Mejia allowed just one run over 6.1 innings.
While there were a few noteworthy performances from Braves minor leaguers on Wednesday, it was overall a rough go of it for most of the squads down on the farm. With that, let’s dive into yesterday’s action.
(9-8) Gwinnett Stripers 2, (7-10) Memphis Redbirds 1
- Sandy Leon, DH: 1-1, HR, RBI, 2 BB
- Luke Williams, 1B: 1-4, RBI
- Leury Garcia, RF: 1-3, 1-4, 3B
- AJ Smith-Shawver, SP: 4.2 IP, 2 H, ER, BB, 3 K
Gwinnett managed to put together their second back-to-back winning streak of the young season on Wednesday afternoon, beating Memphis by a 2-1 final.
Despite putting up a few rough starts — in terms of the baseline numbers — to kick off his 2024 campaign, AJ Smith-Shawver bounced back and put up a productive outing as he got the start for Gwinnett.
In the top of the first, Smith-Shawver worked around a one-out error to get out of the inning unscathed before putting up another zero in the second inning.
The 21-year-old righty got some early run support as seven Stripers would come to the plate in the bottom of the first frame. After Leury Garcia tripled and Luke Waddell walked, Luke Williams beat out an infield single to score Garcia and give Gwinnett the 1-0 lead.
Smith-Shawver allowed a hit to Memphis in the third inning, but again kept the Redbirds off the board in the third and fourth frames.
Smith-Shawver ran into a bit of trouble in the top of the fifth, as he allowed a leadoff double to Nick Raposo who was moved over to third on an ensuing groundout. Raposo was brought home via a sac fly in the next at-bat to tie the game at 1-1. Jake Walsh would come on in relief and despite allowing a runner to reach third, he stifled Memphis to keep the game knotted at one apiece.
Things would remain relatively quiet on the offensive front for both squads in the sixth inning outside of a single by Memphis and a walk by Luke Waddell. Allan Winans came on in relief of Walsh in the top of the sixth and outside of allowing a leadoff single, Winans retired every batter he faced for the rest of the game.
However, the Stripers retook the lead in the bottom of the seventh inning as Sandy Leon led off the frame with a homer over the right field wall to make it 2-1 Gwinnett, which would stand as the final as Winans got the win in his four innings of relief work.
(4-7) Mississippi Braves 5, (6-5) Birmingham Barons 3
- Nacho Alvarez Jr., DH: 2-4, RBI, BB
- Justin Dean, RF: 1-3, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R, BB
- Ian Mejia, SP: 6 IP, 2 H, ER, 3 BB, 9 K
Mississippi got a superb start on the mound by Ian Mejia en route to a 5-3 win over the Birmingham Barons on Wednesday.
The Braves got on the board first after a pair of scoreless innings by both squads to start the game. In the top of the third frame, Nacho Alvarez Jr. singled to score Justin Dean to make it 1-0 Mississippi.
Mejia’s only blemish on the day came in the bottom of the third inning, as Birmingham tied the game at 1-1. From there, Mejia tossed 3.1 scoreless innings while the Braves gave their starter the lead once again in the top of the sixth inning.
Cal Conley walked and Keshawn Ogans was hit by a pitch to put a pair of runners on to start the top of the sixth inning. A Yolbert Sanchez double plated both runners to make it 3-1 Mississippi.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, Hayden Harris relieved Mejia and allowed two hits and one walk over his two innings of work while holding the Barons off the board to maintain the 3-1 lead.
In the top of the ninth, the Braves broke the game open, courtesy of a two-run Justin Dean home run to make it 5-1 Mississippi.
In the home half of the ninth, Domingo Gonzalez got the nod to slam the door, but ran into a bit of trouble in the frame. Gonzalez allowed one run before being relieved by Jorge Juan who also allowed a run — charged to Gonzalez — before eventually getting the final out and sealing the win for Mississippi.
(5-5) Rome Emperors 12, (6-5) Asheville Tourists 15
- Ethan Workinger, RF: 2-4, HR, 4 RBI, BB, 2 R
- Adam Zebrowski, DH: 2-5, HR, 2B, 4 RBI, 2 R
- Justin Janas, 1B: 2-3, HR, 2B, RBI, 2 BB
- Lucas Braun, SP: 0.2 IP, 4 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, K
Rome was on the wrong end of a shootout on Wednesday, losing by a final of 16-12.
The Emperors actually jumped out to an early lead, plating three runs in the top of the first inning. Kevin Kilpatrick Jr. and Sabin Ceballos led things off with back-to-back singles before Ethan Workinger homered over the left field wall to make it 3-0 Rome.
However, starter Lucas Braun failed to get out of the first inning, as the right-hander allowed six earned runs in just two-thirds of an inning as Asheville took a 6-3 lead into the second frame. Sam Strickland came on in relief and allowed a double before getting out of the inning.
Neither squad scored in the second or third innings.
Rome scored one run in the top of the fourth on a Justin Janas launched a solo shot to make it 6-4.
However, the Tourists added three runs to their total off of reliever Shay Schanaman to make it 9-4 Asheville. Rome got two of those runs back in the fifth and sixth innings — one on a Ceballos single and another on a Stephen Paolini single — to cut the deficit to 9-6.
The Emperors were able to cut the Asheville lead down to just one run in the top of the seventh inning. Ceballos laced a one-out double into right field before Workinger and Janas walked to load the bases. Ambioris Tavarez then doubled into left field to score two runs to make it 9-8 Asheville.
While the Tourists got one of those runs back in the home half of the seventh inning, Rome was actually able to retake the lead for the first time since the first inning. In the top of the eighth, Nick Clarno worked a one-out walk, Kilpatrick Jr. reached via a fielder’s choice and Ceballos was hit by a pitch to load the bases before Adam Zebrowski launched a grand slam over the left center field fence to give the Emperors a 12-10 lead.
That lead wouldn’t last long though, as Asheville would score five runs in the home half of the frame off of Rolddy Munoz to take a 15-12 lead. Rome managed to get a runner in scoring position, but that’s all they would get as they would fall in the midweek contest.
(6-5) Augusta GreenJackets 3, (9-2) Carolina Mudcats 7
- Drew Compton, 1B: 1-2, 2B, RBI, R, 2 BB
- Luis Sanchez, 3B: 1-3, 2B, RBI, BB
- Kade Kern, LF: 1-4, 3B
- Davis Polo, SP: 4 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 4 K
Augusta tallied just four hits on Wednesday in what was a disappointing outing by the GreenJackets on both sides of the baseball.
While the final score may not have reflected it, Augusta jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Isaiah Drake walked to lead off the frame and followed that up by stealing second and advancing to third on an error. Jace Grady then singled into left field to score Drake to make it 1-0. Two batters later, Drew Compton doubled to make it a 2-0 Augusta lead.
While starter Davis Polo tossed three scoreless innings to begin his day on the mound, the GreenJackets tacked on another run in the bottom of the third inning on a Luis Sanchez double that plated Compton to make it 3-0 Augusta.
While things appeared to be trending in the right direction for the GreenJackets, the wheels came off in the top of the fourth as Carolina scored four runs off Polo to make it 4-3 Mudcats.
Offensively, the rest of the game was a struggle for Augusta. The GreenJackets failed to register a hit after the bottom of the fourth and were shutout the rest of the way.
Meanwhile, Carolina added one run in the top of the sixth and two in the ninth to make it a 7-3 final.