Jair Jurrjens was obliterated again today, Ernesto Mejia kept on hammering baseballs, Navery Moore posted a quality start, and William Beckwith had a perfect day at the plate.

Charlotte Knights 10, Gwinnett Braves 3

• Ernesto Mejia, DH: 3-4, R, .323
• Felix Pie, RF: 2-4, R, RBI, .271
• Tyler Pastornicky, SS: 1-5, R, SB(1), .200
• Jair Jurrjens, SP: 4.2 IP, 12 H, 10 R (6 ER), 2 BB, 0 K, 5.56 ERA
• Jose Lugo, RP: 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, 3.38 ERA

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Gwinnett got clobbered by the IronPigs, Mississippi split a doubleheader behind Gilmartin's complete game, Lynchburg went quietly against Salem, and Rome won in 14 innings.

Lehigh Valley IronPigs 14, Gwinnett Braves 4

• Felix Pie, CF: 2-4, 2 2B, 2 R, .255
• Christian Marrero, LF: 2-4, 2 RBI, .259
• Josh Wilson, SS: 2-4, 2 2B, R, .242
• Todd Redmond, SP: 7 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 4 K, 2.47 ERA

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It wasn't a banner day for the Braves farm system as Lynchburg and Rome were both swept in doubleheaders while Gwinnett lost as well. Ernesto Mejia and William Beckwith kept on mashing while Myke Jones reached base 4 times in two games.

Lehigh Valley IronPigs 6, Gwinnett Braves 3

• Ernesto Mejia,1B: 3-5, 2B, 2 RBI, .315
• Felix Pie, RF: 2-5, 3B, R, .235
• Luis Durango, CF: 1-3, 2 BB, 2 R, SB(23), .286
• Eric Junge, SP: 7 IP, 6 H, 3 R (2 ER), 2 BB, 4 K, 4.20 ERA
• Jose Lugo, RP: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 3.86 ERA

Todd Redmond gets the ball tomorrow against Lehigh Valley.

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Both Yohan Flande and Gary Moran turned in strong starts tonight, and while Flande got a win, Moran was let down by his defense. Stefan Gartrell had a two hit game while Keenan Wiley did a little bit of everything tonight.

Lehigh Valley IronPigs 0, Gwinnett Braves 4

• Stefan Gartrell, RF: 2-4, R, .263
• Joey Terdoslavich, 3B: 1-4, R, RBI, .194
• Josh Wilson, SS: 1-3, R, .234
• Yohan Flande, SP: 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K, 3.44 ERA
• Cory Gearrin, RP: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 0.91 ERA

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Ernesto Mejia kept hitting as Gwinnett walked off, Joe Leonard had a perfect day, J.R. Graham won his 6th game of the year in Monday's minor league action.

Lehigh Valley IronPigs 8, Gwinnett Braves 9

• Ernesto Mejia, 1B: 3-5, 2B, RBI, 2 R, SB(4), .314
• Joey Terdoslavich, 3B: 2-4, RBI, BB, 2 R, .193
• Lance Zawadzki, 2B: 3-5, HR(1), 5 RBI, .286
• Christian Marrero, LF: 1-2, HR(3), 2 R, BB, .243
• Julio Teheran, SP: 3 IP, 7 H, 6 R (4 ER), 2 BB, 5 K, 3.57 ERA

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Fresh of a 4 game sweep at the hands of the Cincinnati Reds, the Braves returned home looking to regain some momentum against the Nationals. Instead, Atlanta fell flat on it's face thanks to lackluster starting pitching, inconsistent offense, and almost-daily bullpen meltdowns.

Game 1 saw Tim Hudson take the mound against Ross Detwiler. Hudson appeared to have good stuff, but thanks to a few well-placed hits and a few mistake pitches, the Nats jumped all over him to the tune of 7 runs. Hudson's ERA jumped all the way to 4.12 with the outing. On the other side, Ross Detwiler was wild, walking 4 men in 4 innings, but the Braves could never break through with a big inning off him. After getting 3 runs of Detwiler, the Nats' pen shut down the Braves, allowing only 1 run, a homer from Jason Heyward. Washington took game 1 7-4.

Game 2 was the one everyone was afraid of: a struggling Mike Minor going up against Stephen Strasburg. Minor started shaky, allowing a run in the first and a three run shot in the 2nd to Danny Espinosa, but settled down after that, tossing 3 scoreless innings. The Braves showed good patience against Strasburg, drawing 4 walks over 5 innings while managing to score 4 runs. Unfortunately, the Braves' pen couldn't hold the lead as Kris Medlen and Johnny Venters each coughed up a pair of runs as Washington won 8-4.

