Braves Give One Away to BayBears: L, 4-3

The Mobile BayBears rode a pair of two-run homers to victory Monday night over the League Leading Mississippi Braves in front of 4,366 fans at Hank Aaron Stadium. Chris Rahl belted his 2nd Homerun of the season in the 5th to tie the game and Javier Brito launched his 2nd Homerun of the season, to take the lead in the bottom of the 8th. The Braves and Barons both lost so their lead stays at 3 1/2 games in the South Division.

The Braves (17-7) finished their best April in their 3-year history in Mississippi with 17 wins. It was also their second best month on record as they finished with 18 wins in the May of 2005.

It was billed as a pitcher's duel as both starters came in with sub 2.00 ERA's but neither factored in the decision as the BayBears (12-12) stole one away from the Braves. BayBears starter Matt Green (3-0, 1.61 ERA) gave up all 3 runs and both homers in his seven innings of work. He did avoid giving up a walk while striking out 9 Braves batters. Braves starter Dan Smith (3-1, 1.95 ERA) was a little erratic at times doubling his walk total for the season while striking out 5 and giving up the first two-run homerun to Rahl. The Braves ERA rose back to 2.45 but they still remain in first in the Southern League ahead of Birmingham - 2.72 ERA.

Matt Esquivel claimed the RBI lead with his solo shot in the 2nd inning, only to see Brandon Jones tie him back up in the 6th inning with his line-drive homer off the right field wall. It was the second time Esquivel has homered in back-to-back games. The other Braves run came in the 5th as Greg Creek and Diory Hernandez belted back-to-back doubles to score Creek.

Brandon Jones was the Braves Player of the Game as he finished the game 1-for-4 with a solo HR ending a 0-13 hitless streak and breaking a 2-2 tie in the 6th inning. Diory Hernandez had his fifth straight 2-hit game and raised his batting average to a team-best .400. Greg Creek also had a 2-hit performance.

The Braves will continue a ten-day road trip with a five game set in Mobile, Alabama at Hank Aaron Stadium as they take on the Mobile BayBears, the AA Affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks, in the Final Game of their Southern League Series. The Braves On Deck Circle presented by Wendy's will start things off at 11:05am (CT), while the First Pitch will follow at 11:35am (CT). The Braves are scheduled to send LHP Kelvin Villa (2-1, 3.72 ERA) to the hill in search of his third win, while the BayBears will counter with RHP Osbeck Castillo (1-0, 5.84 ERA) who is seeking his second victory as well. Make sure you take your radio to the game and tune to the exclusive Hank Aaron Stadium frequency - 104.3-FM.

Check out the Braves Minute here. To catch an archived version of tonight's game or any previous MS Braves game head to Minor League Baseball.com and select the day you want to hear.

GAME TIME: 2:25 --- ATTENDANCE: 4,366

BRAVES BITES:
* The Braves fall to 8-6 on the road.
* The Braves fall to 12-6 when scoring first.
* The Braves fell to 4-4 when allowing a homerun.
* The Braves fell to 10-2 when hitting a homerun.
* The Braves fall to 14-2 when leading after seven innings.
* The Braves had their 9th multi-homer game of the season. They are 2nd in the League with 23 HRs.
* The Braves registered 8 more strikeouts on the mound.(Performance Sports Academy K's for Kids Total: $190 to the Blair E. Batson Children's Hospital)

ACTIVE HIT STREAKS (3 games or more):
* Matt Esquivel - 3 games - (5-10, .500)
* Carl Loadenthal - 6 games - (9-23, .391)
* Diory Hernandez - 6 games - (11-21, .524)

HIT STREAKS ENDED:
* Van Pope - 3 games - (3-12, .250)

HITLESS STREAKS ENDED
* Brandon Jones (0-13) - (Solo Homerun in 6th)

ACTIVE HITLESS STREAKS (More than 0-4)
* Brent Lillibridge (0-5)
* Jarrod Saltalamacchia (0-9)
* Fernando Lunar (0-11) - Did Not Play
* Josh Burrus (0-12) - Pinch Hit in the 9th

TRANSACTIONS:
* Jonathan Schuerholz was promoted to AAA Richmond.
* Mike Rozema was promoted from High A Myrtle Beach.
(These are due to the promotion of Willie Harris to Atlanta, after the Ryan Langerhans trade to Oakland)

by
Bryan Eubank

Braves Get Back in Win Column: W, 5-2

The Braves wasted little time getting back in the win column as they took care of the BayBears 5-2 in front of a Sunday afternoon crowd of 2,902 at Hank Aaron Stadium. The Braves (17-6) avoided their first ever two-game losing streak by riding the bat of Matt Esquivel and the arm of new MS Brave Brad Nelson (1-0, 2.70 ERA). With the win the Braves pushed their lead back to to 3 1/2 games in the South Division over the Birmingham Barons.

Braves starter Francisely Bueno (0-1, 4.15 ERA) was chased out of the ballgame in the first inning as Mark Reynolds belted a ball off the lower back of Bueno. He wanted to stay in the game but the coaching staff took him out for precautionary purposes. Brad Nelson made his first AA appearance in fine fashion limiting the BayBears (11-12) to just one run on 3 hits while picking up his first win as well.

Matt Esquivel was the story offensively as he scored his first three times to the plate on a walk, single and his
5th Homerun of the season, which came with two outs in the 5th inning. He is now tied with Brandon Jones with 17 RBIs. The Braves got another long ball in the 7th inning as Brent Lillibridge belted his first homer of the season to lead off the frame and complete the scoring for the Braves.

Ryan Basner and Zach Schreiber kept the BayBears off the scoreboard and kept their ERA's unblemisehd. Joey Devine tossed a perfect 9th inning for his League Leading 5th save of the season. The Braves ERA fell back to 2.38 and they moved back into first in the Southern League ahead of Birmingham - 2.58 ERA.

Matt Esquivel was the Braves Player of the Game as he finished the game 2-for-3 with a solo HR and 3 runs scored. Diory Hernandez had his fourth straight 2-hit game and raised his batting average to a team-best .383. Lillibridge and Jurich also collected 2-hit performances.

The Braves will continue a ten-day road trip with a five game set in Mobile, Alabama at Hank Aaron Stadium as they take on the Mobile BayBears, the AA Affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks, in the Fourth Game of their Southern League Series. The Braves On Deck Circle presented by Wendy's will not air due to the Rebel Yell Hotline at 6pm (CT), while the First Pitch will follow at 7:05pm (CT). The Braves are scheduled to send LHP Dan Smith (3-1, 1.64 ERA) to the hill in search of his fourth win, while the BayBears will counter with RHP Matt Green (3-0, 0.86 ERA) who is seeking his fourth victory as well. Make sure you take your radio to the game and tune to the exclusive Hank Aaron Stadium frequency - 104.3-FM.

Check out the Braves Minute here. To catch an archived version of tonight's game or any previous MS Braves game head to Minor League Baseball.com and select the day you want to hear.

GAME TIME: 2:43 --- ATTENDANCE: 2,902

BRAVES BITES:
* The Braves improve to 8-5 on the road.
* The Braves fell to 10-1 when hitting a homerun.
* The Braves improve to 5-1 when their opponenet scores first.
* The Braves improve to 14-0 when leading after eight innings.
* The Braves had their 8th multi-homer game of the season. They are now 2nd in the League with 21 HRs.
* The Braves registered 5 more strikeouts on the mound.(Performance Sports Academy K's for Kids Total: $182 to the Blair E. Batson Children's Hospital)

ACTIVE HIT STREAKS (3 games or more):
* Van Pope - 3 games - (3-12, .250)
* Carl Loadenthal - 5 games - (8-19, .421)
* Diory Hernandez - 5 games - (9-18, .500)

HIT STREAKS ENDED:
* Brent Lillibirdge (0-7) - (2-5, HR, Run, RBI)

HITLESS STREAKS ENDED
* Matt Esquivel (0-11) - (2-3, Run, Walk)

ACTIVE HITLESS STREAKS (More than 0-4)
* Brandon Jones (0-11) - Did Not Play
* Fernando Lunar (0-11) - Did Not Play
* Josh Burrus (0-11) - Pinch Hit in the 8th
* Jonathan Schuerholz (0-8) - Did Not Play

TRANSACTIONS:
* NONE

by
Bryan Eubank

BayBears End Braves Streak: L, 6-3

Cesar Nicolas nearly beat the Braves all by himself as he drove in four runs while collecting three hits helping end the Braves season-high 6-game win streak in front of an announced crowd of 5,136 at Hank Aaron Stadium. The Braves (16-6) had their lead over the Barons decrease to 2 1/2 games in the South Division as the Barons beat the Stars for the third straight time at Regions Park tonight.

The Braves scored first in their 17th game this season as Carl Loadenthal reached second base on an error by Ronnie Merrill, was moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Brent Liillibridge and then scored on an RBI groundout by Brandon Jones. The lead was short lived as Cesar Nicholas belted his 2nd Homerun of the season to tie the game in the 2nd frame. The BayBears (11-11) added to their lead with a 3-run 4th inning keyed by a Nicholas two-run single. Nicholas added his final RBI in the 6th by driving in Josh Ford to make it 5-1. The BayBears capped their scoring in the 7th with a sacrifice fly by Mark Reynolds. The Braves tried a 9th inning comeback as Van Pope drove in Saltalamacchia and Esquivel to cut the lead in half. But then Diory Hernandez and pinch-hitter Mark Jurich bounced out to short to end the game.

Jo-Jo Reyes (1-1, 3.04 ERA) suffered his first loss of the season as did the Braves when he pitches. Jose Ascanio tossed 1 2/3 innings giving up just a single run on one hit and two walks. Zach Schreiber tossed a perfect 8th inning in relief as well. The Braves ERA rose to 2.39 and now they are second in the Southern League behind Birmingham - 2.38 ERA.

Esmerling Vasquez (2-2, 3.21 ERA) was brilliant keeping the Braves offense off balance all night while striking out 5 and retiring 11 in a row at one point.

Matt Esquivel was the Braves Player of the Game as he finished the game 2-for-3 and ended an 0-for-11 slump in the process. Diory Hernandez had his third straight 2-hit night and raised his batting average to a team-best .372.

The Braves will continue a ten-day road trip with a five game set in Mobile, Alabama at Hank Aaron Stadium as they take on the Mobile BayBears, the AA Affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks, in the Third Game of their Southern League Series. The Braves On Deck Circle presented by Wendy's will start things off at 1:05pm, while the First Pitch will follow at 2:05pm (CT). The Braves are scheduled to send LHP Francisely Bueno (1-1, 3.38 ERA) to the hill in search of his second win, while the BayBears will counter with RHP Jonthan Castellanos (2-2, 2.70 ERA) who is seeking his third victory as well. Make sure you take your radio to the game and tune to the exclusive Hank Aaron Stadium frequency - 104.3-FM.

