Going Out of Town

I will be among nature for the next week and therefore without internet, TV, or even a cell phone signal.  How will I survive!?  Well, this trip always occurs during the end of the trading deadline so I know I will miss a lot of deals.  It is entirely possible that we will be short another prospect or two when I get back.  I will be very anxious to see what the Braves did when I get back.

7/20 Recap

AAA - Richmond 1, Ottawa 8
Gregor Blanco went 2-4 with a double and a run scored but didn't get any help from the rest of the offense. Blanco continues to be a bright spot on a team without many of them. Ricardo Rodriguez (L, 5-9) started and took the loss. Will Startup pitched an inning of scoreless relief while allowing one hit and striking out one.

Box Score
Recap

AA - Mississippi 2, Tennessee 1
Salty continues his good play since returning from an injury as his 2-run homer was the difference. Barbaro Canizares also had a good day at the dish going 2-3 with a run scored. Chris Waters (W, 6-8) allowed 5 walks and 4 hits in 5 innings but only allowed one run. Zach Schreiber saved his 13th game by allowing one hit and striking out 2 in the 7th. His ERA is now at 1.69.

Box Score

Mississippi 2, Tennessee 1
This is not an error. The Braves played twice and won by the same score both games. This time it was Brandon Jones who provided the heroics with a 2-run homer in the bottom of the 7th, which is the last inning because of the double-header. Josh Burrus also singled twice and scored. Anthony Lerew continues to dominate AA hitters as he allowed only 2 hits and 2 walks to go with an unearned run in 6 innings. His ERA dropped to 1.64. Jose Ascanio (W, 3-2) pitched the top of the 7th for the win.

Box Score

High A - Myrtle Beach 1, Wilmington 4
The Pelicans were able to get 10 hits but could only plate one run. Matt Young got 3 of the hits including a double and a run scored. Carl Loadenthal and Steve Doetsch each had 2 hits as well. Matt Young stole his 18th base while Loadenthal stole his 17th. Kelvin Villa (L, 6-4) gave up 9 hits and 4 runs in 5.2 innings. Ralph Roberts pitched 2.1 scoreless innings in relief.

Box Score
Recap

Low A - Rome 3, Kannapolis 0
Jeff Lyman (W, 5-2) made the best start of his young career by going 7 shutout innings while only allowing 3 hits and 3 walks. This is a good sign from Lyman who had a couple of bad outings in a row before this one. Jake Stevens, who seems to have been relegated to the bullpen, picked up a 2 inning save. Jamie Trejo went 3-4 and drove in a run. Jamie Romak went 2-4 with a double, a run scored, and an RBI.

Box Score
Recap

Rookie - Danville 5, Bristol 3
Michael Broadway (W, 2-0) made another good start and lowered his ERA to 2.08 as he allowed only one run in 5 innings of work. Kristopher Medlen struck out 5 in 1.2 innings for his 3rd save. The offense was lead by Ernesto Mejia who homered and Tyler Flowers who drive in a run on one of his 2 doubles.

Box Score
Recap

GCL Braves 1, Yankees 0
Jose Ortegano (W, 3-2) and Chad Rodgers combined to 3-hit the Yankees on Thursday. Shortstop, Tony de la Cruz, scored the only run of the game to go along with his 2 singles. Rubi Koko also had 2 hits including a double.

Box Score

Braves get a closer; lose Ramirez

Braves trade for Bob Wickman

The Braves new closer is now Bob Wickman and it comes at the expense of minor league catching prospect Max Ramirez. The Indians have fallen out of the race in a competitive AL Central and have started selling. Wickman has been pretty good for Cleveland this year except for a stretch during June where he struggled. Wickman is a proven big league closer if not a glamorous one. I think just a little bit of stabilization in the Braves' bullpen could prove to be a big difference.

Max Ramirez will be the second top prospect from Atlanta to join Cleveland this year with Andy Marte being the other. Ramirez is a prized catching prospect and played in the South Atlantic League all-star game this year. However, Ramirez was somewhat expendable as the catching position has become a major strength in the Braves organization. Also, Ramirez is only in the middle of his first full professional season and therefore is hard to project. To be able to get a veteran closer for a guy like that is a good decision in my opinion.

7/19 Recap

AAA - Richmond 0, Ottawa 7
Lance Cormier (L, 3-1) ended a string of good starts by giving up 7 runs in 6 innings. Paul Bush pitched 2 perfect innings of relief with 2 strikeouts. Gregor Blanco, Martin Prado, and Carlos Mendez were the only Richmond players to get hits.

