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Photo by Paul Abell/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images
Burkhalter struck out three and got 10 swing and misses in his first start for Columbus Despite the Braves losing to the Phillies, it was a busy and productive day down on the farm as multiple teams came away victorious on Tuesday. There were also several individual performances worth highlighting. So, without further ado, let’s dive into it all.
(4-6) Gwinnett Stripers 4, (5-6) Norfolk Tide 2
Charles LeBlanc, 1B: 1-4, RBI, R, BB
Luke Waddell, 1-5, 2B
Garrett Cooper, DH: 1-4, R, BB
Davis Daniel, SP: 6 IP, H, 3 BB, 6 K
Box Score
It took extra innings, but Gwinnett got the win over Norfolk on Wednesday, plating three runs in the top of the tenth to take the victory.
The Stripers struck first, plating one run in the top of the second thanks to a two-out, opposite field RBI-single off the bat of Cody Milligan to stake Gwinnett to a 1-0 lead. That was the only run the Stripers would get in the first nine innings, as the Stripers were limited to just two hits.
However, starter Davis Daniel was phenomenal, holding Norfolk to just one hit across six innings while issuing just three walks and striking out six. The most intriguing thing for Daniel in his first start of the year, was his ability to mix his pitches effectively while also getting a healthy amount of swing and misses.
Davis showed a three-pitch mix consisting of a fastball that averaged in the low-90’s to go along with an average changeup and a slider with some decent biting action on it. Against Norfolk, his changeup got hammered fairly hard — with an average exit velocity of 97.8 miles per hour — but his slider performed much better as it kept batters off balance.
The key for Davis’ success moving forward is consistency. He isn’t going to wow you with overwhelming stuff, but he flashes enough action on his pitches that he’s able to stick around in games for longer than his stuff might suggest upon first glance.
Norfolk tied the game in the eighth inning, getting their first run off of Jackson Stephens to knot things up at 1-1.
In the top of the tenth, Alex Verdugo started the frame at second base and proceeded to third on a single off the bat of Garrett Cooper — who then stole second base before Luke Waddell struck out. A wild pitch enabled Verdugo to score, giving Gwinnett the 2-1 lead, as Cooper then crossed the plate on a Charles Leblanc single into right field to extend the Stripers advantage to 3-1. Sandy Leon would bring home the insurance run on an RBI-single to score Leblanc and make it a 4-1 Gwinnett lead.
Jesse Chavez would be called on to get the save and despite giving up an RBI-single as the Tide cut their deficit to 4-2, the veteran righty struck out the side to end the game and give Gwinnett the win.
While there weren’t too many stars at the plate for Gwinnett in this one, Alex Verdugo showed more promising signs that he’s making progress in order to join the big league roster. Despite going 0-4 in this one, Verdugo worked a walk and produced the highest exit velocity of the game on a 103.5 miles per hour flyout. Sure, it may have come off a 91 miles per hour fastball, but it’s encouraging to see him continue to square the ball up seeing as though he missed all of spring training.
An additional offensive highlight came from Luke Waddell. In producing the Stripers’ lone extra-base hit, the infielder has officially hit safely in eight of Gwinnett’s first 10 games on the season en route to posting an .845 OPS.
Swing and misses
Davis Daniel — 8
Jackson Stephens — 6
Buck Farmer — 2
Jesse Chavez — 1
(1-3) Columbus Clingstones 1, (1-4) Biloxi Shuckers 3
David McCabe, 3B: 1-3, BB, R
Drew Compton, 1-3, BB
Blake Burkhalter, SP: 6 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3K
Box Score
After notching their first win in club history on Tuesday, the Columbus Clingstones found themselves back in the loss column following the 3-1 victory by Biloxi on Wednesday.
The offense was rather putrid, tallying just one run on four hits to go along with three walks on the day for the Clingstones.
In terms of the bats, there wasn’t much to write home about. The lone run for Columbus came as David McCabe — who singled into left off of Biloxi lefthander Josh Maciejewski into left field — scored on an error in the top of the seventh to help the Clingstones avoid the shutout.