Check out the Braves Minute here. To catch an archived version of tonight's game or any previous MS Braves game head to Minor League Baseball.com and select the day you want to hear.

GAME TIME: 2:49 --- ATTENDANCE: 5,136

BRAVES BITES:
* The Braves fell to 7-5 on the road.
* The Braves fell to 12-5 when scoring first.
* The Braves fell to 3-3 when allowing a homerun.
* The Braves fell to 1-5 when trailing after eight innings.
* The Braves registered 8 more strikeouts on the mound.(Performance Sports Academy K's for Kids Total: $177 to the Blair E. Batson Children's Hospital)

ACTIVE HIT STREAKS (3 games or more):
* Carl Loadenthal - 4 games - (7-15, .467)
* Diory Hernandez - 4 games - (7-14, .500)

HIT STREAKS ENDED:
* NONE

HITLESS STREAKS ENDED
* Matt Esquivel (0-11 - (2-3, Run, Walk)

ACTIVE HITLESS STREAKS (More than 0-4)
* Jonathan Schuerholz (0-8) - Did Not Play
* Fernando Lunar (0-11) - Did Not Play
* Josh Burrus (0-10) - Pinch Hit in the 8th

TRANSACTIONS:
* NONE

by
Bryan Eubank

Braves Run Streak to Six Straight, W, 8-2

Brandon Jones' first ever two-homerun night lifted the Braves to an 8-2 victory over the Mobile BayBears in front of a Friday night crowd of 4,490 at Hank Aaron Stadium. The Braves (16-5) increased their win streak to six straight games and are now leading the Barons by 3.5 games in the South Division.

The Braves scored first in their 16th game this season as Greg Creek scored from first on a ball Van Pope drilled under the legs of third baseman, Mark Reynolds. Pope wound up at second on the error. Brandon Jones' first homer of the night came in the next frame as he drilled an 0-2 pitch over the right-center field fence. The Braves added to the lead with a bases-loaded Fielder's Choice RBI by Brent Lillibridge. Then Jones finished off Mobile (10-11) with his 3-run shot which screamed over the right field wall.

Matt Harrison (3-0, 2.45 ERA) took advantage of the offense from the Braves by limiting the BayBears to just 2 hits in his 6 innings of work. He also struck out 3 while giving up 2 walks. Charlie Morton gave up a walk and a double to start the 7th. The first run came into score on a wild pitch while the second run scored on a RBI groundout by Chris Rahl. Michael Nix tossed the final two innings of scoreless relief. He did allow two hits and a walk in the 9th, but induced a double play and caught Wilkin Castillo looking with the bases loaded to end the game. The Braves lowered their team ERA down to a Southern League Leading 2.26.

Chris Kinsey (0-3, 6.12 ERA) gave up the two homeruns to Jones but retired the final 5 batters he faced after that to end his night. Matt Wilkinson gave up the two-run single to Diory Hernandez in the 8th to give the Braves back their 6-run lead.

Brandon Jones was the Player of the Game as he finished the game 2-for-4 with 2 Runs scored and 4 RBIs. He is now tied with Matt Esquivel for the team lead in RBIs (16). Carl Loadenthal, Greg Creek and Diory Hernandez also had two-hit nights. Hernandez raised his batting average to a team-best .359. Jarrod Saltalamacchia's team high hit streak ended at 9 games with an 0-for-5 performance.

The Braves will continue a ten-day road trip with a five game set in Mobile, Alabama at Hank Aaron Stadium as they take on the Mobile BayBears, the AA Affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks, in the Second Game of their Southern League Series. The Braves On Deck Circle presented by Wendy's will start things off at 6:05pm, while the First Pitch will follow at 7:05pm (CT). The Braves are scheduled to send LHP Jo-Jo Reyes (1-0, 1.69 ERA) to the hill in search of his second win, while the BayBears will counter with RHP Esmerling Vasquez (1-2, 4.09 ERA) who is seeking his second victory as well. Make sure you take your radio to the game and tune to the exclusive Hank Aaron Stadium frequency - 104.3-FM.

Check out the Braves Minute here. To catch an archived version of tonight's game or any previous MS Braves game head to Minor League Baseball.com and select the day you want to hear.

GAME TIME: 2:50 --- ATTENDANCE: 4,490

BRAVES BITES:
* The Braves improved to 7-4 on the road.
* The Braves improved to 12-4 when scoring first.
* The Braves improved to 4-1 in the series opener.
* The Braves improved to 9-1 when hitting a homerun.
* The Braves improved to 2-1 in the first game of a road trip.
* The Braves improved to 13-0 when leading after eight innings.
* The Braves registered 6 more strikeouts on the mound.(Performance Sports Academy K's for Kids Total: $169 to the Blair E. Batson Children's Hospital)

ACTIVE HIT STREAKS (3 games or more):
* Carl Loadenthal - 3 games - (6-11, .545)
* Diory Hernandez - 3 games - (5-10, .500)

HIT STREAKS ENDED:
* Jarrod Saltalamacchia - 9 games - (14-34, .412) (Team High)

HITLESS STREAKS ENDED
* NONE

ACTIVE HITLESS STREAKS (More than 0-4)
* Jonathan Schuerholz (0-8)
* Fernando Lunar (0-11) - Did Not Play
* Matt Esquivel (0-8)
* Josh Burrus (0-9) - Did Not Bat

TRANSACTIONS:
* RHP Joe Winkelsas promoted to AAA Richmond
* RHP Brad Nelson promoted to AA Mississippi from A Myrtle Beach

by
Bryan Eubank

Braves Sweep Barons Back to B'Ham:W,5-2

The MS Braves pulled off their first-ever 5-game sweep in team history with a 5-2 victory over the Birmingham Barons in front of a Wednesday afternoon crowd of 4,208 at Trustmark Park. The Braves (15-5) increased their lead to four games in the South Division over the Barons (11-9) and Suns (11-9).

The Braves got on the board early as Jarrod Saltalamacchia ripped a two-run double off the first base bag scoring Loadenthal and Lillibridge. The Braves have now outscored their opponents 16-5 in the first inning this season. The Braves have also scored first in 15 of their first 20 games.

Kelvin Villa (2-1, 3.72 ERA) struggled early giving up a two-run homer to Donny Lucy that tied the game in the 2nd. The Braves answered, however, in the bottom of the 2nd as Loadenthal dropped a single down the left field line to score a pair and Mark Jurich hit a Sac Fly to right to bring home the third run of the inning. The Braves outscored the Barons 19-9 in the series. The Barons managed to send more than 4 batters to the plate in just 8 of the 45 innings.

The bullpen for the Braves was lights out once again as Jose Ascanio and Ryan Basner kept the Barons from getting a baserunner in the 6th, 7th and 8th. Joey Devine pitched around a lead-off single thanks to a dynamite double play started by Van Pope for his League-Leading fourth save of the season. The Braves lowered their team ERA down to a Southern League Leading 2.27.

Kris Honel (1-1, 4.61 ERA) lasted just 3 innings giving up all 5 runs on 5 hits while walking a batter and hitting a batter and striking out 5. The Barons bullpen was solid pitching 5 scoreless innings of relief to keep the Barons in the game.

Carl Loadenthal was the Player of the Game as he finished the game 3-for-4 with 2 Runs scored and 2 RBIs. Brent Lillibridge had a great game going 3-for-3 at the plate while scoring once and drawing a walk to reach base safely all 4 times he came to the plate. Diory Hernandez raised his batting average to .343 with a 2-for-3 performance. And finally Jarrod Saltalamacchia's first inning single improved his team high hit streak to 9 games.

The Braves will enjoy an off day on Thursday and start up a ten-day road trip with a five game set in Mobile, Alabama at Hank Aaron Stadium as they take on the Mobile BayBears, the AA Affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks, in the First Game of their Southern League Series. The Braves On Deck Circle presented by Wendy's will start things off at 6:05pm, while the First Pitch will follow at 7:05pm (CT). The Braves are scheduled to send LHP Matt Harrison (2-0, 3.20 ERA) to the hill in search of his third win, while the BayBears will counter with RHP Chris Kinsey (0-2, 5.68 ERA) who is seeking his first victory. Make sure you take your radio to the game and tune to the exclusive Hank Aaron Stadium frequency - 104.3-FM.

Check out the Braves Minute here. To catch an archived version of tonight's game or any previous MS Braves game head to Minor League Baseball.com and select the day you want to hear.

GAME TIME: 2:28 --- ATTENDANCE: 4,208

BRAVES BITES:
* The Braves improved to 9-1 at Trustmark Park.
* The Braves improved to 3-1 in three-run games.
* The Braves improved to 11-4 when scoring first.
* The Braves improved to 3-1 in the series finale.
* The Braves improved to 3-2 when allowing a homerun.
* The Braves improved to 2-0 in the last game of a homestand.
* The Braves improved to 12-0 when leading after eight innings.
* The Braves had their streak of at least one extra base in every game end.
* The Braves registered 6 more strikeouts on the mound.(Performance Sports Academy K's for Kids Total: $163 to the Blair E. Batson Children's Hospital)

ACTIVE HIT STREAKS (3 games or more):
* Jarrod Saltalamacchia - 9 games - (14-34, .412) (Team High)

HIT STREAKS ENDED:
* Greg Creek - 7 games - (10-24, .417) - (0-4)
* Mark Jurich - 7 games - (10-24, .417) - (0-2)

HITLESS STREAKS ENDED
* NONE

ACTIVE HITLESS STREAKS (More than 0-4)
* Jonathan Schuerholz (0-7) - Did Not Play
* Fernando Lunar (0-11)
* Josh Burrus (0-9) - Did Not Bat

TRANSACTIONS:
* NONE

by
Bryan Eubank

Smith & Salty Push Streak to Four: W, 4-1

Dan Smith tossed 7 effective innings while Jarrod Saltalamacchia collected his second 2-Homer game of the season to propel the Braves to their fourth straight win over the Barons in front of a Tuesday night crowd of 3,287 at Trustmark Park. The Braves (14-5) increased their lead to three games in the South Division over the Barons (11-8) and they will go for the sweep Wednesday morning at 11:05am(CT).

Dan Smith (3-1, 1.64 ERA) was the story for the Braves as he limited the Barons to 4 hits in his seven innings of work. The only run he allowed was in the first inning and it was a bizarre one. Robert Valido popped up a shot just to Smith's left and Greg Creek dove for the ball but couldn't come up with it and he reached. He then stole second and scored two batters later on a two-out double by Cory Aldridge. The Braves have outscored the Barons 14-7 in the first four games of the series.