Box Score

AA - Mississippi
No Game

High A - Myrtle Beach 0, Wilmington 1 (11)
The red hot Pelican's offense was completely shut down by Wilmington. Carl Loadenthal was 0-5. Kala Kaaihue went 0-4 with 3 strikeouts. Van Pope went 0-2 but did manage to walk 3 times. On the good side, Luis Atilano made another good start as he tossed 7 shutout innings with 5 strikeouts. Michael Nix pitched 2 shutouts innings before Devin Anderson (L, 1-2) gave up the winning run in the 11th.

Box Score

Low A - Rome
No Game

Rookie - Danville 8, Bristol 5
Phillip Britton broke out of a slump with 4 hits and 3 RBI's. Every starter had a hit but Willie Cabrera who went 0-3. Larry Williams was 2-6 to keep his average at .330. Tommy Hanson was impressive for his 5 innings as he did not give up a run on only 3 hits while striking out 6 with no walks. His ERA is now 2.82. Dave Williams blew his first save of the season when he gave up one run in 2 innings. James Curtis (W, 2-0) pitched the final 2 innings for the win.

Box Score

GCL Braves 1, Indians 3
Starter, Steve Kent (L, 1-1), gave up 2 runs in 3 innings but his ERA still stands at 1.50. Sean White pitched 4 shutouts innings while striking out 4. Adam Coe went 1-4 with a double but his average is down to .267 after a red hot start. Wes Timmons went 1-4 and is hitting .316 in his rehab assignment.

Box Score

7/18 Recap

AAA - Richmond 4, Ottawa 2
Daniel Curtis (W, 2-3) made another good start as he gave up only an unearned run on 6 hits in 7 innings for the win.  Manny Acosta gave up 2 walks, a hit, and a run in the 9th but still got his 8th save.  Martin Prado lead the offense with 3 hits in 5 at-bats while driving in 2 runs.  His average is now at .299.  Tony Pena Jr. was also 1-3 with a run and a stolen base.

Box Score
Recap

AA - Mississippi 2, Tennessee 3
Francisley Bueno (L, 1-4) bounced back from a rough start with a decent start yesterday but it wasn't enough to lead the Braves past Tennessee.  Luis Hernandez went 2-4 with 2 RBI's and Josh Burrus hit 2 doubles in 4 at-bats.  Brandon Jones also stayed hot by going 2-4 with a double.  Salty went 1-4 with 2 strikeouts.

Box Score
Recap

High A- Myrtle Beach
Suspended

Low A- Rome 4, Greenville 6
Phil Stockman made another rehab appearance and struck out the side in the first with 2 walks.  Beau Jones then came in and had a terrible time.  He allowed 3 runs on 7 walks and 4 hits in only 3.1 innings.  Adam Stanley (L, 1-5) took the loss by allowing 2 runs in the 7th inning as the Braves actually held a brief 4-3 lead.  Lee Hyde pitched the final 3 innings allowing only a run on 3 hits.  Max Ramirez lead the offense by going 3-3 with a walk and an RBI.  Ovandy Suero also went 2-4 with an RBI but was caught stealing for the 15th time.

Box Score
Recap

Rookie- Danville 1, Bristol 5
Sergio Valenzuela started and gave up only 1 run on 2 hits in 5 innings, but Joshua Ward (L, 1-1) came in for the 6th inning and allowed 4 runs while recording only one out.  Kevin Gunderson made his debut after winning the college world series with Oregon State and pitched a perfect inning.  Chase Fontaine singled once in 3 at-bats and scored Danville's lone run.

Box Score
Recap

GCL Braves 11, Phillies 12
Steven Evarts made an impressive start but the bullpen couldn't hold a 6-1 lead for him.  Nelson Payano and Julio Sanchez each allowed 4 runs each.  Joseph Johnson (L, 1-1) allowed one run in 2 innings for the loss.  Cole Miles was a star at the plate with 5 hits in 7 at-bats with a homer and 2 RBI's.  Adam Parliament also hit a homer and drove in 2 runs.

Box Score

7/17 Recap

AAA - Richmond 2, Ottawa 4
Brian O'Connor (L, 4-9) pitched a decent game but got the loss as the offense failed to drive in runs despite 9 hits. Gregor Blanco had another good game with 2 hits and a walk. Cesar Crespo went 1-4 with a home run. Tony Pena Jr. also raised his average to .287 by going 2-3. Wayne Franklin continued his good work out of the pen with a perfect inning and one strikeout. I think the Braves should have given him a shot instead of calling up Peter Moylan again.