One positive on offense, however, is that David McCabe continued his scorched start to the season, albeit in just 12 plate appearances. The 25-year-old switch-hitting third baseman has five hits to start his campaign, including a home run and a pair of RBI. McCabe has also posted an OPS of 1.329 through the first four games of the year.
The biggest plus for McCabe thus far, has been his plate discipline. In those four games, McCabe has walked six times while going down on strikes just once. While it is admittedly super early in the season, in 2024, McCabe struck out 42 times in 35 games at double-A while drawing just 24 walks. It remains to be seen, but his adjustments when it comes to his eye for the zone so far has been encouraging.
The real highlights on Wednesday came on the mound for the Clingstones as Blake Burkhalter made his double-A debut. On the day, Burkhalter tossed six innings of two-run ball, while scattering four hits and issuing three walks to go along with three strikeouts.
Overall, Burkhalter looked very good in his first taste of double-A ball. The 24-year-old didn’t get into too many deep count situations on Wednesday, primarily because he was able to keep Biloxi off-balance with a healthy mix of his cutter and secondary offerings.
Burkhalter eventually ran into some trouble in the top of the seventh, as he allowed a leadoff single and then a walk — both batters of which later came around to score to stake Biloxi to a 2-1 lead. Reliever Jake McSteen would allow the Shuckers to score an additional run in the frame, extending their lead to 3-1 which held as the final.
Swing and Misses
Blake Burkhalter — 10
Jake McSteen — 3
Elison Joseph — 2
(2-3) Rome Emperors 7, (3-2) Bowling Green Hot Rods 3
Stephen Paolini, CF: 2-3, 2 RBI, BB, R
Titus Dumitru, LF: 1-5, 2B, 2 RBI, R
Harry Owen, C: 2-4, RBI
Justin Janas, DH: 2-5, RBI, 2 R
Herick Hernandez, SP: 3.1 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
Box Score
While three of Atlanta’s minor league teams struggled to put any type of significant offense together, the same can’t be said for Rome, as the Emperors tallied seven runs on 13 hits in their win over Bowling Green.
While seven runs is a healthy amount of scoring for any team, Rome had a few opportunities squandered to break this one open early. In the top of the second, Stephen Paolini brought home the game’s first run — plating Justin Janas — on a forceout, but with the bases loaded, which proved to be the only scoring of the frame for Rome.
Bowling Green tied things up in the home half and later took the lead, scoring a second run off of Rome starter Herick Hernandez — more on him in a bit.
Trailing by a run, the Emperors dominated the fifth inning, scoring six times to take a 7-2 lead. Paolini and Lizandro Espinoza led off the frame with back-to-back singles before a Will Verdung single loaded the bases. A Titus Dumitru double into the left centerfield gap that bounced up against the wall to score both Paolini and Espinoza to give Rome the 3-2 lead. Janas would then reach on a fielder’s choice to score Verdung to make it 4-2. After Ambioris Tavarez walked — which boosted his season OPS to a very encouraging .852 thus far — a Harry Owen single aided by a throwing error scored Dumitru and Janas to extend the lead to 6-2. Paolini would come through again, this time singling into right field to plate Janas to give the Emperors a 7-2 lead.
Paolini didn’t just come through at the dish for Rome. In the bottom of the fifth, Paolini made an excellent running catch near the left centerfield warning track to save what would have been a leadoff double, or perhaps a triple.
As for Hernandez, the lefty wasn’t exactly spectacular in his first start of the year. He got hit around after he left some pitches up in the zone and got hammered for a pair of homers in his 3.1 innings of work. On the bright side, both dingers came off the bat of the same player, so there’s a potential silver lining. Despite this, Hernandez did manage to limit the damage and kept Rome in the game long enough for his offense to carry him away from the loss.