Game 3 started off promising and fell flat quickly. Gio Gonzalez started for Washington and was wild. Gio issued a couple of walks early, but the Braves played small ball and got aggressive. Atlanta took a 2-0 lead after 3 but didn't press Gonzalez and he got into a grove. He would only allow 1 hit, a 3rd inning triple to Michael Bourn, on his way to striking out 10 men over 7 innings. Brandon Beachy gave up 2 unearned runs after Tyler Pastornicky bobbled.a double play ball. Livan Hernandez came in and erased all hope of a comeback, coughing up 4 runs in 3 innings.

Series MVP: If this went to a National, it could go to any number of them, probably Bryce Harper or Gio Gonzalez, but as this is an award for a Brave, it has to go to Martin Prado. Prado was 4-12 with 3 R, 1 RBI, and 1 SB during the series. He seemed to consistently grind out tough at bats, and had more hits than anyone else on the roadtrip. Here's hoping Prado can spark the offense against St. Louis

Series LVP: This "honor" could go one of two ways. I debated giving it to Pastornicky, who went 0-7 with a costly error during the series, but instead decided to give it collectively to the Braves' bullpen. The bullpen was downright terrible during the series allowing 8 runs (7 earned) over the 3 game series. Two of those runs broke open tie games for the Nationals. A pretty rough week for a unit that was one of the best in the National League last year.

Man, this is getting old fast. Once again, the Braves were unable to muster any kind of offense, falling 7-2 in the third game of the series. The loss was the Braves' seventh in as many games, and Atlanta now sits in 4th place in the division.

Gio Gonzalez started for Washington and started wild. He walked Michael Bourn who promptly stole second base. Then, instead of letting Tyler Pastornicky swing, Fredi Gonzalez put the bunt sign on. After giving Gonzalez an out and moving Bourn to third, Prado drove him in on an RBI groundout. The Braves struck again in the third thanks to Bourn. Bourn hit a one-out triple then scored on a squeeze bunt by Pastornicky. That was all the scoring the Braves would get on the night.

The Nationals would tie the game in the 4th. After Adam LaRoche walked, Pastornicky bobbled a sure double-play ball off the bat of Ian Desmond all hands were safe. A walk, single, and sac fly later, LaRoche and Desmond had both scored to tie the game. Both runs were unearned.

Brandon Beachy only threw 5 innings because of a high pitch count, so after he hit the first batter he faced in the 6th, Fredi Gonzalez brought in Livan Hernandez. Predictably, Livan imploded, giving up 4 runs on a series of hits. The first run was charged to Beachy. That put the game well out of reach of Atlanta, who never threatened again. Bryce Harper, who struck out in his first at-bat against Livan, hit a solo shot off him in the 7th to close the scoring.

The Braves will attempt to break this losing streak tomorrow at 1:10pm as they open a series at home against the Cardinals.

The Braves send their best pitcher to the hill for Sunday Night Baseball in hopes of finally stopping the bleeding. A win tonight will shatter the 6 game losing streak the Braves are on, and make the nightmares of The Great American Ballpark a distant memory. A loss, and the Braves drop to 4th place in the crowded NL East.

Braves lineup

1. Michael Bourn, CF
2. Tyler Pastornicky, SS
3. Martin Prado, 3B
4. Dan Uggla, 2B
5. Matt Diaz, LF
6. Eric Hinske, 1B
7. Jason Heyward, RF
8. J.C. Boscan, C
9. Brandon Beachy, P

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The Braves put up a valiant effort against Stephen Strasburg today, but the bullpen was unable to hold against a suddenly white-hot Nationals offense. Mike Minor was once again bitten by the gopherball, but pitched much better than he had in last several starts.

As the game got underway, it initially looked to be more of the same bad Mike Minor we've seen over the last few starts. He surrendered a leadoff double to Danny Espinosa, but was able to limit the damage to one run on an Adam LaRoche sacrifice fly. The second inning is where Minor got in trouble. After two quick outs, Minor gave up back to back hits to light-hitting catcher Jesus Flores and Strasburg. Minor then hung a first-pitch changeup to Danny Espinosa who deposited it in the seats for a 3 run jack. Two of the homers he allowed in Cincinnati came off the changeup as well, so that's a pitch Minor is going to have to work on keeping down in the zone.