Michael Nix tossed a scoreless 8th while Zach Schreiber tossed the ninth for his third save of the season. The Braves lowered their team ERA back down to a Southern League Leading 2.28.

Wes Whisler (0-2, 2.45 ERA) was the hard luck loser as he yielded two runs (only one earned) in 5 innings of work. Fernando Hernandez and Mississippi native, Dewon Day both gave up a solo homerun to Jarrod Saltalamacchia, which were his 5th and League-Leading 6th of the season.

Van Pope tripled to lead off the 5th inning and was brought home on a Diory Hernandez one-out single. It was the 8th RBI in 10 games for Hernandez. The Braves finished 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position while the Barons were 1-for-6 in the same category.

The Braves will wrap up a five game set in Pearl, Mississippi at Trustmark Park as they take on the Birmingham Barons, the AA Affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, in the Final Game of their Southern League Series. The Braves On Deck Circle presented by Wendy's will not air due to Max'd Out wth Max Howell, while the First Pitch will follow at 11:05am (CT). The Braves are scheduled to send LHP Kelvin Villa (1-1, 3.77 ERA) to the hill in search of his second win, while the Barons will counter with RHP Kris Honel (1-0, 1.69 ERA) who is seeking his second victory. Make sure you take your radio to the game and tune to the exclusive Trustmark Park frequency - 104.3-FM.

Check out the Braves Minute here. To catch an archived version of tonight's game or any previous MS Braves game head to Minor League Baseball.com and select the day you want to hear.

GAME TIME: 2:11 --- ATTENDANCE: 3,287

BRAVES BITES:
* The Braves improved to 2-2 in two-run games.
* The Braves improved to 8-1 at Trustmark Park.
* The Braves improved to 2-1 in three-run games.
* The Braves improved to 8-1 when hitting a homerun.
* The Braves improved to 11-0 when leading after eight innings.
* The Braves improved to 4-1 when when their opponent scores first.
* The Braves have at least one extra base hit in every game this season.
* The Braves registered 9 more strikeouts on the mound.(Performance Sports Academy K's for Kids Total: $157 to the Blair E. Batson Children's Hospital)

ACTIVE HIT STREAKS (3 games or more):
* Jarrod Saltalamacchia - 8 games - (13-31, .419) (Team High)
* Mark Jurich - 7 games - (10-24, .417) - DNP
* Greg Creek - 7 games - (10-24, .417)

HIT STREAKS ENDED:
* NONE

HITLESS STREAKS ENDED
* Matt Esquivel (0-16) - (2-4, 2B, Run, SB)

ACTIVE HITLESS STREAKS (More than 0-4)
* Jonathan Schuerholz (0-7)
* Fernando Lunar (0-7)
* Josh Burrus (0-9)

TRANSACTIONS:
* NONE

by
Bryan Eubank

Braves Win Pitchers Duel & Series: W, 2-0

Jarrod Saltalamacchia rapped a one-out RBI double in the bottom of the seventh off Jack Egbert to break a scoreless tie and send the Braves to their third straight win in front of a Monday night crowd of 2,482 at Trustmark Park. The Braves (13-5) increased their lead to two games in the South Division over the Barons (11-7). They also secured their fourth straight series win to start the season.

Righty Jack Egbert (0-1, 1.80 ERA) was the story for the Barons as he handcuffed the Braves retiring 17 in a row before Brandon Jones reached on a one-out walk in the 7th. Saltalamacchia wasted no time ripping the first pitch he saw down the right field line as Jones scored all the way from first base on a great slide under the tag of Donny Lucy. Mark Jurich followed two batters later with an RBI double of his own scoring Salty and extending the Braves lead to 2-0.

Charlie Morton tossed 2 1/3 innings of scoreless relief...Joe Winkelsas added to his scoreless string to start the season with a scoreless 8th inning...Joey Devine tossed the ninth for his third save of the season while facing the minimum thanks to a game-ending 4-6-3 double play. It was the Braves league-tying third shutout of the season. They lowered their team ERA back down to 2.35.

The Braves finished 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position while the Barons were 0-for-3 in the same category.

The Braves will continue a five game set in Pearl, Mississippi at Trustmark Park as they take on the Birmingham Barons, the AA Affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, in Game Four of their Southern League Series. The Braves On Deck Circle presented by Wendy's will start things off at 6:05pm, while the First Pitch will follow at 7:05pm (CT). The Braves are scheduled to send LHP Dan Smith (2-1, 1.80 ERA) to the hill in search of his team-leading third win, while the Barons will counter with LHP Wes Whisler (0-1, 2.65 ERA) who is seeking his first victory. Make sure you take your radio to the game and tune to the exclusive Trustmark Park frequency - 104.3-FM.

Check out the Braves Minute here. To catch an archived version of tonight's game or any previous MS Braves game head to Minor League Baseball.com and select the day you want to hear.

GAME TIME: 2:10 (Shortest of the Season) --- ATTENDANCE: 2,482

BRAVES BITES:
* The Braves improved to 3-1 in shutouts.
* The Braves improved to 2-2 in two-run games.
* The Braves improved to 7-1 at Trustmark Park.
* The Braves improved to 10-4 when scoring first.
* The Braves improved to 10-0 when leading after eight innings.
* The Braves improved to 10-0 when leading after eight innings.
* The Braves have at least one extra base hit in every game this season.
* The Braves registered 11 more strikeouts on the mound.(Performance Sports Academy K's for Kids Total: $148 to the Blair E. Batson Children's Hospital)

ACTIVE HIT STREAKS (3 games or more):
* Jarrod Saltalamacchia - 7 games - (11-27, .407)
* Mark Jurich - 7 games - (10-24, .417)
* Greg Creek - 6 games - (9-21, .429) - DNP

HIT STREAKS ENDED:
* Brent Lillibridge - 3 games - (6-12, .500)

HITLESS STREAKS ENDED
* Carl Loadental (0-11) - (1-4, 1B)

ACTIVE HITLESS STREAKS (More than 0-4)
* Diory Hernandez (0-5)
* Matt Esquivel (0-16)
* Josh Burrus (0-5)

TRANSACTIONS:
* NONE

by
Bryan Eubank

Lillibridge Lifts Braves in 11th: W, 6-5 (11)

Brent Lillibridge smashed a bases-loaded RBI single past Birmingham closer, and Jackson, MS native, Dewon Day as the Braves (11-5) scored two runs in the bottom of the eleventh to steal a win away from the Barons (11-5) in front of a season high crowd of 4,905 at Trustmark Park. With the win the Barons and the Braves are back in a tie for 1st place in the South Division.

Lefty Matt Harrison (2-0, 3.20 ERA) had a rough night at the office as he failed to make it out of the 4th inning while giving up 4 runs on 6 hits and a season-high 3 walks. The Braves bullpen kept the Barons at bay not allowing a single run until the Barons manufactured one in the 11th. In fact the bullpen didn't allow a runner past second base from the 4th through the 10th innings. Jose Ascanio and Joe Winkelsas combined to toss 5 1/3 innings of scoreless two-hit relief.

The Braves got on the board first as Loadenthal and Creek started the 1st and 2nd innings with lead-off walks. Loadenthal was brought home on an RBI groundout by Brandon Jones, while Creek came home on an infield single by Diory Hernandez as Jeremy West was appealing a call at first base.

Matt Harrison aided the Barons comeback in the 3rd as he allowed all four runs to score on two outs in the 3rd inning. The Braves battled back to tie it with an RBI infield single by Diory Hernandez in the 4th inning and an RBI single by Brent Lillibridge in the 7th inning.

The Barons took the lead in the top of the 11th inning as Ricardo Ninita drew a lead off walk then moved to 2nd on a sacrifice by Jeremy Frost. Frost was safe at first on an error by Saltalamacchia and then another sac bunt by Michael Myers moved both runners up a bag. Then Jason Bourgeois delivered a sac fly to drive in the go-ahead run. The Braves rally started with a one-out walk to Van Pope and then Mark Jurich reached on an error by 3B Chris Kelly. Diory Hernandez looked to have won the game until his double down the right field line was interfered with and only one run was allowed to score. An intentional walk to Carl Loadenthal loaded the bases and set up the dramatics for Lillibridge.

The Braves finished 5-for-12 with runners in scoring position , while the Barons went just 3-for-11 in that same category.

The Braves will continue a five game set in Pearl, Mississippi at Trustmark Park as they take on the Birmingham Barons, the AA Affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, in Game Two of the Southern League Series. The Braves On Deck Circle presented by Wendy's will start things off at 12:05pm, with the First Pitch to follow at 1:05pm (CT). The Braves are scheduled to send LHP Jo-Jo Reyes (0-0, 1.88 ERA) to the hill in search of his first win, while the Barons will counter with LHP Gio Gonzalez (3-0, 1.17 ERA) looking to stay perfect on the year. Make sure you take your radio to the game and tune to the exclusive Trustmark Park frequency - 104.3-FM.

Check out the Braves Minute here. To catch an archived version of tonight's game or any previous MS Braves game head to Minor League Baseball.com and select the day you want to hear.

GAME TIME: 3:24 --- ATTENDANCE: 4,905 (Trustmark Park - Season High)

BRAVES BITES:
* The Braves improved to 4-1 in one-run games.
* The Braves improved to 5-1 at Trustmark Park.
* The Braves improved to 9-4 when scoring first.
* The Braves improved to 5-0 when following a loss.
* The Braves improved to 2-1 in extra inning games.
* The Braves improved to 3-1 in the first game of a series.
* The Braves improved to 2-0 in the first game of a homestand.
* The Braves have recorded at least one extra base hit in every game this season.
* The Braves registered 8 more strikeouts on the mound.(Performance Sports Academy K's for Kids Total: $129 to the Blair E. Batson Children's Hospital)

ACTIVE HIT STREAKS (3 games or more):
* Jarrod Saltalamacchia - 5 games - (9-21, .429)
* Mark Jurich - 6 games - (9-21, .429)
* Greg Creek - 5 games - (8-18, .444)

HIT STREAKS ENDED:
* Brandon Jones - 3 games - (5-10, .500)

HITLESS STREAKS ENDED
* Diory Hernandez (0-9) - (3-4, 2B, 3 RBIs)

ACTIVE HITLESS STREAKS (More than 0-4)
* Matt Esquivel (0-9)
* Van Pope (0-6)

TRANSACTIONS:
* NONE

by
Bryan Eubank

Braves Fall Apart in Series Finale: L, 7-5

Sebastian Boucher ripped a two-run single back up the middle off of reliever Joey Devine as the D-Jaxx rallied from a 3-run defecit to come-from-behind to beat the Braves in front of a season high announced crowd of 2,976 at Pringles Park. With the loss and the Barons win the Braves are back in 2nd place in the South Division, a game back of the Birmingham Barons.