The stars on the mound for Rome in this one came out of the bullpen, as Sam Strickland, Austin Smith, Cory Wall and Giomar Diaz allowed just one run in 5.2 innings of work while striking out four and allowing just one hit the rest of the game after Hernandez gave way.
(2-3) Augusta GreenJackets 2, (4-1) Hickory Crawdads 6
John Gil, SS: 1-4, 2 RBI
Jeremy Reyes, SP: 2.2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
Box Score
It was beginning to feel a lot like deja vu for Augusta in this one. After being no-hit the day prior, the GreenJackets were staring down the abyss of another hitless performance through six innings on Wednesday.
Thankfully, however, the baseball gods elected not to punish the Braves’ low-A affiliate any further as the GreenJackets strung together their first hit since Sunday in the top of the seventh frame. While it was only one hit — an RBI-double over the second baseman’s head by John Gil — it plated Augusta’s only two runs of the game.
The lone upside at the plate for the GreenJackets came in the form of walks, of which Augusta worked seven of them, including three in the seventh inning to load the bases ahead of Gil’s double.
While the bats were stagnant still, things didn’t go much better on the mound. Jeremy Reyes got the start on the bump for Augusta and while he showed flashes of what he can be, it was ultimately a disappointing outing.
Reyes only lasted 2.2 innings for the GreenJackets, but during that stretch he flashed a fastball that topped out at 96 miles per hour in addition to a slider which had solid movement on it. Reyes’ changeup was also above-average on Wednesday as well.
The biggest issue for Reyes against Hickory was his command. While statcast for this game wasn’t available, Reyes was only able to register 37 strikes on the day in his 66 total pitches, which led to three walks, three hits and a pair of earned runs on the day for the righty.
Reyes still ranks as one of our more intriguing prospects in Atlanta’s system, and there’s plenty of time to build off of this performance for him. The main focus for Reyes as he matures as a pitcher, is learning how to not fall behind in counts and work more efficiently to get batters out, which should come in due time.
<img alt="Columbus Clingstones photo day" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/XFOSUu7ddp5Z83uh_J4b_GJAark=/0x0:2529x1686/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/74015727/2207553744.0.jpg">
Photo by Paul Abell/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images
Burkhalter struck out three and got 10 swing and misses in his first start for Columbus Despite the Braves losing to the Phillies, it was a busy and productive day down on the farm as multiple teams came away victorious on Tuesday. There were also several individual performances worth highlighting. So, without further ado, let’s dive into it all.
(4-6) Gwinnett Stripers 4, (5-6) Norfolk Tide 2
Charles LeBlanc, 1B: 1-4, RBI, R, BB
Luke Waddell, 1-5, 2B
Garrett Cooper, DH: 1-4, R, BB
Davis Daniel, SP: 6 IP, H, 3 BB, 6 K
Box Score
It took extra innings, but Gwinnett got the win over Norfolk on Wednesday, plating three runs in the top of the tenth to take the victory.
The Stripers struck first, plating one run in the top of the second thanks to a two-out, opposite field RBI-single off the bat of Cody Milligan to stake Gwinnett to a 1-0 lead. That was the only run the Stripers would get in the first nine innings, as the Stripers were limited to just two hits.
However, starter Davis Daniel was phenomenal, holding Norfolk to just one hit across six innings while issuing just three walks and striking out six. The most intriguing thing for Daniel in his first start of the year, was his ability to mix his pitches effectively while also getting a healthy amount of swing and misses.
Davis showed a three-pitch mix consisting of a fastball that averaged in the low-90’s to go along with an average changeup and a slider with some decent biting action on it. Against Norfolk, his changeup got hammered fairly hard — with an average exit velocity of 97.8 miles per hour — but his slider performed much better as it kept batters off balance.
The key for Davis’ success moving forward is consistency. He isn’t going to wow you with overwhelming stuff, but he flashes enough action on his pitches that he’s able to stick around in games for longer than his stuff might suggest upon first glance.
Norfolk tied the game in the eighth inning, getting their first run off of Jackson Stephens to knot things up at 1-1.