Minor settled down over the next three innings though, allowing on two hits, both doubles. Minor seemed more poised and relaxed from the 3rd through the 5th - hopefully he use that to generate a little bit of confidence in advance of his next start.

On the other side, the Braves weren't intimidated by Stephen Strasburg, and hung 4 runs on him over 6 innings. The first two came in the second on an RBI single by Juan Francisco and an RBI groundout by recent call-up J.C. Boscan. The last two came in the 5th, when Dan Uggla took a 3-1 fastball and gave it a ride into the center field seats. That would temporarily knot the score at 4 apiece.

Unfortunately, the stoppers in the Braves' pen weren't up to the task tonight. Kris Medlen came on in the 6th and promptly gave up an RBI double to Chad Tracy and then and RBI triple to Rick Ankiel (Déjà vu, much?). Johnny Venters came in in the 7th and gave up a solo home run to Bryce Harper, followed by an RBI double to Adam LaRoche. That made the game 8-4, and that was how it would end.

One bright spot in the game for Atlanta was Juan Francisco, who went 3-4 on the day. I won't lie, I cringed at the thought of Francisco going up against Strasburg, but the third baseman handled the bat very well today. He was the only Brave with a multi-hit game today. With Chipper on the DL, someone needs to step up for Atlanta, and if Francisco can be that guy, it'll be a big boost for the club.

The Braves will attempt to avoid the sweep tomorrow night as Brandon Beachy goes against Gio Gonzalez in what could potentially be the best pitching matchup on the season so far.

After taking a hard 7-4 loss last night, the Braves are back at it again this afternoon. Things could be even rougher for our Bravos today though, as Washington sends fireballing right-hander Stephen Strasburg to the mound. The Braves counter with Mike Minor, whose struggles have been well documented. The Braves haven't won since Minor lost his last start, and they need him to play the roll of stopper today. A turnaround for Minor could be coming however - his strikeout and walk rates are both very good still. If Minor can harness his control a bit better and not leave as much up and over the plate, I think he could have a solid start.

Braves lineup:

1. Michael Bourn, CF
2. Tyler Pastornicky, SS
3. Martin Prado, LF
4. Dan Uggla, 2B
5. Freddie Freeman, 1B
6. Jason Heyward, RF
7. Juan Francisco, 3B
8. J.C. Boscan, C
9. Mike Minor, P

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Another game, another night where it seems nothing will go the Braves way. The Nationals pounced on Tim Hudson early and added insurance late to ruin Huddy's line score, though he pitched far better than the boxscore will indicate. For the fifth time in as many games, it seemed the Braves offense struggled to string together hits to score runs, and although they broke through a bit late, it wasn't enough.

The Nationals struck first in the first on a cheapie. After Bryce Harper singled, and Ryan Zimmerman doubled, the Nats had 2nd and 3rd with only one out. Hudson struck out Adam LaRoche on a gorgeous backdoor sinker on a full count, and looked like he would get out of trouble, only to have Ian Desmond roll a dribbler right up the middle to score two. After plunking Danny Espinosa, Rick Ankiel hit a triple that was quite the opposite of cheap. He might have had a chance at an inside-the-park homer, but the Nats' third base coach held him.

The Braves would strand two in each of the first two innings, but made in 4-1 on a Matt Diaz RBI single in the 3rd, before stranding another pair. Diaz struck again in the 5th, hammering a 2 RBI double into center field. Diaz then broke the cardinal rule of baserunning: "Thou shalt not run on Rick Ankiel". Diaz tried to stretch his double into a triple, and Ankiel gunned him down.

Hudson settled in after the 1st, allowing only one baserunner between the 2nd and 6th. The Nats would strike again in the 7th however, and this one hurt. After easily retiring the first two men he faced, Hudson walked Chien-Ming Wang. Steve Lombardozzi promptly slapped an RBI double, putting men at 2nd and 3rd. Huddy then issued a 4 pitch walk to Bryce Harper, loading the bases for Ryan Zimmerman, who made sure they weren't loaded for long. On an 0-2 count, Zimmerman hit a bases clearing double that would prove to be the difference in the game.

Jason Heyward closed the scoring with a first-pitch home run in the 8th inning. The solo shot off Wang was his 6th of the year. It was Heyward's only hit of the night, though he did draw a walk as well.