It appeared Kelvin Villa (1-1, 3.77 ERA) would pick up his second win of the season as Brandon Jones belted his 2nd Homerun of the season to lead off the 6th and Josh Burrus led off the 7th with his 2nd Homerun to give the Braves a 2-run cushion. The Braves added a 5th run on an RBI single by Brandon Jones which capped the scoring for Mississippi.

The Braves bullpen, entered the night with a 1.94 ERA, imploded in the 8th as the D-Jaxx scored 5 runs on just 2 hits, 4 walks and a hit batsman. Joey Devine (1-2, 3.00 ERA) was responsible for 3 of the 4 walks as he was charged with his 2nd loss of the season.

The Braves (10-5) got the scoring started in the 2nd inning as Greg Creek walked and moved to third on a Mark Jurich single. He came in to score on a wild pitch by starter Joe Woerman. Then the D-Jaxx (6-9) responded with a 2-run Homer by Rene Rivera off of Kelvin Villa. It was just the 3rd Homerun allowed by the Braves this season.

The Braves responded in the 3rd as Brent Lillibridge picked up his 1st triple of the season. He came into score as Esquivel bounced into a Fielder's Choice.

Once again the Braves struggled with runners in scoring position as they finished 2-for-10 in that category, while the D-Jaxx went just 2-for-8 in that same category.

The Braves will start up a five game set in Pearl, Mississippi at Trustmark Park as they take on the Birmingham Barons, the AA Affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, in the series opener. The Braves On Deck Circle presented by Wendy's will start things off at 6:05pm, with the First Pitch to follow at 7:05pm (CT). The Braves are scheduled to send LHP Matt Harrison (2-0, 1.69 ERA) to the hill for his fourth start of the year, while the Barons will counter with RHP Adam Russell (1-1, 2.25 ERA) also in his fourth start of the season. Make sure you take your radio to the game and tune to the exclusive Trustmark Park frequency - 104.3-FM.

Check out the Braves Minute here. To catch an archived version of tonight's game or any previous MS Braves game head to Minor League Baseball.com and select the day you want to hear.

GAME TIME: 3:19 --- ATTENDANCE: 2,976

BRAVES BITES:
* The Braves fell to 8-4 when scoring first.
* The Braves have lost 2 of their last 3 games.
* The Braves fell to 6-1 when hitting a homerun.
* The Braves have at least one extra base hit in every game this season.
* The Braves finished 10-for-45 with runners in scoring position in the series.
* The Braves registered 5 more strikeouts on the mound.(Performance Sports Academy K's for Kids Total: $122 to the Blair E. Batson Children's Hospital)

ACTIVE HIT STREAKS (3 games or more):
* Jarrod Saltalamacchia - 4 games - (8-16, .500) - DNP
* Brandon Jones - 3 games - (5-10, .500)
* Mark Jurich - 5 games - (6-17, .353)
* Greg Creek - 4 games - (6-14, .429)

HIT STREAKS ENDED:
* NONE

HITLESS STREAKS ENDED
* Brent Lillibridge (0-12) - (1-4. 3B, 2 Runs Scored)

ACTIVE HITLESS STREAKS (More than 0-4)
* Diory Hernandez (0-9)

TRANSACTIONS:
* Ryan Basner activated off of Disabled List.
* Michael Nix returned to Myrtle Beach.

by
Bryan Eubank

Braves Clinch Third Series: W, 12-2

The Braves scored 12 unanswered runs to come back and shock the Diamond-Jaxx 12-2 on Thursday night in front of an announced crowd of 909 at Pringles Park. With the win the Braves clinched their third straight series win to start the season and moved into a first place tie with the Birmingham Barons in the South Division.

Dan Smith (2-1, 1.80 ERA) exited after 5 innings trailing 2-0. It looked like he would be tagged with his 2nd loss until the Braves offense finally gave him some run support by picking up 5 runs in the 6th, 4 runs in the 7th and 3 runs in the 8th. Smith's lone loss came to the Carolina Mudcats as the Braves offense was shutout.

The Braves bullpen, which fell apart Wednesday night was solid Thursday night in shutting down any hope of a comeback against the D-Jaxx. Michael Nix and Joe Winkelsas combined to toss four shutout innings while allowing just one hit and striking out three. Winkelsas now leads the league (0.00 ERA) with 13.2 IP without allowing a run.

The Braves (10-4) trailed 2-0 after the 4th inning but got it going in the 6th as 6 of the 10 batters that went to the plate put the first pitch into play. Of those 6 batters only two failed to reach base safely as the Braves collected three straight hits to start the inning. Then the D-Jaxx (5-9) fell apart defensively as they were charged with two errors which allowed three runs to score. The Braves sent 18 batters to the plate in the 6th (10) and 7th (8) innings combined.

Van Pope finally broke out of his 0-for-27 slump with a two-run double in the 4-run seventh inning. Jarrod Saltalamacchia finished 3-for-4 on the night and raised his average to a season high and league-leading .395 clip. Fernando Lunar replaced him defensively in the 7th and picked up a single in his only at-bat in the 8th. Matt Esquivel belted his League-leading 4th homer (3-run HR) of the season in the 8th inning. Brandon Jones picked up his 7th multi-hit game of the season and padded his League lead in hits to 21. Mark Jurich also picked up his first multi-hit game of the year (2-5, 3 RBIs).

The Braves got at least one base hit from 9 of the 10 batters in the lineup and RBIs from five different Braves. They also finished 5-for-12 with runners in scoring position, while the D-Jaxx went just 1-for-7 in that same category.

The Braves have won 10 of their last 13 games and have yet to lose two straight games this season.

The Braves will wrap up their five game set in Jackson, Tennessee at Pringles Park as they take on the West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx, the AA Affiliate of the Seattle Mariners, in the series finale. The Braves On Deck Circle presented by Wendy's will start things off at 6:05pm, with the First Pitch to follow at 7:05pm (CT). The Braves are scheduled to send LHP Kelvin Villa (1-1, 3.86 ERA) to the hill for his third start of the year, while the D-Jaxx will counter with RHP Joe Woerman (0-0, 2.08 ERA) also in his third start of the season. If you're headed to or are already in Jackson, TN then take your radio and tune to 104.3-FM to hear the Braves version of the broadcast.


Check out the Braves Minute here. To catch an archived version of tonight's game or any previous MS Braves game head to Minor League Baseball.com and select the day you want to hear.

GAME TIME: 2:37 --- ATTENDANCE: 909

BRAVES BITES:
* The Braves have won 10 of their last 13 games.
* The Braves improve to 6-0 when hitting a homerun.
* The Braves tied a season high with 12 runs scored.
* The Braves improve to 2-1 when their opponent scores first.
* The Braves have at least one extra base hit in every game this season.
* The Braves are now 8-for-35 with runners in scoring position in the series.
* The Braves registered 8 more strikeouts on the mound.(Performance Sports Academy K's for Kids Total: $117 to the Blair E. Batson Children's Hospital)

ACTIVE HIT STREAKS (3 games or more):
* Jarrod Saltalamacchia - 4 games - (8-16, .500)
* Mark Jurich - 4 games - (5-13, .385)
* Greg Creek - 3 games - (5-11, .455)

HIT STREAKS ENDED:
* NONE

HITLESS STREAKS ENDED
* Jonathan Schuerholz (0-8) - (1-5, R)
* Carl Loadenthal (0-6) - (1-6, 1B)
* Van Pope (0-27) - (1-5, 2R, 2B, 2 RBIs)

ACTIVE HITLESS STREAKS (More than 0-4)
* Brent Lillibridge (0-12)
* Diory Hernandez (0-7)

TRANSACTIONS:
* NONE

by
Bryan Eubank

D-Jaxx End Braves Win Streak: L, 9-1

The Diamond Jaxx used three first inning doubles to take their first lead of their Southern League series with the Braves and they never looked back in their 9-1 win Wednesday night in front of an announced crowd of 824 at Pringles Park.

Francisely Bueno (0-1, 11.57 ERA) was making his first start of the season and he failed to make it out of the 3rd inning after tossing 56 pitches in just 2 1/3 innings of work while giving up 3 runs on five hits. The Braves bullpen, which had been solid all season, fell apart as Jose Ascanio gave up 6 runs on 5 hits as their team ERA rose to 2.21. Charlie Morton and Joe Winkelsas tossed the final 4 innings in scoreless fashion while striking out four and allowing 3 hits and 3 walks.

The Braves (9-4) scored first for the 11th time this season as they loaded the bases with two out before Josh Burrus picked up a walk to score the first run. Van Pope's struggles continued as he grounded into a fielder's choice to end the 1st inning and hit into a double play to end the 6th. He is now 0-for-24 in his last 6 ballgames. The D-Jaxx (5-8) got at least one base hit from all 9 batters in the lineup and RBIs from all but two as they ended a 3-game losing streak in the process. They also finished 7-for-16 with runners in scoring position, while the Braves went 0-for-10 in that same category.

The lone highlights for the Braves were Greg Creek and Jarrod Saltalamacchia picking up 2 hits a piece in the loss. The Braves stayed at #2 in the Southern League South standings with Birmingham's 6-4 loss over Montgomery. The Braves have still won 9 of their last 12 games on the early schedule and will have two more chances to try and take their third straight series of the year.

The Braves will continue their five game set in Jackson, Tennessee at Pringles Park as they take on the West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx, the AA Affiliate of the Seattle Mariners, in Game Four of the series. The Braves On Deck Circle presented by Wendy's will start things off at 6:05pm, with the First Pitch to follow at 7:05pm (CT). The Braves are scheduled to send LHP Dan Smith (1-1, 0.90 ERA) to the hill for his third start of the year, while the D-Jaxx will counter with RHP Doug Fister (1-0, 3.00 ERA) also in his third start of the season. If you're headed to or are already in Jackson, TN then take your radio and tune to 104.3-FM to hear the Braves version of the broadcast.


Check out the Braves Minute here. To catch an archived version of tonight's game or any previous MS Braves game head to Minor League Baseball.com and select the day you want to hear.

