Braves Minor League Recap: Chadwick Tromp shines in otherwise rough day on the farm

(37-45) Gwinnett Stripers 2, (42-39) St. Paul Saints 5

Box Score

• Nacho Alvarez Jr., SS: 0-for-5, .333/.415/.569
• Chadwick Tromp, C: 3-for-3, HR, 2 RBI, R, .286/.355/.452
• Bryce Elder, SP: 5IP 5H 5ER 3BB 3K, 4.34 ERA
• Yuli Gurriel, 1B: 2-for-4, .256/.332/.400

The Stripers went down early and could never recover after a disastrous fifth inning for pitcher Bryce Elder. After a fantastic month of June, where he compiled a 2.76 ERA over four starts and just a .204 batting average against, Bryce started July off on the wrong foot with the most earned runs he’s given up since, well, his last start in the minors. After a relatively easy first inning Bryce went: BB, SB, BB, 2B, BB, K, K, 3R HR to put the game out of reach for the Stripers. After that rough inning, Bryce would face the minimum in the remaining innings that he would pitch. Parker Dunshee (2IP 0H 0R 1BB 2K), and Ken Giles (1IP 1H 0R 0BB 2K) would combine for three scoreless innings to give the Stripers a chance, but ultimately would fall to the Saints.

On the other side of the ball it was a relatively quiet day for the Stripers offense. Yeah, the offense generated nine hits, but only Chadwick Tromp could get it done when it counted as the catcher went 3-for-3 and drove in both runs in the game. The first run scored in the top of the third when Tromp would single in Andrew Velazquez, who went 2-for-4 on his own, who had singled and stolen base to lead off the inning. Tromp would then connect on his third homer of the season in the sixth inning - the final run for the Stripers.

(35-41) Mississippi Braves 1, (35-40) Biloxi Shuckers 8

Box Score

• Keshawn Organs, 3B: 1-for-4, RBI, .232/.283/.274
• Cody Milligan, CF: 1-for-4, .244/.298/.372
• Brandon Parker, LF: 1-for-3, R, .213/.271/.397
• Ian Mejia, SP: 6.0IP 6H 4R 3ER 2BB 5K, 2.62 ERA

Ian Mejia picked up his second loss of the season in a rough night for the Mississippi Braves. Much like Gwinnett, the Braves went down early and failed to recover. A single with a runner on second was how Mejia surrendered the first run in the second inning, then a pair of homers in the fifth put the Shuckers up 4-0 (a throwing error by David Fletcher allowed the second run to score in the bottom of the fourth). With the game still wavering in the balance, Austin Smith entered the game in the seventh and promptly gave up four earned runs including a three run homer to push the score to 8-0 and firmly put the game out of reach for the Mississippi Braves. Jonathan Hughes would work the final 1.1 innings and would hold the Shuckers hitless.

Offensively, it was a massive struggle for the Braves who put together a total of three hits. The first hit came in the second inning on a lead off single by Cody Milligan, who seems to have turned his 2024 campaign around. After hitting .208/.272/.280 through his first 44 games, Cody has hit .329/.365/.600 over his last 18 games. Mississippi would not get their next runner on base until the top of the eighth when Justin Dean would walk to start off the inning - but nothing else would occur. They would finally break through in the ninth inning when Brandon Parker would single to lead off, take second on a ground out by David Fletcher, take third on a ground out by Cal Conley, and finally get the Braves on the board on a Keshawn Ogans single.

(43-34) Bowling Green Hot Rods 7, (41-34) Rome Emperors 1

Box Score

• Ethan Workinger, LF: 2-for-4, SB (6), .274/.364/.423
• Bryson Worrell, DH: 2-for-4, .200/.250/.600
• EJ Exposito, SS: 0-for-1, 3BB, SB (23), .281/.351/.508
• Luis Vargas, SP: 6IP 5H 3ER 1BB 5K, 2.54 ERA

The game started out rough for Luis Vargas as it started off with a leadoff triple before allowing a sacrifice fly to put the Hot Rods up 1-0 in the first inning. The Emperors would threaten in the bottom half of the inning going as far as loading the bases before Stephen Paolini would fly out to end the threat. Vargas would face one over the minimum giving the Emperors a chance and it was Adam Zebrowksi that would come through and connect on his ninth homer of the season to tie the game.

Unfortunately for Vargas that is all the support the offense would muster in the game. After a 1-2-3 fifth inning, the Emperors ran into some issues in the top of the sixth when Vargas would surrender back-to-back doubles to make it 2-1 Hot Rods and then followed that up with a single to push the lead to 3-1. After two more zeros put up by the Emperors offense in the sixth and seventh inning they would find themselves down even more in the 8th inning when the Hot Rods would put up three more runs, highlighted by a double steal which resulted in Tre’ Morgan of the Rods to steal home. Rome would allow another run to score in the ninth inning to push the lead to 7-1, which would be the final score of the game.

The Rome offense would strand 10 runners on base, including going 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position and hit into three double plays. It was just a rough night for the Emperors offense all around.

(32-44) Augusta GreenJackets 1, (42-34) Columbia Fireflies 3

Box Score

• Isaiah Drake, CF: 1-for-5, R, 2 SB (16), .169/.246/.261
• Harry Owen, C: 2-for-3, .239/.304/.338
• Jeremy Reyes, SP: 2.0IP 2H 2ER 2BB 0K, 3.00 ERA

The GreenJackets got off to an early lead in this one as Isaiah Drake singled to lead off the game and stole a pair of bases before eventually coming in on a ground out by Will Verdung in the top of the first inning. What seemed like a good start, was all the GreenJackets could muster as they would go on to be held scoreless the rest of the 8.1 innings of baseball. Jeremy Reyes was on the mound for the GreenJackets and looked to be in good form, going 1-2-3, in the first, and working around a double in the second inning to keep the game at 1-0, however it was the third inning that would be the deciding inning of the game as Reyes would open the inning with a pair of walks before being removed from the game in what appeared to be a shoulder injury.

Abruptly thrust into action, Rolando Gutierrez would allow a pair of singles to drive in runs and put August down 2-1. Rolando would go on to pitch three innings where he would allow just one more hit to keep the game close for the GreenJackets but the offense just couldn’t breakthrough. Most surprisingly Giomar Diaz, who has worked as a closer for Augusta, worked three innings himself allowing an earned run to score, but with the offense struggling to score runs that third run didn’t really matter. Of note for the offense, however, Robert Gonzalez would get on base three times including twice via walk. The toolsy player has hit well over his last six games and is a name to watch.