The Braves first win last year against West Tenn was also the second game of a Doubleheader.
Will Startup has still not allowed a run in his 6.2 IP on the season.

By Bryan Eubank

D-Jaxx Shut Down Hot Bats

On Opening Night in West Tennessee the fireworks belonged to the Home Team as the D-Jaxx roughed up the Braves 6-2 in front of 2,403 at Pringles Park. The game after the Braves set single-game highs in runs and hits, the Braves were one-hit and held to 5 total hits on the night by the #1 staff in the Southern League.

The Diamond Jaxx took an early lead with a RBI groundout by Carlos Rojas in the second. The Braves came back to tie it in the top of the fourth with a RBI groundout of their own by Jarrod Saltalamacchia. The D-Jaxx, however, responded in the bottom half of the fourth with another run on a drawn in Braves infield to reclaim a lead they would not relinquish.

Sean White ( 4.1 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 4 K, 2 WP, 1 HB) kept the Braves in it early but let it get away from him in the fifth as the D-Jaxx scored two runs on four straight one-out singles. The Braves pen allowed the other two runs in the eighth.

J.R. Mathes (5.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, 1 WP) was the real story on the night as he held the Braves to one base hit, a one-out double by Martin Prado in the first. Atlee, Jan and Rapada combined to throw 3.2 of one-hit, one-run relief.

The Braves and D-Jaxx have a scheduled Doublehader Tuesday with the first game starting at 5:05pm. The Braves On-Deck Circle powered by Nextel starts it off on SuperSport 930 at 4:05pm.

BRAVES BITES:
Of the Braves 5 hits, 3 were doubles and none of them scored.
The Braves were 0-12 with runners in scoring position.
Saltalamacchia picked up 2 more RBIs to push his season total to 6
Salty extended his hitting streak to 3 games (6-13, .462 avg)
Prado extended his hitting streak to 3 games (6-11, .545 avg)
The Braves have still not won on Monday and fall to 1-2 on the first game of a series.
Macay McBride is slated to make his final rehab stint tonight in relief

The Braves will continue the 5-game series on Tuesday at 5:05pm and 7:05pm as the Braves and D-Jaxx hook up for a SL Doubleheader. The Braves On Deck Circle powered by Nextel starts everything at 4:05pm. If you're headed to or are already in Jackson, TN then take your radio and tune to 104.3-FM. You can also check out the Braves Minute, which is a 60 second recap of last night's game.

Also - Congratulations to Phil Stockman for his promotion to Richmond in which he threw two scoreless innings of relief Monday night.

Bryan Eubank
Voice of the MS Braves

Braves Pound BayBears Into Hibernation

The Braves entered the end of their second five-game set of the season again needing to win the last game to clinch the series. The Braves were unsuccessful Monday night as Huntsville routed them 12-5. However, Saturday night the Braves returned the favor, this time to Mobile in 8-1 fashion. The Braves picked up season highs in runs, and hits while posting their largest margin of victory to date. The Braves also raised their team batting average back up to .250. This was the most complete game to date played by these Braves as they executed two hit-and-runs perfectly and they singled Mobile to sleep. Of their 16 hits only two went for extra bases.

BRAVES BITES: Matt Esquivel had a breakout night with a three-run homer in the fourth and five RBIs total. Martin Prado went 4-5 raising his average to .342 and Gregor Blanco became the first Brave to score three times in a game and moved into second place in the Southern League with 8 runs scored. Since going 0-13 to start the season, Salty has gone 7-20 (.350) in his last 7 games, including 5 for 9 (.556) in his last two games.

North Division Co-Leader, West Tenn is up next for the Braves after an off day on Easter Sunday. The Braves will start the 5-game series on Monday at 7:05pm and due to the Rebel Yell Hotline their will be no pregame show. They will also play single games on Wednesday and Thursday at 7:05pm with Tuesday's DH starting at 5:05pm. The Braves On Deck Circle powered by Nextel starts everything at 6:05pm on Wednesday and Thursday and 4:05pm on Tuesday.If you're headed to Jackson, TN then take your radio and tune to 104.3-FM. Check back here to see if that frequency has changed when we get there.

You can also check out the Braves Minute, which is a 60 second recap of last night's game.