GAME TIME: 2:54 --- ATTENDANCE: 824

BRAVES BITES:
* The Braves fall to 8-3 when scoring first.
* The Braves have won 9 of their last 12 games.
* The Braves fall to 1-1 when allowing a homerun.
* The Braves are now 3-for-23 with runners in scoring position in the series as they failed tonight going 0-for-10 in that category.
* The Braves registered 6 more strikeouts on the mound.(Performance Sports Academy K's for Kids Total: $109 to the Blair E. Batson Children's Hospital)

ACTIVE HIT STREAKS (3 games or more):
* Jarrod Saltalamacchia - 3 games - (5-12, .417)
* Mark Jurich - 3 games - (3-8, .375)

HIT STREAKS ENDED:
* Carl Loadenthal - 3 games - (5-15, .333)
* Matt Esquivel - 4 games - (6-16, .375)

HITLESS STREAKS ENDED
* NONE

ACTIVE HITLESS STREAKS (More than 0-4)
* Jonathan Schuerholz (0-6)
* Brent Lillibridge (0-12)
* Van Pope (0-24)

TRANSACTIONS:
* NONE

by
Bryan Eubank

Diory Delievers in Extras: W, 3-2 (12)

Diory Hernandez belted a solo homerun off the top of the fence in the 12th inning to give the Braves a 3-2 win over the Diamond-Jaxx Tuesday night in front of an announced crowd of 1,038 at Pringles Park. After going 0-for-4 in his first AA game, Hernandez has single-handedly dismantled West Tennessee by going 6-for-7 with 2 Homeruns, a double and triple, along with 3 runs scored and 3 RBIs.

Lefty Jo-Jo Reyes (0-0, 1.88 ERA) failed to make it out of the 5th inning for the second time in three starts. The Braves bullpen allowed just one earned run in the 7th inning but gave up nothing the rest of the way as their team ERA dropped to a seaosn low and Southern League best 1.63. Joey Devine (1-1, 1.04 ERA) picked up his first win in relief tossing 2 1/3 scoreless innings as well as inducing the game-ending Double Play.Jeff Bennett and Zach Schreiber combined to toss 5 innings of one-run baseball while striking out 7 and scattering 4 hits.

The Braves (9-3) got it started in the 5th inning as Greg Creek broke out of an 0-for-16 slump with a one-out double. Hernandez hit a triple off the right field wall to score Creek. The D-Jaxx (4-8) answered in the bottom of the 5th as Rene Rivera singled and scored two batters later on a Sacrifice Fly by Boucher. The Braves came back in the 7th inning with another Creek double and Hernandez single to make the score 2-1 in favor of the Braves. The D-Jaxx answered again in the bottom of the 7th with an RBI single by Boucher scoring Valbuena.

The Braves stayed at #2 in the Southern League South standings with Birmingham's 10-1 win over Montgomery. They have now won 4 in a row for the first time this season. Last year it took the Braves 54 games to win 4 in a row. The Braves have also won 9 of their last 11 games on the early schedule.

The Braves will continue their five game set in Jackson, Tennessee at Pringles Park as they take on the West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx, the AA Affiliate of the Seattle Mariners, in Game Three of the series. The Braves On Deck Circle presented by Wendy's will start things off at 6:05pm, with the First Pitch to follow at 7:05pm (CT). The Braves are scheduled to send LHP Francisely Bueno (0-0, 0.00 ERA) to the hill for his first start of the year, while the D-Jaxx will counter with RHP Robert Rohrbaugh (1-1, 6.52 ERA) in his third start of the season. If you're headed to or are already in Jackson, TN then take your radio and tune to 104.3-FM to hear the Braves version of the broadcast.

Check out the Braves Minute here. To catch an archived version of tonight's game or any previous MS Braves game head to Minor League Baseball.com and select the day you want to hear.

GAME TIME: 3:24 --- ATTENDANCE: 1,038

BRAVES BITES:
* The Braves improve to 3-1 in one-run games.
* The Braves have won 9 of their last 11 games.
* The Braves improve to 8-2 when scoring first.
* The Braves improve to 1-1 in extra-inning games.
* The Braves improve to 5-0 when hitting a homerun.
* The Braves are now 3-for-13 with runners in scoring position in the series.
* The Braves registered 10 more strikeouts on the mound.(Performance Sports Academy K's for Kids Total: $103 to the Blair E. Batson Children's Hospital)

ACTIVE HIT STREAKS (3 games or more):
* Carl Loadenthal - 3 games - (5-15, .333)
* Matt Esquivel - 4 games - (6-16, .375)
* Mark Jurich - 3 games - (3-8, .375)

HIT STREAKS ENDED:
* Brandon Jones - 3 games - (6-13, .462)

HITLESS STREAKS ENDED
* Greg Creek (0-16) - (2-5, 2 2B, 2 Runs Scored)

ACTIVE HITLESS STREAKS (More than 0-4)
* Jonathan Schuerholz (0-6)
* Van Pope (0-20)

TRANSACTIONS:
* NONE

by
Bryan Eubank

WIN MS BRAVES TICKETS: Trivia Contest

To win tickets to a future Braves game try your hand at answering the following question correctly. Those who answer correctly will be put into a drawing for 4 tickets to a game in the next Braves Homestand (4.21-4.25 vs Birmingham) at Trustmark Park. Congrats to Donna Black for winning the Question #2.

QUESTION: What is the longest winning streak the MS Braves have put together in their brief three-year existence?

Click here to send in your answer.

PREVIOUS QUESTION: Who finished with the highest batting average over the last two seasons for the MS Braves? (minimum of 300 at-bats)

ANSWER: Scott Thorman (2005 - .305 avg)

by
Bryan Eubank

Braves Rough Up D-Jaxx: W, 9-0

The Braves used three homeruns and eleven strikeouts to cruise past the Diamond-Jaxx 9-0 Monday night in front of an announced Home Opening crowd of 1,385 at Pringles Park. The Braves pitching staff (Team ERA - 1.74) didn't allow a D-Jaxx baserunner past first base all night while striking out six of the last nine batters and inducing two double plays.

Lefty Matt Harrison (2-0, 1.69 ERA) pitched a season-high 6 innings while giving up two hits and two runs. Michael Nix, appearing in his first AA game, struck out 5 of the 6 batters he faced. Charlie Morton finished off the night with a punch-out of Marshall Hubbard punctuating the shutout. It marked the second shutout of the season for the Braves and the third time this season the D-Jaxx have failed to score.

After going quietly in the first, the Braves got the scoring started in the 2nd inning on Matt Esquivel's 3rd homerun of the season driving in Jarrod Saltalamacchia. Esquivel now leads the Southern League with 12 RBIs. The scoring continued on Carl Loadenthal's RBI single which scored Greg Creek, and it wrapped up on the double steal of Hernandez stealing home while Loadenthal took second base.

Diory Hernandez picked up his first AA hit in the 4th inning with a two-out solo homerun to left field. The Braves scored again in the 7th as Diory Hernandez doubled to lead off the inning and scored on Brent Lillibridge's Sac Fly. The Braves kept the barrage going with a two-run homer by Josh Burrus which helped him break out of an 0-for-15 slump. The Braves capped the scoring in the 9th as Lillibridge came home to score on a wild pitch by Jose' De La Cruz.

The only D-Jaxx player to record a hit was Chris Minaker as he finished 3-for-4 on the night. Juan Done was called in early to relieve starter Jason Mackintosh (1.2 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO, 1 HR, 1 HB) and pitched through the 7th.

The Braves stayed at #2 in the Southern League South standings with Birmingham's 10th inning win over Montgomery.

The Braves will continue their five game set in Jackson, Tennessee at Pringles Park as they take on the West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx, the AA Affiliate of the Seattle Mariners, in Game Two of the series. The Braves On Deck Circle presented by Wendy's will start things off at 6:05pm, with the First Pitch to follow at 7:05pm (CT). The Braves are scheduled to send LHP Jo-Jo Reyes (0-0, 2.79 ERA) to the hill, while the D-Jaxx will counter with RHP Andy Baldwin (0-1, 2.45 ERA). If you're headed to or are already in Jackson, TN then take your radio and tune to 104.3-FM to hear the Braves version of the broadcast.

Check out the Braves Minute here. To catch an archived version of tonight's game or any previous MS Braves game head to Minor League Baseball.com and select the day you want to hear.

GAME TIME: 2:25 --- ATTENDANCE: 1,385

BRAVES BITES:
* The Braves have won 8 of their last 10 games.
* The Braves improve to 7-2 when scoring first.
* The Braves improve to 3-1 in errorless games.
* The Braves improve to 4-0 when hitting a homerun.
* The Braves improve to 1-1 on the first game of a road trip.
* The Braves improve to 1-1 on the first game following an off day.
* The Braves finished the night 1-for-4 with runners in scoring position.
* The Braves registered 11 more strikeouts on the mound.(Performance Sports Academy K's for Kids Total: $93 to the Blair E. Batson Children's Hospital)

ACTIVE HIT STREAKS (3 games or more):
* Brandon Jones - 3 games - (6-13, .462)
* Matt Esquivel - 3 games - (5-11, .455)

HIT STREAKS ENDED:
* NONE

HITLESS STREAKS ENDED
* Josh Burrus (0-15) - (1-4, 2-run HR)

ACTIVE HITLESS STREAKS (More than 0-4)
* Jonathan Schuerholz (0-5)
* Greg Creek (0-15)
* Van Pope (0-15)

TRANSACTIONS:
* NONE

by
Bryan Eubank

Brandon Jones: SL Hitter of the Week

The Mississippi Braves announce that M-Braves left fielder Brandon Jones has been named the Southern League Hitter of the Week for the week ending April 15.

Jones hit .415 with three doubles, two triples, a homerun, eight RBI, three stolen bases, and six stolen bases on the week. He is tied for second in the SL with 8 RBI. Of the 41 runs the Braves have scored, Jones has been responsible for 13 of them. He ranks first in the league with 17 hits, third in the league with an average of .415, tied for fourth with six extra-base hits, and tied for first with two triples. He also ranks fifth in the SL with a slugging percentage of .659.

Jones was the M-Braves hero on 4/11 vs. CAR. Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit a solo homer to put the M-Braves on the board, but Jones came through in the bottom of the ninth to get the Braves the win. With no one out and a runner on first, Jones drilled his first homer of the year over everything in right-center field to give MIS a 3-2 win. It was his first homer of the year, his and the team’s first walk-off homer of the year, and his second walk-off homer as an M-Brave. The last person to hit a walk-off homer was Michael Rosamond who did it on 8/26/06 vs. MOB. Jones’ last walk-off homer was in the second game of a doubleheader on 7/20/06 vs. TNS.

