The Mississippi Braves fell 8-2 to the Tennessee Smokies on Friday night at Smokies Park, thereby eliminating the Braves from the South Division race and sending the Mobile BayBears to their fifth straight playoff appearance.
With the game tied 2-2 in the bottom of the sixth, a four-run, three-error frame put the Smokies (32-35) ahead for good. With reliever John Cornely on the mound, Kris Bryant and Charlie Cutler drew back-to-back walks with one away, and Dustin Geiger broke the tie with an RBI single to left. Cedric Hunter threw to the plate but the ball got away and allowed Cutler and Geiger to move into scoring position.
Cornely intentionally walked Rubi Silva to load the bases for a Jonathan Mota line drive to second that one-hopped off of Elmer Reyes’ chest and skipped away to score another, making it 4-2. Jeudy Valdez hit a two-run single to the right side past a sliding Reyes to plate two more and grow the deficit to 6-2.
The shaky sixth came after a fine start by both JR Graham and Matt Loosen. Graham held the Smokies to just two runs on five hits over five innings, striking out two and walking one in the no-decision. Loosen kept the Braves (38-29) to a similar line, allowing two runs on five hits and striking out five with two walks over five innings.
Cornely (4-2) suffered the loss in relief, allowing four runs, all earned, on two hits over 1/3 of an inning. Jeff Lorick (1-2) pitched a scoreless sixth inning in relief for Tennessee and picked up the win.
Two games remain in the first half before the All-Star Break begins Monday.
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CLASS AAA
Gwinnett 5, Louisville 1
SP: Wood 3.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K. (58 pitches)
WP: Loe (1-1) 3.1 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K.
LP: Jurrjens 6 IP, 9 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 3 K.
Terdoslavich 2-3, R.
Martinez 1-1, 2B, R, 3 RBIs.
Bethancourt 1-3.
CLASS AA
Tennessee 8, Mississippi 2
SP: Graham 5 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K.
LP: Cornely (4-2) 0.1 IP, 2 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 0 K.
Hunter 3-4, HR (6th), 2 RBIs.
Graham 1-2, 2B, R. (.417)
Landoni 1-1, 2B. (PH)
ADVANCED CLASS A
Salem 6, Lynchburg 1
LP: Sims (5-4) 1 IP, 1 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 0 K. (rain delay, out)
Pruneda 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K.
Peraza 3-4, SB (33). (.341)
Carroll 2-3, 2 2B, RBI, 2 SB.
CLASS A
Asheville 7, Rome 6 (10)
SP: Janas 4.2 IP, 10 H, 6 ER, 3 BB, 1 K.
LP: Feigl (2-3) 2.2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K.
Caratini 1-5.
Schrader 1-5, RBI. (.281)
Camargo 1-3, 2B, R, 2 RBIs.
Brown 2-3, 2 BB.
Franco 1-4, 2B, R.
SHORT-SEASON
DSL Braves 7, DSL Blue Jays 6
SP: Mejia 4 IP, 7 H, 0 ER(5R), 1 BB, 6 K.
WP: Heredia (1-0) 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K. (9.1 IP, no runs so far)
Moreno (Save, 4) 1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K.
R. Perez 3-4, 2B, R, RBI. (DH, .462)
Todd 3-3, RBI. (C)
Arias 1-1, RBI. (PH, .372)
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