David Ross strained his groin in the 3rd inning and was replaced by a sick Brian McCann. Ross will be reevaluated tomorrow and is now listed as day-to-day.

The Nationals head down south tonight for the first of 18 meetings with the Braves. First pitch is scheduled for 7:35. Tonight's game will pit Tim Hudson against Ross Detwiler. Detwiler was hit hard by the Padres in his last turn, so hopefully the Braves can keep up the pressure on Washington's lefty. Lineups are as follows:

1. Michael Bourn, CF
2. Martin Prado, 3B
3. Freddie Freeman, 1B
4. Dan Uggla, 2B
5. Matt Diaz, LF
6. Jason Heyward, RF
7. David Ross, C
8. Jack Wilson, SS
9. Tim Hudson, P

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After a 7 game road trip that started with a promising 2-1 series win over the Tampa Bay Rays, the Atlanta Braves limp back to Turner Field after being swept in 4 games at the hands of the Cincinnati Reds. The series with the Reds saw the Braves' formidable offense hit the skids in a big way, as they managed a grand total of 8 runs over the 4 game set. Do the math, and 2 runs a game isn't gonna cut it.

In order to turn things around, the Braves will have to find a way to hit the best pitching staff in baseball. The Nationals enter today's series with the best ERA in the majors, and it's not that close. On the season, the Nats' starters and bullpen has a collective ERA of 2.90 (The next lowest is the Dodgers at 3.23). The scary thing is that they're not performing too far over their heads either, as evidenced by their MLB-best 2.99 FIP and second-best 3.39 xFIP. Their staff's 8.1 WAR is 1.4 WAR greater than the 2nd place team in MLB (the Rangers). I could spend this entire preview listing pitching categories that the Nats are excelling at, but you get the picture: their pitching is top-notch.

The Nationals' offense is far and away the team's weak link. The Nats rank 25th in MLB in terms of runs scored with 163. By comparison, the Braves have scored 221. The Nationals' offense is paced by former Brave Adam LaRoche, who has shattered his reputation as a slow-starter by charging out of the gates to a .297/.392/.545 line with 7 homers and 32 RBI. Around the horn, the Nationals start LaRoche at first, Danny Espinosa at second, power-hitting short stop Ian Desmond, and face-of-the-franchise third baseman Ryan Zimmerman. Steve Lombardozzi has played the utility role well this season, and will probably see starts during the series. The outfield features Xavier Nady in left, former-Brave Rick Ankiel in center, and ballyhooed stud prospect Bryce Harper in right. Harper has been the talk of baseball for the past few weeks, and rightly so, as the 19 year old has posted a .264/.343/.471 line over 23 games. He's also managed 6 doubles, 3 triples, 2 homers, and 2 steals. The Braves will have to be careful of both his power and speed. Jesus Flores will do the bulk of the catching for the Nats after an injury cost Wilson Ramos the rest of his season.

Pitching matchups after the jump...

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Who's Hot?

Ernesto Mejia, 1B, Gwinnett Braves: 13-28, 4 2B, 3B, HR, 7 R, 7 RBI. Ernesto Mejia was on fire this week, recording at least one hit in all 7 of Gwinnett's games. His .464 batting average was the best in the International League this past week, and he also posted a 1.250 OPS. This led to Mejia being named the International League's Player of the Week. On the year, Mejia is hitting a cool .306 with 6 homers and 31 RBI.

Stefan Gartrell, RF, Gwinnett Braves: 9-26, 4 2B, 4 HR, 7 R, 7 RBI, SB. Stefan Gartrell broke out the boomstick this week, smacking 8 extra base hits on the week out of 9 hits total. Gartrell's 4 homers and 4 doubles led to him putting up an insane .961 slugging percentage on the week. Gartrell's .346/.433/.961 was arguably better than his teammate Mejia's, and the two sluggers played a huge part in all of Gwinnett's games this week. Gartrell even stole a base too, for good measure.

Todd Redmond, SP, Gwinnett Braves: 2-0, 13 IP, 12 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 7 K, 0.69 ERA. For the first time in Gwinnett Braves' history, the G-Braves won the International League Player and Pitcher of the Week in the same week. Todd Redmond was the benificiary of the latter, winning both his starts this week while allowing only 1 run in 13 innings pitched. Redmond only allowed 12 hits and 1 walk while whiffing 7. On the week, he posted a 0.69 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP. That sterling line was good for Redmond's 4th career IL Pitcher of the Week award.