Jones was listed as the fourth-best prospect in the organization by Baseball America after hitting .273 with seven homers and 25 RBI through 48 games in Mississippi last year.

by
Nicholas Skinner

Braves Arrive in Jackson, TN

The Mississippi Braves arrived in Jackson, Tennessee around Midnight on Monday morning. The Braves battle the Diamond Jaxx in Game One of a 5-Game set tonight at Pringles Park. The Braves On Deck Circle presented by Wendy's will not air due to the Rebel Yell Hotline. Airtime is set for 7:00pm and the first pitch will follow at 7:05pm.

by
Bryan Eubank

Braves Pinch Cats in Finale: W, 3-1

Mark Jurich delivered a pinch-hit two-run single in the bottom of the fifth to give the Braves a 2-1 lead they would not relinquish en route to a 3-1 win over the Mudcats in front of an announced Saturday night crowd of 3,201 at Trustmark Park. With the win the Braves pitching staff moved into a tie for first in the league in pitching (1.91 ERA).

Jose Ascanio, (1-0, 3.00 ERA) making a spot start, (First ever AA start) tossed 5 innings while allowing just a single run in the 4th. The call of the game was Manager Phillip Wellman pulling Ascanio in the bottom of the 5th with the bases loaded in favor of pinch-hitter Mark Jurich. It was just the second hit of the season for Jurich.

The Braves (7-3) did add an insurance run in the eighth inning when Scott Tyler uncorked a wild pitch with two outs to score Brent Lillibridge from third base.

Joey Devine (0-1, 1.42 ERA) tossed two scoreless innings of relief to notch his first save of the season. Joe Winkelsas (0-0, 0.00 ERA) reached 10 scoreless innings on the season with his 6th and 7th blanking of Carolina (2-8). The M-Braves bullpen allowed five runs through 19.2 innings pitched in this series ... Three of those runs were allowed by one pitcher in one inning of this series ... Minus that inning, the Braves bullpen allowed just two runs through 18.2 IP.

The Braves will enjoy an off day on Sunday and start up another five game set in Jackson, Tennessee at Pringles Park as they take on the West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx, the AA Affiliate of the Seattle Mariners, in the series opener (It's also the home opener for West Tenn). The Braves On Deck Circle presented by Wendy's will not air due to the Rebel Yell Hotline with Stan Sandroni. The broadcast will start at 7:00pm, with the First Pitch to follow at 7:05pm (CT). The Braves are scheduled to send LHP Matt Harrison (1-0, 2.70 ERA) to the hill, while the D-Jaxx will counter with LHP Jason Mackintosh (0-0, 2.25 ERA). If you're headed to or are already in Jackson, TN then take your radio and tune to 104.3-FM to hear the Braves version of the broadcast.

Check out the Braves Minute here. To catch an archived version of tonight's game or any previous MS Braves game head to Minor League Baseball.com and select the day you want to hear.

GAME TIME: 2:20 --- ATTENDANCE: 3,201

BRAVES BITES:
* The Braves improve to 1-1 in two-run games.
* The Braves outscored the Mudcats 19-11 in the series.
* The Braves improve to 1-1 when their opponent scores first.
* The Braves have now followed each loss this season with a win.
* The Braves finished the series 9-for-41 with runners in scoring position.
* The Braves registered 8 more strikeouts on the mound.(Performance Sports Academy K's for Kids Total: $82 to the Blair E. Batson Children's Hospital)

ACTIVE HIT STREAKS (3 games or more):
* NONE

HIT STREAKS ENDED:
* Jarrod Saltalamacchia - 6 games - (9-19, .474)

HITLESS STREAKS ENDED
* Brent Lillibridge (0-6) - (2-3, Run)

ACTIVE HITLESS STREAKS (More than 0-4)
* Jonathan Schuerholz (0-5)
* Josh Burrus (0-12)
* Greg Creek (0-12)
* Van Pope (0-11)

TRANSACTIONS:
* J.C. Holt was placed on the disabled list with a pulled hamstring.
* Diory Hernandez promoted from High A Myrtle Beach.

by
Bryan Eubank

Braves Return Favor & Blank Cats: W, 1-0

One night after being shutout 2-0 by Carolina, the M-Braves returned the favor with a 1-0 blanking of the Mudcats in front of an announced Friday night season-high crowd of 4,536 at Trustmark Park. With the shutout the Braves pitching staff moved up to #2 in the league in pitching (2.02 ERA). Their bats came back to life as well after being held to just 4 hits the night before...the Braves notched 7 hits which bumped them up to #3 in the league in hitting (.255 avg). Brandon Jones and Matt Esquivel both finished 3-for-4 at the plate while Esquivel drove in the only run - his League-leading 10th RBI of the young season.

Kelvin Villa (1-1, 3.86 ERA) picked up his first career AA win with 5 1/3 scoreless innings. He still allowed 6 walks but did strike out 7 Mudcats. Charlie Morton and Jeff Bennett kept the game close allowing Zach Schreiber to toss the 9th for his second save of the season. The Mudcats failed to advance a runner past second base after the 3rd inning.

The Braves will wrap up a five game set in Pearl, Mississippi at Trustmark Park as they take on the Carolina Mudcats, the AA Affiliate of the Florida Marlins, in the series finale. The Braves On Deck Circle presented by Wendy's will start things off at 6:05pm while the First Pitch will follow at 7:05pm (CT). The Braves are scheduled to send RHP Jose Ascanio (0-0, 4.50 ERA) to the hill, while the Mudcats will counter with RHP James Brauer(0-1, 8.10 ERA). The game can be heard locally on SuperSport 930 (WSFZ-AM-930) or exclusively at Trustmark Park on 104.3FM.

Check out the Braves Minute here. To catch an archived version of tonight's game or any previous MS Braves game head to Minor League Baseball.com and select the day you want to hear.

GAME TIME: 2:49 --- ATTENDANCE: 4,536

BRAVES BITES:
* The Braves improve to 2-1 in one-run games.
* The Braves improve to 6-2 when scoring first.
* The Braves finished 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position.
* JC Holt left the game with a pulled hamstring in the 3rd inning.
* The Braves have outscored the Mudcats 16-10 so far in the series.
* This was the second two-hitter the Braves have tossed this season.
* The Braves, so far, have followed each loss this season with a win.
* Jarrod Saltalamacchia's 3 HRs lead the Southern League, while the Braves also lead the League in Team Homeruns (6).
* The Braves registered 10 more strikeouts on the mound.(Performance Sports Academy K's for Kids Total: $74 to the Blair E. Batson Children's Hospital)

ACTIVE HIT STREAKS (3 games or more):
* Jarrod Saltalamacchia - 6 games - (9-19, .474)

HIT STREAKS ENDED:
* JC Holt - 7 games - (13-32, .406)

HITLESS STREAKS ENDED
* Matt Esquivel (0-7)

ACTIVE HITLESS STREAKS (More than 0-4)
* Josh Burrus (0-12)
* Van Pope (0-11)

TRANSACTIONS:
* Francisely Bueno placed back on the temporary inactive list.
* Michael Nix promoted from High A Myrtle Beach.
* Ryan Basner placed on the disabled list.

by
Bryan Eubank

Braves Streak Stops at Three: L, 2-0

Gaby Hernandez (1-1, 2.70 ERA) and two Mudcat relievers combined to throw a four-hit shutout to help Carolina halt a six-game losing streak in front of an announced Thirsty Thursday crowd of 2,459 at Trustmark Park.

The Mudcats scored their first run a somewhat controversial inning-ending play. With runners at the corners and Ryan Bear at the plate, Rex Rundgren attempted to steal second while Bear tried to check his swing on an 0-2 pitch. During the appeal and throw down to second by Saltalamacchia, Jonny Raburn came home to score and Rundgren was tagged out by JC Holt. An appeal on the check swing followed, and the Braves were denied the call as the run held up.

Carolina added an insurance run in the 9th after Frank Moore smoked a single to center that Josh Burrus misplayed and allowed to get by him. Moore advanced to third and came home to score on a Sac Fly by Jai Miller. The Braves got a double by Saltalamacchia to lead off the bottom of the 9th but Kurt Koehler retired the final three batters in order to secure his first save.

The blanking by Carolina marked the first time that the Braves failed to score first in a game and the first time the Braves have been shut out since August 22, 2006.

The Braves will continue a five game set in Pearl, Mississippi at Trustmark Park as they take on the Carolina Mudcats, the AA Affiliate of the Florida Marlins, in the fourth game of the series. The Braves On Deck Circle presented by Wendy's will start things off at 6:05pm while the First Pitch will follow at 7:05pm (CT). The Braves are scheduled to send LHP Kelvin Villa (0-1, 9.00 ERA) to the hill, while the Mudcats will counter with LHP Manu Olivera (0-0, 6.75 ERA). The game can be heard locally on SuperSport 930 (WSFZ-AM-930) or exclusively at Trustmark Park on 104.3FM.

Check out the Braves Minute here. To catch an archived version of tonight's game or any previous MS Braves game head to Minor League Baseball.com and select the day you want to hear.

GAME TIME: 2:40 --- ATTENDANCE: 2,459

BRAVES BITES:
* The Braves fell to 0-1 when their opponent scores first.
* The Braves finished 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position.
* The Braves have outscored the Mudcats 15-10 so far in the series.
* The Braves registered 12 more strikeouts on the mound.(Performance Sports Academy K's for Kids Total: $64 to the Blair E. Batson Children's Hospital)

ACTIVE HIT STREAKS (3 games or more):
* Jarrod Saltalamacchia - 6 games - (9-19, .474)
* JC Holt - 7 games - (13-32, .406)

HIT STREAKS ENDED:
* Brent Lillibridge - 7 games - (9-29, .310)
* Brandon Jones - 7 games - (12-29, .414)

HITLESS STREAKS ENDED
* Mark Jurich (0-13)

ACTIVE HITLESS STREAKS (More than 0-4)
* Matt Esquivel (0-7)
* Josh Burrus (0-6)
* Van Pope (0-7)

TRANSACTIONS:
* Francisely Bueno activated from the temporary inactive list.

by
Bryan Eubank

Braves Steal One From Carolina: W, 3-2

Brandon Jones launched a two-run walk-off homer as the MS Braves snatched Game Two of the series away from Carolina in front of an announced crowd of 3,961 at Trustmark Park on Wednesday afternoon. It was the second walk-off homerun for Jones in a MS Braves uniform.

Brent Lillibridge collected his first base hit of the game with a leadoff infield single to bring Jones to the plate for his game-ending heroics. Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit his 3rd homerun of the season in the 2nd inning to give the Braves an early 1-0 lead. It was erased in the 5th as Jai Miller smashed a two-run shot in the 5th to give the Mudcats their first lead of the series. The homerun by Miller was the first for Carolina this season.

Braves starter Jo-Jo Reyes (0-0, 2.79 ERA) received very little offensive help after yielding the long ball to Miller and wound up with another No Decision. The Braves bullpen was stellar again as Joe Winkelsas (3.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K) and Zach Schreiber (1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 K) held the Mudcats off the scoreboard.