In the top of the tenth, Alex Verdugo started the frame at second base and proceeded to third on a single off the bat of Garrett Cooper — who then stole second base before Luke Waddell struck out. A wild pitch enabled Verdugo to score, giving Gwinnett the 2-1 lead, as Cooper then crossed the plate on a Charles Leblanc single into right field to extend the Stripers advantage to 3-1. Sandy Leon would bring home the insurance run on an RBI-single to score Leblanc and make it a 4-1 Gwinnett lead.
Jesse Chavez would be called on to get the save and despite giving up an RBI-single as the Tide cut their deficit to 4-2, the veteran righty struck out the side to end the game and give Gwinnett the win.
While there weren’t too many stars at the plate for Gwinnett in this one, Alex Verdugo showed more promising signs that he’s making progress in order to join the big league roster. Despite going 0-4 in this one, Verdugo worked a walk and produced the highest exit velocity of the game on a 103.5 miles per hour flyout. Sure, it may have come off a 91 miles per hour fastball, but it’s encouraging to see him continue to square the ball up seeing as though he missed all of spring training.
An additional offensive highlight came from Luke Waddell. In producing the Stripers’ lone extra-base hit, the infielder has officially hit safely in eight of Gwinnett’s first 10 games on the season en route to posting an .845 OPS.
Swing and misses
Davis Daniel — 8
Jackson Stephens — 6
Buck Farmer — 2
Jesse Chavez — 1
(1-3) Columbus Clingstones 1, (1-4) Biloxi Shuckers 3
David McCabe, 3B: 1-3, BB, R
Drew Compton, 1-3, BB
Blake Burkhalter, SP: 6 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3K
Box Score
After notching their first win in club history on Tuesday, the Columbus Clingstones found themselves back in the loss column following the 3-1 victory by Biloxi on Wednesday.
The offense was rather putrid, tallying just one run on four hits to go along with three walks on the day for the Clingstones.
In terms of the bats, there wasn’t much to write home about. The lone run for Columbus came as David McCabe — who singled into left off of Biloxi lefthander Josh Maciejewski into left field — scored on an error in the top of the seventh to help the Clingstones avoid the shutout.
One positive on offense, however, is that David McCabe continued his scorched start to the season, albeit in just 12 plate appearances. The 25-year-old switch-hitting third baseman has five hits to start his campaign, including a home run and a pair of RBI. McCabe has also posted an OPS of 1.329 through the first four games of the year.
The biggest plus for McCabe thus far, has been his plate discipline. In those four games, McCabe has walked six times while going down on strikes just once. While it is admittedly super early in the season, in 2024, McCabe struck out 42 times in 35 games at double-A while drawing just 24 walks. It remains to be seen, but his adjustments when it comes to his eye for the zone so far has been encouraging.
The real highlights on Wednesday came on the mound for the Clingstones as Blake Burkhalter made his double-A debut. On the day, Burkhalter tossed six innings of two-run ball, while scattering four hits and issuing three walks to go along with three strikeouts.
Overall, Burkhalter looked very good in his first taste of double-A ball. The 24-year-old didn’t get into too many deep count situations on Wednesday, primarily because he was able to keep Biloxi off-balance with a healthy mix of his cutter and secondary offerings.
Burkhalter eventually ran into some trouble in the top of the seventh, as he allowed a leadoff single and then a walk — both batters of which later came around to score to stake Biloxi to a 2-1 lead. Reliever Jake McSteen would allow the Shuckers to score an additional run in the frame, extending their lead to 3-1 which held as the final.
Swing and Misses
Blake Burkhalter — 10
Jake McSteen — 3
Elison Joseph — 2
(2-3) Rome Emperors 7, (3-2) Bowling Green Hot Rods 3
Stephen Paolini, CF: 2-3, 2 RBI, BB, R
Titus Dumitru, LF: 1-5, 2B, 2 RBI, R
Harry Owen, C: 2-4, RBI
Justin Janas, DH: 2-5, RBI, 2 R
Herick Hernandez, SP: 3.1 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
Box Score
While three of Atlanta’s minor league teams struggled to put any type of significant offense together, the same can’t be said for Rome, as the Emperors tallied seven runs on 13 hits in their win over Bowling Green.