Keenan Wiley, RF, Mississippi Braves: 9-24, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 3 R, 1 SB. Wiley hit so well for Mississippi this week that he was bumped into the leadoff slot, where he promptly registered a 4 hit game. On the week, Wiley hit .375/.423/.458, tops among all Mississippi hitters. On the season Wiley's line is a blistering .349/.446/.508, and it will be interesting to see if he can keep succeeding at around this level for the whole year.

Gus Schlosser, SP, Lynchburg Hillcats: 2-0, 14 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 13 K, 0.64 ERA. Schlosser put up the best line of any Braves' farmhand this week, tossing 14 innings of 7 hit ball with 3 walks and 13 strikeouts. That translates to a marvelous 0.71 WHIP. Schlosser's two starts shaved a full run off his ERA, bringing it from over 5 down to 3.95. Hopefully Schlosser can build on his good work and keep rolling after getting rocked in the beginning of the year.

Tommy La Stella, 2B, Lynchburg Hillcats: 9-26, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 3 R, SB. Lynchburg's second baseman did a bit of everything this week, posting a .346/.414/.577 line to go along with 3 runs, 3 RBI, and a steal. He'd almost certainly have had more runs and RBIs with those numbers, but most of Lynchburg's offense was anemic this week. La Stella had 3 walks and only 1 strikeout this week, and on the year his K/BB numbers sit at a mind-boggling 6/18. With the sale of Drew Sutton to the Pirates, I wonder if we'll see La Stella get a bump up at some point this year.

John Cornely, RP, Rome Braves: 3.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 10 K, 0.00 ERA. I know that 3.1 innings in a week is not a bunch, but when all 10 of your outs are strikeouts, that gets you noticed. What a week for Cornely, whose ERA now sits at 3.86 on the year. He has struck out 27 men in 16.1 innings pitched so far this year, and if he can continue to cut down on walks, he'll be an interesting guy to follow moving forward.

Honorable Mention: Gwinnett Braves - Cory Gearrin, Adam Russell, Anthony Varvaro. Mississippi Braves - Zeke Spruill, Mark Lamm, Christian Bethancourt, David Hale, Todd Cunningham, Ryan Buchter. Lynchburg Hillcats - Aaron Northcraft, J.R. Graham. Rome Braves - David Filak, Navery Moore, William Beckwith, Fernando De Los Santos.

See who's not hot after the jump...

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Todd Redmond pitched well for Gwinnett while Stefan Gartrell went deep again, Gilmartin was bitten by the gopherball in Mississippi, Schlosser tossed a beauty for Lynchburg while La Stella did it all, and

Gwinnett Braves 2, Rochester Red Wings 1

• Stefan Gartrell, 1-4, HR(10), .257
• Ernesto Mejia, DH: 2-4, 2B, R, .306
• Drew Sutton, 3B: 1-2, 2B, RBI, .270
• Joey Terdoslavich, 3B: 1-2, .197
• Todd Redmond, SP: 7 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K, 2.63 ERA
• Cory Gearrin, RP: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K, 1.09 ERA

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It was a rough day for Atlanta's minor league affiliates, as all four teams took losses, completing the dreaded reverse organizational sweep. Wiley and Simmons caused havoc at the top of Mississippi's lineup while Cornley was unconscious in relief.

Gwinnett Braves 4, Rochester Red Wings 6

• Jose Constanza, LF: 1-4, 3B, 2 RBI, R, .316
• Ernesto Mejia, 1B: 1-4, 3B, R, .301
• Felix Pie, RF: 1-3, RBI, .143
• Eric Junge, SP: 6 IP, 12 H, 6 R (5 ER), 2 BB, 3 K, 3.64 ERA
• Adam Russell, RP: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 2.37 ERA

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Stefan Gartrell keeps on smashing baseballs, Joe Leonard powered Mississippi to victory, Northcraft twirled a beauty against Winston-Salem in a losing effort, and De Los Santos went deep twice in two games for Rome.

Gwinnett Braves 3, Buffalo Bison 5

• Stefan Gartrell, LF: 2-4, 2B, HR(9), 2 RBI, .264
• Ernesto Mejia, 1B: 2-4, HR(6), .302
• Yohan Flande, SP: 4.2 IP, 10 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 1 K, 4.46 ERA
• Jason Rice, RP: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K, 3.06 ERA
• Anthony Varvaro, RP: 2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K, 3.38 ERA

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The Braves' minor league affiliates all lost tonight, wasting several strong pitching performances. Zeke Spruill, J.R. Graham, and A.J. Holland all pitched well for their respective teams, while Julio Teheran had an awfully rough night for Gwinnett.