The Braves will continue a five game set in Pearl, Mississippi at Trustmark Park as they take on the Carolina Mudcats, the AA Affiliate of the Florida Marlins, in the third game of the series. The Braves On Deck Circle presented by Wendy's will start things off at 6:05pm while the First Pitch will follow at 7:05pm (CT). The Braves are scheduled to send LHP Dan Smith (1-0, 0.00 ERA) to the hill, while the Mudcats will counter with RHP Gaby Hernandez (0-1, 5.40 ERA).

Check out the Braves Minute here. To catch an archived version of tonight's game or any previous MS Braves game head to Minor League Baseball.com and select the day you want to hear.

GAME TIME: 2:25 --- ATTENDANCE: 3,971

BRAVES BITES:
* The Braves improve to 5-2 when scoring first.
* The Braves finished 0-for-2 with runners in scoring position.
* The Braves have scored first in all seven games of the season.
* The Braves have outscored the Mudcats 15-8 so far in the series.
* Brandon Jones' previous walk-off homerun was on July 20, 2006 against Tennessee.
* The Braves registered 9 more strikeouts on the mound.(Performance Sports Academy K's for Kids Total: $52 to the Blair E. Batson Children's Hospital)

ACTIVE HIT STREAKS (3 games or more):
* Jarrod Saltalamacchia - 5 games - (8-17, .471)
* Brent Lillibridge - 7 games - (9-29, .310)
* Brandon Jones - 7 games - (12-29, .414)
* JC Holt - 6 games - (11-28, .393)

HIT STREAKS ENDED:
* Matt Esquivel - 5 games - (8-20, .400)
* Josh Burrus - 4 games - (4-12, .333)
* Greg Creek - 4 games - (4-12, .333)
* Van Pope - 6 games - (6-24, .250)

HITLESS STREAKS ENDED:
* NONE

ACTIVE HITLESS STREAKS (More than 0-4):
* Mark Jurich (0-11)

TRANSACTIONS:
* Lee Hyde reassigned to Myrtle Beach

by
Bryan Eubank

Braves Pour Salt on Cats : W, 12-6

The Braves scored 6 runs in the 5th inning to pound the Carolina Mudcats into submission in front of a Home Opening Crowd of 2,957 at Trustmark Park. The Braves never trailed in the game, scoring in the first three innings before their 5th inning explosion. It marked the 5th straight game that the Braves have scored in the 1st inning. They added three in the 8th to cap the scoring.

Lefty Matt Harrison (1-0, 2.70 ERA) benefited from the offensive output picking up his first win of the season. Jesus Delgado (1-1, 7.00 ERA) suffered through but never made it out of the 5th inning.

The Braves bats were red hot again as they collected 6 extra base hits out of their 14 total hits inlcuding three long balls. Saltalamacchia got the Home Run Derby started with a solo shot in the 3rd over the Crystal Springs Ford Lincoln Mercury Cafe' and then nearly matched the shot in the 8th. One pitch later, Matt Esquivel launched his 2nd of the season to the left field bullpen as the Braves went back-to-back on consecutive pitches for the first time since McCann and Thorman accomplished the feat on April 20, 2005.

Every player in the lineup collected at least one base hit while three Braves (Jones, Salty, and Esquivel) had multi-hit nights.

The Braves will continue a five game set in Pearl, Mississippi at Trustmark Park as they take on the Carolina Mudcats, the AA Affiliate of the Florida Marlins, in the second game of the series. The Braves On Deck Circle presented by Wendy's will not air due to the early start but the First Pitch will take place at 11:05 AM (CT). The Braves are scheduled to send LHP Jo-Jo Reyes (0-0, 1.93 ERA) to the hill, while the Mudcats will counter with RHP Daniel Barone (0-1, 5.40 ERA).

Check out the Braves Minute here. To catch an archived version of tonight's game or any previous MS Braves game head to Minor League Baseball.com and select the day you want to hear.

BRAVES BITES:
* The Braves improve to 4-2 when scoring first.
* Six of the eight position players scored at least one run.
* The Braves have scored first in all six games of the season.
* The Braves finished 6-for-11 with runners in scoring position.
* The Braves have outscored their opponents 12-1 in the first inning.
* The Braves have now scored in the first inning five straight games.
* All eight position players picked up a hit tonight (2nd straight game).
* The Braves registered 6 more strikeouts on the mound.(Performance Sports Academy K's for Kids Total: $43 to the Blair E. Batson Children's Hospital)
* Saltalamacchia's two-homer game was the first of the season. He was the last Brave to accomplish that feat on July 27, 2006.


ACTIVE HIT STREAKS (3 games or more):
* Jarrod Saltalamacchia - 4 games - (7-15, .467)
* Brent Lillibridge - 6 games - (8-25, .320)
* Brandon Jones - 6 games - (9-25, .360)
* Matt Esquivel - 5 games - (8-20, .400)
* Josh Burrus - 4 games - (4-12, .333)
* Greg Creek - 4 games - (4-12, .333)
* Van Pope - 6 games - (6-24, .250)
* JC Holt - 5 games - (10-24, .417)


HIT STREAKS ENDED:
* NONE

HITLESS STREAKS ENDED:
* NONE

ACTIVE HITLESS STREAKS (More than 0-4):
* Mark Jurich (0-11)

TRANSACTIONS:
* NONE

by
Bryan Eubank

WIN MS BRAVES TICKETS: Trivia Contest

To win tickets to a future Braves game try your hand at answering the following question correctly. Those who answer correctly will be put into a drawing for 4 tickets to a game in the next Braves Homestand (4.21-4.25 vs Birmingham) at Trustmark Park. Congrats to Mark Smith for winning the first question.

QUESTION: Who finished with the highest batting average over the last two seasons for the MS Braves? (minimum of 300 at-bats)

Click here to send in your answer.

PREVIOUS QUESTION: Which MS Brave has collected the most Home Runs all-time as a MS Brave?
ANSWER: Michael Rosamond (2005-9, 2006-15 = 24 Total)

by
Bryan Eubank

Braves Make History With Win: W, 5-1

The Braves used a five-run, six hit first inning to coast to a 5-1 series clinching win over the Huntsville Stars Monday night in front of an announced crowd of 876 at Joe Davis Stadium. Lee Hyde (1-0, 1.80 ERA) was added to the roster today to replace Francisely Bueno and he didn't disappoint as he tossed five innings of two-hit baseball allowing just a 3rd inning run to Huntsville en route to his first AA win in his first AA appearance. This marks the first time the Braves have won their opening series in their brief 3-year history.

The Braves bats were explosive in the first as JC Holt got it started with an infield single. Brent Lillibridge drove him around with a double down the left field line. After Lillibridge stole second during Brandon Jones' strikeout, Jarrod Saltalamacchia punched a single up the middle to make it 3-0. Then Esquivel launched the first pitch he saw over all three fences down the left field line for the team's first homer of the season. Greg Creek capped the scoring as he lifted an RBI double to the right field alley to score Van Pope. The Braves have now outscored their opponents 11-1 in the first inning.

Former Ranger farmhand Sam Narron (0-1, 11.25 ERA), settled down after the first inning but the damage had been done. The Braves bullpen was lights out as Basner, Schreiber and Devine combined to toss four hitless innings of scoreless relief.

The Braves will start up a five game set in Pearl, Mississippi at Trustmark Park as they take on the Carolina Mudcats, the AA Affiliate of the Florida Marlins, in the first game of the series. The Braves On Deck Circle presented by Wendy's will start things off at 6:05pm and the First Pitch will follow at 7:05 PM (CT). The Braves are scheduled to send LHP Matt Harrison (0-0, 1.80 ERA) to the hill, while the Mudcats will counter with RHP Jesus Delgado (1-0, 1.80 ERA).

Check out the Braves Minute here. To catch an archived version of tonight's game or any previous MS Braves game head to Minor League Baseball.com and select the day you want to hear.

BRAVES BITES:
* The Braves improve to 3-2 when scoring first.
* All eight position players picked up a hit tonight.
* The Braves scored first in all five games in the series.
* The Braves finished 3-for-10 with runners in scoring position.
* The Braves have now scored in the first inning four straight games.
* The Braves registered 9 more strikeouts on the mound.(Performance Sports Academy K's for Kids Total: $37 to the Blair E. Batson Children's Hospital)

ACTIVE HIT STREAKS (3 games or more):
* Brent Lillibridge - 5 games - (7-21, .333)
* Brandon Jones - 5 games - (7-21, .333)
* Matt Esquivel - 4 games - (6-16, .375)
* Greg Creek - 3 games - (3-9, .333)
* Van Pope - 5 games - (5-20, .250)
* JC Holt - 4 games - (9-19, .474)


HIT STREAKS ENDED:
* NONE

HITLESS STREAKS ENDED:
* NONE

ACTIVE HITLESS STREAKS (More than 0-4):
* Mark Jurich (0-11)

TRANSACTIONS:
* NONE

by
Bryan Eubank

Stars K Braves and Even Series: L, 4-1

The Huntsville Stars struck out 16 Braves and used a 4-run second inning to even up their Southern League series at 2 games apiece in front of an announced crowd of 775 at Joe Davis Stadium. Manny Parra (1-0, 1.80 ERA) struck out 7 in his 5 innings of work and drove in 2 runs to lead the Stars.

After manufacturing a run in the 1st the Braves were held off the scoreboard and finished 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position. Schuerholz drew a lead off walk, stole second, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Lillibridge and scored on a sacrifice fly by Brandon Jones. Schuerholz finished 2-for-3 with a run scored and a stolen base.

Lefty Kelvin Villa (0-1, 9.00 ERA), making his first AA start, had one bad inning (2nd) in which he gave up 4 runs on three hits and four walks and tossed 40 pitches. The Braves bullpen (Winkelsas, Ascanio) kept the Braves in the game tossing 4 scoreless innings of relief.

The Stars bullpen was equally as impressive allowing just one hit while striking out 9 including Grant Balfour who struck out 5 of the 6 batters he faced for his 1st save of the season.

The Braves will wrap up their five game set in Huntsville, Alabama at Joe Davis Stadium as they take on the Huntsville Stars, the AA Affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers, in the final game of the series. The Braves On Deck Circle presented by Wendy's will not air due to the Rebel Yell Hotline (6:00pm) but the First Pitch will follow at 7:05 PM (CT). The Braves are scheduled to send LHP Francisely Bueno (0-0, 0.00 ERA) to the hill, while the Stars will counter with LHP Sam Narron (0-0, 0.00 ERA).

Check out the Braves Minute here. To catch an archived version of tonight's game or any previous MS Braves game head to Minor League Baseball.com and select the day you want to hear.