Bryan Eubank
Voice of the MS Braves

Salty Wakes Up Braves Bats

Jarrod Saltalamacchia finally had a break-out performance as a MS Brave on Friday night providing more than enough fireworks before the sky was lit up after the game with a spectacular postgame fireworks show. Salty had a 3 for 4 night as he drove in 3, and none bigger than his solo shot in the fifth that gave the Braves back the lead for good 3-2. Salty had his first multi-hit game and multi-RBI game of the season as the Braves scored in five different innings.

The Braves also had an outstanding relief performance from Will Startup as he went 2.2 IP and only allowed a walk while striking out five. The Braves went with a revised lineup which seemed to work tonight although ironically Blanco (who had collected 4 of the previous 6 Braves hits) went hitless on the night but did collect a walk. The Braves pitching staff returned the previous night's favor of 12 Ks by Mobile with 13 of their own.

Both teams head into Saturday night's rubber match with identical 4-5 records. The Braves On Deck Circle powered Nextel starts everything off at 6:05pm with the first pitch following at 7:o5pm. Don't forget to bring your radio to the ballpark and tune into either AM-930 or our Trustmark Park frequency of 104.3-FM.

You can also check out the Braves Minute, which is a 60 second recap of last night's game.

Bryan Eubank
Voice of the MS Braves

Braves Bats Remain in Silent Mode

The Braves lost their second straight against the BayBears Thursday night in front of 3,192 at Trustmark Park. And if it was possible, the Braves bats were worse than last night. Tonight Gregor Blanco was the ONLY Brave to get a hit as he went 2-4 raising his season average to .407. He also picked up his Southern League leading 4th double on the night,and scored the Braves only run in the game. Mobile rocked the Braves bullpen for 6 runs on 6 hits in 6.2 innings. Macay McBride made another rehab start facing the minimum in the first.

The Braves now fall to 1-3 when scoring first in the game. They also had their team batting average drop from 255 entering the series to .221 after their two-hit performance tonight.

Game 4 of the 5-game series is Friday night as the Braves On Deck Circle powered Nextel starts everything off at 6:05pm with the first pitch following at 7:o5pm. It's SuperSport 930 night at the ballpark as the Fireworks Show and the 2005 Team Card Set Givewawy is brought to you by SuperSport 930. Don't forget to bring your radio to the ballpark and tune into either AM-930 or our Trustmark Park frequency of 104.3-FM.

You can also check out the Braves Minute, which is a 60 second recap of last night's game.

Bryan Eubank
Voice of the MS Braves

M-Braves Bats Fall Silent in Game 2

The Braves were looking for their second win against the BayBears Wednesday night but could not find any consistent offense. In two of the first three innings the Braves (Blanco & Prado) collected 4 hits but only scored once as they bounced into a pair of double plays. Ryan Basner (0-1, 4.15 ERA) threw 4 no-hit innings and then gave up 3 runs on 5 hits in the fifth. The bullpens for both teams allowed nothing else across as the Braves lost 3-1 to Mobile and the BayBears ended a 4-game losing streak. Gregor Blanco and Martin Prado were the lone bright spots in an otherwise dismal performance offensively for the Braves. Blanco went 2-3 with a walk and a run scored while raising his average to a team leading .391. Prado went 2-4 raised his average to .294. Stockman and Tucker threw 4.1 innings of scoreless relief.

Game 3 of the 5-game series is Thursday night as the Braves On Deck Circle powered Nextel starts everything off at 6:05pm with the first pitch following at 7:o5pm. Don't forget to bring your radio to the ballpark and tune into either AM-930 or our Trustmark Park frequency of 104.3-FM.

You can also check out the Braves Minute, which is a 60 second recap of last night's game.

Bryan Eubank
Voice of the MS Braves

First Post - Braves Win in Walk-Off Fashion, 5-4

The Mississippi Braves have started off a little slow at 3-3, but last night's heroics by Madison native, Michael Rosamond may be just what the doctor ordered for this team. In a game in which the Braves struggled for offense, they got the breaks in the game for once including a two-base error charged to Drew Macias which scored two runs and tied the game for the Braves in the bottom of the eighth. Then in the ninth with one out, Michael Rosamond hit the first pitch he saw into the left field berm for a walk-off win, 5-4. Tonight the Braves take on the BayBears in game two of the series and it should be just as exciting. The Braves On Deck Circle powered Nextel starts everything off at 6:05pm with the first pitch following at 7:o5pm. Don't forget to bring your radio to the ballpark and tune into either AM-930 or our Trustmark Park frequency of 104.3-FM. Thanks and feel free to leave your comments below.

Bryan Eubank
Voice of the MS Braves