Gwinnett Braves 2, Buffalo Bison 4

• Stefan Gartrell, LF: 2-4, 2B, R, BB, .257
• Ernesto Mejia, 1B: 2-4, 2B, R, RBI, .296
• Joey Terdoslavich, 3B: 2-4, .201
• J.C. Boscan, C: 2-3, .205
• Julio Teheran, SP: 2.2 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 5 BB, 2 K, 3.31 ERA
• Buddy Carlyle, RP: 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, 1.80 ERA
• Cory Gearrin, RP: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K, 1.19 ERA

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Gwinnett's offense was hot, but not hot enough to back Jurrjens' terrible start. Mississippi had the night off, while Schlehuber homered for Lynchburg and Navery Moore turned in a great start with Rome.

Gwinnett Braves 7, Buffalo Bison 14

• Stefan Gartrell, LF: 3-5, 2 2B, HR(8), 2 RBI, .250
• Ernesto Mejia, 1B: 3-5, 2B, 3 RBI, R, .290
• Joey Terdoslavich, 3B: 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI, BB, 2 E(14,15), .193
• Drew Sutton, 2B: 2-3, 3B, 3 R, 2 BB, .276
• Jair Jurrjens, SP: 4.2 IP, 12 H, 11 R (10 ER), 2 BB, 3 K, 5.06 ERA

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Starting pitching ruled the day for Atlanta's minor league clubs, as Todd Redmond, David Hale, and Gus Schlosser all turned in stellar outings. Stefan Gartrell had a do-it-all day for Gwinnett, while Evan Gattis managed his first triple and Robby Hefflinger's homer was the difference for Lynchburg.

Gwinnett Braves 6, Buffalo Bison 1

• Drew Sutton, 2B: 3-4, 2B, 2 R, RBI, .266
• Stefan Gartrell, LF: 1-2, HR(7), 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB, SB(3), OF Assist, .236
• Todd Redmond, SP: 6 IP, 7 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K, W(3-3), 2.84 ERA
• Anthony Varvaro, RP: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, 3.86 ERA

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Gwinnett and Mississippi each split their doubleheaders, Sean Gilmartin turned in 6 innings of scoreless ball, and Joe Leonard, Tommy La Stella, and Edward Salcedo all went deep.

Toledo Mud Hens 2, Gwinnett Braves 3 - Game 1

• Ernesto Mejia, DH: 2-4, 2B, 2R, .276
• Luis Durango, CF: 1-4, R, SB(20), .275
• Eric Junge, SP: 6 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 3 K, 3.07 ERA
• Cory Gearrin, RP: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, W(3-0), 1.31 ERA

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Gwinnett was rained out, Evan Gattis went deep for the second straight day, Nick Ahmed hit a bomb as well, and Rome completely laid an egg.

Gwinnett Braves @ Columbus Clippers - Postponed

Another day, another minor league game rained out. As this was the last game in the series, an official make-up date hasn't been announced yet, but it will probably be in mid-June when these teams meet next.

Mississippi Braves 4, Mobile BayBears 6

• Evan Gattis, LF: 2-4, 2B, HR(2), 2 R, 2 RBI, .438
• Todd Cunningham, CF: 2-4, 3B, RBI, SB(2), OF Assist, .303
• Andrelton Simmons, SS: 1-4, 2B, R, .319
• David Hale, SP: 6 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 4.73 ERA
• Cory Rasmus, RP: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 1.35 ERA

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We had the dreaded reverse organizational sweep tonight, as the parent club and every minor league club took a loss today (Mississippi took 2!). But the day was marked by some bright spots. Stefan Gartrell homered for the third straight game, Evan Gattis went deep for the first time in Mississippi, Cody Martin pitched a gem in a losing effort, and David Filak struck out people left and right in a rain-shortened start.