BRAVES BITES:
* The Braves fall to 2-2 when scoring first.
* The Braves 6-through-9 batters combined to go 0-12.
* The Braves have scored first in all four games in the series.
* The Braves finished 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position.
* The Braves have now scored in the first inning three straight games.
* The Braves registered 4 more strikeouts on the mound.(Performance Sports Academy K's for Kids Total: $28 to the Blair E. Batson Children's Hospital)

ACTIVE HIT STREAKS (3 games or more):
* Brent Lillibridge - 4 games - (5-16, .313)
* Brandon Jones - 4 games - (6-17, .353)
* Matt Esquivel - 4 games - (5-12, .417)
* Van Pope - 4 games - (4-16, .250)
* JC Holt - 3 games - (7-14, .500)


HIT STREAKS ENDED:
* NONE

HITLESS STREAKS ENDED:
* NONE

ACTIVE HITLESS STREAKS (More than 0-4):
* Mark Jurich (0-11)

TRANSACTIONS:
* NONE

by
Bryan Eubank

Braves Blow Out Stars: W, 8-2

The Braves put two big innings to good use knocking off the Huntsville Stars 8-2 on Saturday afternoon in front of an announced crowd of 986 at frigid Joe Davis Stadium. The top of the order (Holt, Lillibridge, Jones) was at it again as they combined to go 7-for-15 while scoring 6 runs and driving in 2 RBIs.

Lefty Dan Smith (1-0, 0.00 ERA) became the first Braves starter to register a win going five strong innings while allowing just one unearned run in the 1st inning and striking out five batters.

The middle of the lineup wasn't bad either as Salty, Esquivel and Pope combined to go 4-for-13 while picking up 5 RBIs and 2 runs.

JC Holt (7-14, .500) continues to impress as the leadoff man leading the league with 5 runs scored and is tied for the lead in stolen bases(2). He also has collected 3 straight multi-hit games to start the sesason. The Braves didn't have to worry about stealing bases today since the bats were ringing loud at The Joe. The Braves have combined to go 9-for-26 with runners in scoring position while holding Huntsville to 0-for-19 in the same category the past two games.

The Braves will continue a five game set in Huntsville, Alabama at Joe Davis Stadium as they take on the Huntsville Stars, the AA Affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers, in game four of the series. The Braves On Deck Circle presented by Wendy's will start things off at 1:05pm with the First Pitch following at 2:05 PM (CT). The Braves are scheduled to send LHP Kelvin Villa (0-0, 0.00 ERA) to the hill, while the Stars will counter with LHP Manny Parra (0-0, 0.00 ERA).

Check out the Braves Minute here. To catch an archived version of tonight's game or any previous MS Braves game head to Minor League Baseball.com and select the day you want to hear.

BRAVES BITES:
* The Braves improve to 2-1 when scoring first.
* The Braves 1-through-3 batters combined to go 7-15.
* The Braves improve to 2-0 when leading after eight innings.
* The Braves finished 5-for-11 with runners in scoring position.
* The Braves registered 5 more strikeouts on the mound.(Performance Sports Academy K's for Kids Total: $24 to the Blair E. Batson Children's Hospital)

ACTIVE HIT STREAKS (3 games or more):
* JC Holt - 3 games - (7-14, .500)
* Brent Lillibridge - 3 games - (4-13, .308)
* Brandon Jones - 3 games - (5-14, .357)
* Van Pope - 3 games - (3-13, .231)

HIT STREAKS ENDED:
* NONE

HITLESS STREAKS ENDED:
* NONE

ACTIVE HITLESS STREAKS (More than 0-4):
* Mark Jurich (0-7)

TRANSACTIONS:
* NONE

by
Bryan Eubank

WIN MS BRAVES TICKETS: Trivia Contest

To win tickets to a future Braves game try your hand at answering the following question correctly. Those who answer correctly will be put into a drawing for 4 tickets to a game in the next Braves Homestand (4.10-4.14 vs Carolina) at Trustmark Park. A winner will be announced soon.

QUESTION: Which MS Brave has collected the most Home Runs (all-time)?

Click here to send in your answer.

by
Bryan Eubank

Braves Snow Under Stars: W, 5-2

The Braves took an early 4-0 lead Friday night and never looked back as they defeated the Huntsville Stars 5-2 in front of an announced crowd of 1,596 at snowy Joe Davis Stadium. A freak snow shower covered the sky for about 10 minutes in the 8th inning making Huntsville feel more like Milwaukee.

Jo-Jo Reyes, making his first AA start, was brilliant through 4 innings facing just two over the minimum. In the 5th, however, he walked three batters and hit another before exiting in favor of Charlie Morton (1-0, 0.00 ERA) who picked up the win in relief. Ryan Basner tossed 3 innings of relief allowing just one unearned run while striking out one. Zach Schreiber tossed a perfect 9th for his first save of the season.

The Braves got a great performance from Matt Esquivel (3-4, RBI) and JC Holt (2-5, 2 runs, SB) at the plate. The Braves continued to show their agressiveness picking up 5 stolen bases. The Braves also finished 4-for-15 with runners in scoring position while holding Huntsville to 0-for-10 in the same category. Jarrod Saltalamacchia also picked up his first hit of the season with an RBI double in the 5th and also scored twice and added a stolen base to his stat sheet.

The Braves will continue a five game set in Huntsville, Alabama at Joe Davis Stadium as they take on the Huntsville Stars, the AA Affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers, in game three of the series. The Braves On Deck Circle presented by Wendy's will start things off at 1:05pm with the First Pitch following at 2:05 PM (CT). The Braves are scheduled to send LHP Dan Smith (0-0, 0.00 ERA) to the hill, while the Stars will counter with RHP Mike Jones (0-0, 0.00 ERA).

Check out the Braves Minute here. To catch an archived version of tonight's game or any previous MS Braves game head to Minor League Baseball.com and select the day you want to hear.

BRAVES BITES:
* The Braves improve to 1-1 when scoring first.
* The Braves 1-through-7 batters combined to go 10-29.
* The Braves improve to 1-0 when leading after eight innings.
* The Braves finished 4-for-15 with runners in scoring position.
* The Braves registered 7 more strikeouts on the mound.(Performance Sports Academy K's for Kids Total: $19 to the Blair E. Batson Children's Hospital)

ACTIVE HIT STREAKS (3 games or more):
* NONE

HIT STREAKS ENDED:
* NONE

HITLESS STREAKS ENDED:
* NONE

ACTIVE HITLESS STREAKS (More than 0-4):
* Mark Jurich (0-7)

TRANSACTIONS:
* NONE

by
Bryan Eubank

Stars Freeze Braves in Extras: L, 4-3 (10)

The Braves fell short in their role of spoiler Thursday night as the Stars outlasted them 4-3 in 10 Innings in front of an announced crowd of 2,128 at chilly Joe Davis Stadium. The Braves took an early 2-0 lead in the 3rd inning on three straight base hits by Holt, Lillibridge and Jones.

The Braves bullpen spoiled a great outing by Matt Harrison (0-0, 1.80 ERA) as he retired nine out of the first ten batters that he faced. After getting to within one run in the 4th inning, the Stars rallied for two more runs off of Jose Ascanio and former Star Joe Winklesas in the 7th inning. The Braves responded, however, with a game-tying two-out RBI single by Brandon Jones in the 8th inning to force extra innings. The Stars scored the winning run in the 10th off of an Adam Heether RBI single. Joey Devine (0-1, 6.75 ERA) suffered the loss in his second inning of relief.

The Braves will continue a five game set in Huntsville, Alabama at Joe Davis Stadium as they take on the Huntsville Stars, the AA Affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers, in game two of the series. The Braves On Deck Circle presented by Wendy's will start things off at 6:05pm with the First Pitch following at 7:05 PM (CT). The Braves are scheduled to send LHP Jo-Jo Reyes (0-0, 0.00 ERA) to the hill, while the Stars will counter with LHP Steve Hammond (0-0, 0.00 ERA).

Check out the Braves Minute here. To catch an archived version of tonight's game or any previous MS Braves game head to Minor League Baseball.com and select the day you want to hear.

BRAVES BITES:
* The Braves fall to 0-1 in extra-innings.
* The Braves fall to 0-1 in one-run games.
* The Braves fall to 0-1 when scoring first.
* The Braves fall to 0-1 in the first game of a series.
* The Braves 4-through-9 batters finished 2-for-24.
* The Braves fall to 0-1 when leading after six innings.
* The Braves fall to 0-1 in the first game of a road trip.
* The Braves finished 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position.
* The Braves registered 12 strikeouts on the mound.(Performance Sports Academy K's for Kids Total: $12 to the Blair E. Batson Children's Hospital)

ACTIVE HIT STREAKS (3 games or more):
* NONE

HIT STREAKS ENDED:
* NONE

HITLESS STREAKS ENDED:
* NONE

ACTIVE HITLESS STREAKS (More than 0-4):
* NONE

TRANSACTIONS:
* NONE

by
Bryan Eubank

MS Braves Roster Announced

The Atlanta Braves have released the rosters for this season and here are the MS Braves for the 2007 Season:

Pitchers - Jose Ascanio, Ryan Basner, Francisely Bueno, Paul Bush, Joey Devine, Matt Harrison, Buddy Hernandez (DL), Charlie Morton, Jo-Jo Reyes, Zach Schreiber, Dan Smith, Kelvin Villa, Joe Winkelsas.

Catchers - Fernando Luna, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Ray Serrano (DL)

Infielders - Greg Creek, JC Holt, Mar, Jurich, Brent Lillibridge, Van Pope, Jonathan Schuerholz.

Outfielders - Josh Burrus, Matt Esquivel, Brandon Jones, Carl Loadenthal

Saltalamacchia (#1), Harrison (#3), Jones (#4), Pope (#5), Reyes (#8), and Devine (#9) are all ranked among the top 10 prospects in the Atlanta Braves organization by Baseball America. That same publication listed Lillibridge as the fourth best prospect in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization before he was acquired by the Braves in the Adam LaRoche trade.

Ascanio, Basner, Bueno, Bush, Devine, Harrison, Schreiber, Smith, Saltalamacchia, Serrano, Schuerholz, Burrus, Esquivel, Jones, and Loadenthal have all played in Mississippi at some point during the last two years. Lunar and Winkelsas started their careers in the Atlanta Braves organization.

Remember, Opening Day is Thursday as the MS Braves open the 2007 Season in Huntsville Alabama at Joe Davis Stadium by taking on the Huntsville Stars, the AA Affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers, in Game 1 of a Five Game Set. The Braves on Deck Circle will begin things at 6:05pm with the first pitch scheduled for 7:05pm. The Braves and Stars have not yet released the projected starters.

by
Bryan Eubank