While seven runs is a healthy amount of scoring for any team, Rome had a few opportunities squandered to break this one open early. In the top of the second, Stephen Paolini brought home the game’s first run — plating Justin Janas — on a forceout, but with the bases loaded, which proved to be the only scoring of the frame for Rome.
Bowling Green tied things up in the home half and later took the lead, scoring a second run off of Rome starter Herick Hernandez — more on him in a bit.
Trailing by a run, the Emperors dominated the fifth inning, scoring six times to take a 7-2 lead. Paolini and Lizandro Espinoza led off the frame with back-to-back singles before a Will Verdung single loaded the bases. A Titus Dumitru double into the left centerfield gap that bounced up against the wall to score both Paolini and Espinoza to give Rome the 3-2 lead. Janas would then reach on a fielder’s choice to score Verdung to make it 4-2. After Ambioris Tavarez walked — which boosted his season OPS to a very encouraging .852 thus far — a Harry Owen single aided by a throwing error scored Dumitru and Janas to extend the lead to 6-2. Paolini would come through again, this time singling into right field to plate Janas to give the Emperors a 7-2 lead.
Paolini didn’t just come through at the dish for Rome. In the bottom of the fifth, Paolini made an excellent running catch near the left centerfield warning track to save what would have been a leadoff double, or perhaps a triple.
As for Hernandez, the lefty wasn’t exactly spectacular in his first start of the year. He got hit around after he left some pitches up in the zone and got hammered for a pair of homers in his 3.1 innings of work. On the bright side, both dingers came off the bat of the same player, so there’s a potential silver lining. Despite this, Hernandez did manage to limit the damage and kept Rome in the game long enough for his offense to carry him away from the loss.
The stars on the mound for Rome in this one came out of the bullpen, as Sam Strickland, Austin Smith, Cory Wall and Giomar Diaz allowed just one run in 5.2 innings of work while striking out four and allowing just one hit the rest of the game after Hernandez gave way.
(2-3) Augusta GreenJackets 2, (4-1) Hickory Crawdads 6
John Gil, SS: 1-4, 2 RBI
Jeremy Reyes, SP: 2.2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
Box Score
It was beginning to feel a lot like deja vu for Augusta in this one. After being no-hit the day prior, the GreenJackets were staring down the abyss of another hitless performance through six innings on Wednesday.
Thankfully, however, the baseball gods elected not to punish the Braves’ low-A affiliate any further as the GreenJackets strung together their first hit since Sunday in the top of the seventh frame. While it was only one hit — an RBI-double over the second baseman’s head by John Gil — it plated Augusta’s only two runs of the game.
The lone upside at the plate for the GreenJackets came in the form of walks, of which Augusta worked seven of them, including three in the seventh inning to load the bases ahead of Gil’s double.
While the bats were stagnant still, things didn’t go much better on the mound. Jeremy Reyes got the start on the bump for Augusta and while he showed flashes of what he can be, it was ultimately a disappointing outing.
Reyes only lasted 2.2 innings for the GreenJackets, but during that stretch he flashed a fastball that topped out at 96 miles per hour in addition to a slider which had solid movement on it. Reyes’ changeup was also above-average on Wednesday as well.
The biggest issue for Reyes against Hickory was his command. While statcast for this game wasn’t available, Reyes was only able to register 37 strikes on the day in his 66 total pitches, which led to three walks, three hits and a pair of earned runs on the day for the righty.
Reyes still ranks as one of our more intriguing prospects in Atlanta’s system, and there’s plenty of time to build off of this performance for him. The main focus for Reyes as he matures as a pitcher, is learning how to not fall behind in counts and work more efficiently to get batters out, which should come in due time.
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