Box Score
Recap

AA - Mississippi
No Game

High A - Myrtle Beach 12, Wilmington 3
The Pelicans won again as they continue to get some great hitting from a number of guys. Van Pope went 2-4 with 2 RBI's and 3 runs. Kala Kaaihue went 2-5 with 2 runs scored. Carl Loadenthal was amazing with 5 hits, a home run, and 3 RBI's. Diory Hernandez is also hitting well right now and drove in 4 runs on 2 hits. Another hot hitter is Greg Creek. He went 1-2 with an RBI and 3 walks. James Parr (W, 5-5) took the victory by allowing 3 runs in 5 innings. Moises Hernandez and Ralph Roberts pitched 2 hitless inning each to finish the game.

Box Score
Recap

Low A - Rome 5, Greenville 4
Dustin Evans made his 3rd start with Rome and pitched ok but Tyler Bullock (W, 6-4) got the win with 3 shutout innings in relief. Evans gave up 4 runs on 6 hits and 2 walks in 5 innings. Brad Nelson got his 4th save and has an ERA of 0.84. Jamie Romak had a double and 2 RBI's while Quentin Davis and Max Ramirez each drove in runs as well.

Box Score
Recap

Rookie - Danville 4, Burlington 6
Concepcion Rodriguez drove in 3 runs and Larry Williams went 3-4 but it wasn't enough as Burlington won with 2 runs in the 9th. Tyler Wilson (L, 1-2) gave up the runs to take the loss. Carlos Sencion gave up only one hit in 3.1 innings to lower his ERA to 2.18 for Danville.

Box Score
Recap

GCL Braves
No Game

Weekend Notes:

Richmond: (1-2)

• Lance Cormier pitched 7 strong inning in Richmond's lone win this weekend. He has now put together a few good starts since being demoted.
• Gregor Blanco has settled into his role as the new leadoff hitter in Richmond. He went 4-5 with 3 RBI's and a stolen base on Saturday. His speed could bring him to Atlanta soon.
• Matt Wright was promoted from Mississippi and just got blasted in his first start. He gave up 10 runs in 3.2 innings as Richmond fell 23-11. It was so bad that catcher, Carlos Mendez, had to get the final out of the game. Vladimer Nunez got pounded and Will Startup didn't pitch too well either. On the bright side, the offense was led by James Jurries' 2 home runs.

Mississippi (3-0)

• Anthony Lerew allowed only 5 baserunners and an unearned run in 7 innings on Friday to lower his ERA to 2.00.
• Matt Harrison pitched 7 shutout innings on Saturday and Zach Schreiber continued his stellar work with a save on Friday and Saturday.
• Brandon Jones homered on Sunday and is currently batting .291.
• Salty made his return after sitting out for a few weeks and it looked like it may have made a difference. He went 2-3 on Sunday with a home run.
• Dan Smith started and pitched 5 hitless innings while striking out 8. Jose Ascanio also pitched 2 shutout innings in relief this weekend.

Myrtle Beach (0-1)

• Joey Devine started on Friday and pitched very well. He gave up only one hit in 3 shutout innings while striking out 5. More importantly, he walked none and didn't throw any wild pitches.
• Greg Creek homered in the game and J.C. Holt stole his 20th base.
• Devin Anderson took the loss as he gave up 2 runs in the 8th.

Rome (0-3)

• Jamie Romak was hot this weekend with is 10th and 11th home runs.
• Jeff Lyman made his second straight ineffective start as he took the loss Friday.
• Asher Demme pitched 7 shutout innings on Saturday but Rome lost as Phil Stockman gave up 4 hits and 3 unearned runs in the first inning.
• Jairo Cuevas pitched 5 hitless innings on Saturday but Jake Stevens came out of the pen to blow it with 5 runs given up in the 6th.

Danville (3-0)

• Dave Williams collected his 3rd and 4th saves of the season.
• Jamie Richmond and Michael Broadway continued there excellent pitching.
• Willie Cabrera had 3 hits Saturday and his average now stands at .340.
• Chase Fontaine is still going strong with a .321 average.
  

New Feature

Check out the Braves draft history over on the left sidebar just under the prospect profiles. See exactly who the Brave have taken in any draft since 1996. There is one minor thing missing right now however. The 2006 list is for some reason not showing the top 5 picks. I don't know why they are missing but I'm sure thebaseballcube.com will get it sorted out soon.