Gwinnett Braves 8, Columbus Clippers 12

• Stefan Gartrell, RF: 1-3, HR(4), 3 RBI, 2 BB, .209
• J.C. Boscan, C: 1-3, HR(2), BB, .219
• Josh Wilson, 2B: 2-4, HR(1), 2 RBI, E(6), .277
• Jose Constanza, CF: 1-4, BB, 2 R, 2 SB(3,4), .315
• Christian Marrero, DH: 2-4, 2B, R, .254
• Yohan Flande, SP: 4.1 IP, 5 H, 7 R (6 ER), 2 BB, 2 K, 2 E(1,2), 2.96 ERA
• Erik Cordier, RP: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 4.22 ERA

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Gwinnett split a doubleheader with Gartrell homering in each game, Mississippi was postponed due to rain, Lynchburg lost despite a decent start from Northcraft, and Briceno got hammered for Rome despite a good day at the plate from Skinner.

Gwinnett Braves 7, Columbus Clippers 4 - Game 1

• Luis Durango, CF: 1-3, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB, SB(11), .265
• Stefan Gartrell, RF: 3-5, HR(2), 2 R, 2 RBI, .190
• Jose Constanza, DH: 2-5, R, RBI, .319
• J.C. Boscan, C: 2-4, 2B, R, RBI, .213
• Julio Teheran, SP: 3 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, 3.66 ERA
• Buddy Carlyle, RP: 2.2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 2.04 ERA
• Cory Gearrin, RP: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 0.61 ERA

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There were fireworks in Mississippi tonight as Evan Gattis made his AA debut and the M-Braves hammered Trevor Bauer. Lynchburg split their doubleheader, while Gwinnett was rained out and Rome was off.

Gwinnett Braves @ Columbus Clippers - SUSPENDED

Gwinnett's game had to be called in the 4th inning due to heavy rains. The score was tied 1-1, and will be resumed tomorrow. The regularly scheduled game will follow, and will be seven innings.

Mississippi Braves 7, Mobile BayBears 1

• Evan Gattis, C: 1-4, 2 RBI, BB, K, .250
• Phil Gosselin, 2B: 3-5, 2B, 3 RBI, R, SB(3), .300
• Andrelton Simmons, SS: 2-5, 3B, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 K, .325
• Joe Leonard, 3B: 2-5, .266
• Jose Lugo, SP: 5 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, W(2-0), 0.90 ERA

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Gwinnett was rained out, Mississippi was off, Lynchburg was postponed due to fog, and Rome was blanked by Kannapolis this evening.

Gwinnett Braves @ Toledo Mud Hens - POSTPONED

The final game between Gwinnett and Toledo was rained out today. The game will be made up as part of a doubleheader on May 11 when the two teams meet again (h/t andrewmaxwell). Gwinnett opens a series with the Columbus Clippers tomorrow night. The team has yet to announce a starter due to the rain.

Mississippi Braves - OFF

The M-Braves had an off day today, but open a series tomorrow against the Mobile BayBears. Jose Lugo will get the start, and faces a tough assignment as he goes up against Arizona top prospect Trevor Bauer. It should be quite a baptism by fire for new M-Braves LF/DH/C Evan Gattis.

Carolina Mudcats @ Lynchburg Hillcats - SUSPENDED

This game was suspended in the top of the fifth due to a heavy fog that rolled in. This game will resume at 5 p.m. tomorrow, and will be immediately followed by the regularly scheduled game, which will go seven innings.

Kannapolis Intimidators 7, Rome Braves 0

• Tony Mueller, CF: 2-4, BB, K, SB(4), .244
• Logan Robbins, 2B: 1-4, 2B, K, .167
• Ernesto Silva, SP: 5 IP, 5 H, 5 ER, 4 BB, 0 K, 2 HBP, L(0-2), 7.45
• John Cornely, RP: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, WP, 2.79

Kyle Kubitza and Evan Gattis are the offensive story of the week for the Braves' affiliates, as they kept raking on their way to monster numbers. Yohan Flande and David Hale each threw masterful two-hit starts as they lead what was overall an impressive week for pitching in the Atlanta Braves' minor league system.

Who's Hot?

Yohan Flande, SP, Gwinnett Braves - 6.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K. After the surprise acquisitions of Livan Hernandez and Chad Durbin, Flande was sent down to Gwinnett after being told he'd made the team. Since then, Flande has done nothing but prove that he belongs in the bigs. Flande only had one start this week, but it was a beauty: 6.2 innings of two-hit, shutout ball with eight strikeouts and only one walk. On the year, Flande has thrown 15.2 innings and given up only five hits. He's struck out sixteen and walked seven, and his WHIP for the year sits at a phenomenal 0.79. Flande leads the International League in both ERA and opponent's batting average (.096).

