M-Braves rally to beat Biscuits in series opener
Published 4:25 pm Wednesday, June 30, 2021
MONTGOMERY, AL – The Mississippi Braves came from three runs down twice on Tuesday night to win game one of the six-game series in Montgomery, 7-6. Drew Lugbauer hit a go-ahead two-run home run in the eighth to seal the win.
The Braves become the first Double-A South team to 30 wins on the season and are a minor-league best, 22-7 since May 27.
Bryce Elder made his Double-A debut for the M-Braves (30-19) and struggled out of the gate, surrendering three runs on four hits in the first inning. The fifth-round pick in 2020 out of Texas threw 27 pitches but minimized the damage.
The Braves trimmed the lead to 3-1 in the bottom of the third inning when Greyson Jenista walked with one out, advanced to third on a Justin Dean single, and scored on an errant throw.
Shea Langeliers made it 3-2 in the fourth inning with a mammoth solo home run off the scoreboard in left that traveled an estimated 462 feet with a 112 mph exit velocity. The homer places the former first-round pick into a tie for the top spot in the league with 12 long balls.
The Biscuits would push the lead to 4-2 in the bottom of the fourth inning on an RBI single from Moises Gomez. Elder finished his first Double-A start with four runs allowed on seven hits, one walk, and five strikeouts.
Once again the M-Braves trimmed the Montgomery advantage to one run in the top of the fifth inning when Jenista hit a solo home run over the left-field wall for his sixth of the season.
The Biscuits seemed to put the game out of reach by scoring two more runs in the sixth inning against reliever Emmanuel Ramirez, but the Braves never quit.
Mississippi scored in four straight innings and made it 6-5 in the sixth inning on an RBI single by Lugbauer and a sacrifice fly by Jenista.
For the first time on Tuesday, the M-Braves went ahead when Lugbauer took Biscuits reliever Ivan Pelaez (L, 3-5) deep to right with Braden Shewmake on base to make it 7-6. Shewmake was one of four Braves with two hits, finishing 2-for-4.
M-Braves relievers Chris Nunn, Kurt Hoekstra (W, 3-0), Sean McLaughlin (H, 1), and Brooks Wilson (S, 1) held Montgomery off the scoreboard for the final four innings to preserve the win.
Wilson got the Braves out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth inning and worked a scoreless ninth, with two strikeouts for his first save of the season. He lowered his season ERA down to 1.61. Nunn has not allowed a run over his last six appearances and 7.0 innings.
The Braves are now 6-1 against the Tampa Bay Double-A affiliate this season. Dean, Langeliers, and Lugbauer joined Shewmake with two hits on the night.
Game two of the six-game series is on Wednesday night at Riverwalk Stadium. RHP Spencer Strider (0-0, 1.82) will start for the M-Braves, against Biscuits’ RHP Tobias Myers (3-3, 4.06). The first pitch is set for 6:35 pm with coverage on 103.9 WYAB, mississippibraves.com, and MiLB.tv.
The M-Braves return to Trustmark Park to begin the second half of the season, July 6-11, to face the Pensacola Blue Wahoos. For tickets, and information on upcoming promotions, visit mississippibraves.com, or call 888-BRAVES4.