7/13 Recap

AAA - Richmond 1, Syracuse 8
Gregor Blanco was on base 3 times with 2 walks and a hit but the rest of the Braves failed to get to the Blue Jay's top pitching prospect, Dustin McGowan. Brayan Pena and Michael Ryan did manage to go 1-3. Dan Curtis (L, 1-3) was coming off a couple of decent starts but was hit hard by Syracuse. He gave up 6 runs on 8 hits in 6 innings. Will Startup pitched an inning but gave up a hit, a walk, and a run. His ERA is 5.28 so he is going to need some time in AAA before being ready to contribute in Atlanta.

Box Score
Recap

AA - Mississippi 1, Huntsville 3
Luis Hernandez walked and scored for the Braves only run in the game. Brandon Jones drove him in with one of his 3 hits including a double. Those 3 hits brought his average up to .303. Yunel Escobar was 1-3 but was caught stealing for the 5th time and committed his 20th error. Chris Waters (L, 5-8) returned from some missed time with a good outing. He gave up only 2 runs on 4 hits and 2 walks in 6.2 innings. Jose Ascanio gave up another run in the 8th inning.

Box Score
Recap

High A - Myrtle Beach 12, Winston-Salem 6
The Pelican's offense was red hot again as they put a 12-spot up. Kala Kaaihue showed some signs of life with 3 hits, including a home run and 2 RBI's. Mark Jurich was an offensive star as well with 3 hits and 3 RBI's. Clint Sammons and J.C. Holt each drove in 2 runs apiece as well. Kelvin Villa (W, 6-3) pitched the minimum innings required for the win while giving up 4 runs to go along with 3 walks and no strikeouts. Dave Watkins pitched 2 scoreless innings of relief and Michael Nix pitched the final inning without giving up a run.

Box Score
Recap

Low A - Rome 3, Charleston 1
Beau Jones pitched a typical game where he gave up a lot of baserunners (6 hits and 2 walks) but not many runs (1 unearned). He lasted only 4.1 innings thanks to his inefficiency. Jose Santiago (W, 1-0) pitched the final 4.2 innings and allowed only 2 hits while striking out 8. Quentin Davis had a big day at the plate with 3 his, one run, and 4 stolen bases to give him 30 for the season. His 4 steals included stealing 3rd base three times. Max Ramirez hit a 2-run homer in the 6th inning which proved to be the difference.

Box Score
Recap

Rookie - Danville
Suspended

GCL Braves 4, Phillies 0
Steven Evarts (W, 1-1) was terrific with 5 shutout innings on 3 hits and one walk. Edgar Osuna struck out 6 in the final 3 innings for his first save. Evart's ERA now stands at 1.29 while Osuna lowered his ERA to 1.12. Jon Mark Owings continued his good work with 2 doubles and an RBI. Adam Coe also drove in another run with his 1-4 day. Cole Miles went 1-2, walked 3 times, and stole a base out of the leadoff spot. Wes Timmons made a rehab appearance and went 0-3 with a walk and a run.

Box Score

Prospect Profile: Jarrod Saltalamacchia

Name: Jarrod "Salty" Saltalamacchia
Age: 21
Pos: C
Height: 6-4
Weight: 195
Bats: S
Throws: R

History:
Jarrod Saltalamacchia was drafted in the first round (36th overall) of the 2003 draft out of high school in Florida. He was the 2nd player taken by the braves in the 2003 draft as Luis Atilano was taken just one spot ahead of Jarrod. Jarrod spent 2003 in the gulf coast league and really didn't play well except for the fact that he showed good plate discipline with 28 walks against 33 strikeouts. He hit .239 with only two home runs in 134 at-bats. Jarrod was promoted to Rome in 2004 and started to show some promise. He hit .272 while adding 10 home runs. However, his plate discipline suffered as he struck out to 83 times in 323 at-bats. Salty burst onto the prospect scene in 2005 with a terrific year in the pitcher friendly ballpark at Myrtle Beach. Salty hit 35 doubles and slugged 19 home runs while driving in 81 to go along with his batting line of .314/.394/.519. Jarrod's ascension took him to the top of the braves prospect list at the beginning of the 2006 season.