David Hale, SP, Mississippi Braves - 7 IP, 2 H, 1 R (0 ER), 2 BB, 6 K. After an absolute disaster in his first start, Hale threw 6 innings of no-hit ball and followed it up with this week's gem. Hale went seven innings, allowing only two hits and an unearned run. He also struck out six while walking only two. The Braves' 3rd round pick in 2009, Hale has always had good stuff and if his last two starts are any indication he may be on his way to harnessing it. In those two starts, Hale has gone 13 innings allowing two hits, no earned runs, four walks, and eleven strikeouts, good for a 0.46 WHIP.

Evan Gattis, C, Lynchburg Hillcats - 7/19, 5 R, 7 RBI, 2B, 3 HR, 1 BB, 4 K. After being named the Carolina League Player of the Week last week, Evan Gattis kept on mashing. In fact, the only thing that slowed Gattis was the rain, as Lynchburg was rained out on both Saturday and Sunday. It makes Gattis' numbers all the more impressive when you realize that, as he only had 5 games to accumulate them. He's currently riding a three game homer streak, having hit his 4th, 5th, and 6th homers on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. On the short week, Gattis hit .368/.421/.895, and looks primed for a monster year. My guess is that he's promoted within 2 months.

Kyle Kubitza, 3B, Rome Braves - 11/25, 7 R, 8 RBI, 4 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 3 BB, 6 K, 2 SB, 1 CS. Kyle Kubitza raked all week, leading up to today's announcement that he had been named the South Atlantic League's Player of the Week. Kubitza's line of .440/.500/.920 this week is pushing video game numbers. Kubitza did it all, recording four doubles, a triple, and two home runs. He even swiped two bags. On the year, Kubitza has put up an impressive .317/.388/.700 line with five doubles, three triples, and four homers. The Braves' 3rd round draft pick last year is quickly establishing himself as one of the most exciting offensive prospects in the low minors, and if his power surge is real, (He only hit one homer in 44 games last year) he could be moving up prospect lists by the middle of the year.

Honorable Mention: Gwinnett Braves - Cory Gearrin, Buddy Carlyle, Jose Constanza, Drew Sutton, Jaye Chapman, Julio Teheran, Tim Hudson. Mississippi Braves - Mark Lamm, Ryan Buchter. Lynchburg Hillcats - J.R. Graham, Chasen Shreve, Nick Ahmed, Edward Salcedo. Rome Braves - David Filak, A.J. Holland, Cole Rohrbough, Nick DeSantiago.

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Gwinnett got blanked by the Knights, Andrelton Simmons and Sean Gilmartin each had great efforts for the M-Braves, Lynchburg was rained out yet again, and Kyle Kubitza homered to lead Rome.

Gwinnett Braves 0, Charlotte Knights 2

• Ernesto Mejia, 1B: 1-3, BB, K, .290
• Erik Cordier, SP: 4.1 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 2 K, L(0-1), 5.19 ERA
• Buddy Carlyle, RP: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, 0.00 ERA
• Cory Gearrin, RP: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 0.00 ERA

The G-Braves are off tomorrow, but Tim Hudson will take the mound on Tuesday against the Knights, making his final rehab start (barring any setbacks) before rejoining the big league club.

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Pitching was the theme of the day in the Braves' minor league system tonight, as all 3 teams that played saw great work from their starters. Todd Redmond struck out ten men, Zeke Spruill pitched seven innings of shutout baseball, and David Filak threw five innings of one-hit ball.

Gwinnett Braves 1, Charlotte Knights 3

• Drew Sutton, 2B: 1-4, 2B, .259
• Christian Marrero, LF: 1-3, 2B, .310
• Todd Redmond, SP: 5.2 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 10 K, L(1-2), 2.61 ERA
• Jaye Chapman, RP: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 1.80 ERA
• Anthony Varvaro, RP: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, 0.00 ERA

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Yohan Flande tossed 6.2 dominant innings of two-hit ball, Mississippi got shut out, Gattis and Salcedo hit back to back homers, and Ryne Harper pitched well out of Rome's bullpen in Friday's Minor League action.

Gwinnett Braves 3, Charlotte Knights 0

• Jordan Parraz, RF: 3-4, 3B, R, .368
• Luis Durango, CF: 1-5, R, RBI, 2 SB(7,8), .221
• Yohan Flande, SP: 6.2 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 K, 0.00 ERA
• Dusty Hughes, RP: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, S(1), 0.90 ERA

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