Current:
Where do we start with Jarrod Saltalamacchia in the 2006 season. Everybody who follows the minor leagues knows that he is having a horrific season. He is currently under the Mendoza line with a .198 batting average. His slugging percentage is just as bad at .298. So what has happened to the braves most prized prospect? A couple of excuses have been mentioned. The first is that he has spent so much time working on his defense that his offense has struggled to keep pace. Some speculate that he has been playing through an injury. Those close to him say that his swing looks different this year and his power has been zapped. I don't know exactly what has happened to Salty this year but I do know that he showed too much promise last year to completely fizzle for good. This season may be basically lost but he has plenty of time to reverse his fortunes and become a top prospect again.

Projected:
Before this season I would have told you that Salty projects as a middle of the order slugger at the major league level. He was even impressive during spring training this march. Now I would say that he still has the skills necessary to be a major league hitter but he needs to quickly find the source of his troubles this year. I have a feeling that one of two things will happen. Either he will bounce back and be the big hitter that he has shown he can be, or he will never again find his stroke and possibly never make it to the big leagues. There's also a question of whether or not he will remain a catcher or become a corner infielder or an outfielder for that matter. With all of the work that he is done on his catching, I would imagine that the braves are intent on him being a catcher at the major league level.

Year	Age	Team	Level	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	CS	BA	OBP	SLG
2003	18	Gul	Rookie	46	134	23	32	11	2	2	14	28	33	0	0	.239	.382	.396
2004	19	Rome	A	91	323	42	88	19	2	10	51	34	83	1	0	.272	.348	.437
2005	20	Myr	A+	129	459	70	144	35	1	19	81	57	99	4	2	.314	.394	.519
2006	21	Mis	AA	70	242	16	48	12	0	4	25	33	58	0	0	.198	.311	.298

7/12 Recap

AAA - Richmond
No Game

AA - Mississippi 0, Huntsville 11
Francisley Bueno (L, 1-3) returned to the mound after missing some time and it showed as he didn't pitch well at all.  He gave up 9 runs on 10 hits in 5 innings.  The offense was just as bad as they only managed 2 hits, one each by Josh Burrus and Yunel Escobar.  This was Burrus's first game back in Mississippi after rehabbing in Florida.  Escobar also committed an error which was his 19th of the season.

Box Score
Recap

High A- Myrtle Beach 5, Winston-Salem 3
Luis Atilano (W, 5-7) continued his good pitching of late with 7.1 strong innings of work where he walked one, struck out 3, and gave up 3 runs.  Moises Hernandez got the final 5 outs for his 7th save.  J.C. Holt and Matt Young both had 2 hits at the top of the order and each drove in a run.  Diory Hernandez continued his strong hitting since his rehab with a 2-4 day.  Carl Loadenthal went 1-3 and stole his 15th base.

Box Score
Recap

Low A- Rome 3, Charleston 2
Josh Morris went 2-3 with 2 runs scored and Jordan Schafer knocked him in for the winning run in the bottom of the 7th.  Ovandy Suero also drove in 2 runs.  Elvis Andrus went 0-4 and committed his 24th error.  Him and Escobar have a lot of work to do on their fielding.  Phil Stockman started his rehab with a scoreless inning of work with 2 strikeouts.  Dustin Evans pitched the next 5 innings, giving up 3 hits and 2 runs along with 7 strikeouts.  His ERA in Rome now stands at 1.64 since being drafted in June.  Jairo Cuevas, (W, 4-7) picked up the win with 2 scoreless innings of work.  Another 2006 draft pick, Lee Hyde, pithced the 9th for his first save of the season.

Box Score
Recap

Rookie- Danville 5, Bluefield 3
Ernesto Mejia drove in 2 runs with 2 hits and Willie Cabrera raised his average to .349 with a 3-3 day.  Chase Fontaine went 2-4 with an RBI and is batting .347 while Tyler Flowers singled walked and scored twice.  Joshua Ward started and gave up 7 hits but only one run in 4 innings.  Sergio Valenzuela (W, 1-2) gave up only one hit but 2 runs in 3 innings for the win.  Dave Williams collected his second save of the year.

Box Score

GCL Braves
No Game

Prospect Profile: Brandon Jones

Name: Brandon Jones
Age: 22
Position: OF
Height: 6-2
Weight: 195
Bats: L
Throws: R

History:
Brandon Jones was drafted in the 24th round (727th overall) of the 2003 draft out of community college in Florida. Jones played his first season at Danville in 2004. He was pretty impressive with a .297 average and good plate discipline with 23 walks and 33 strikeouts. He only hit 3 homers and stole 4 bases but it was obvious that he had the physical skills to be a 5-tool player. He was a sleeper heading into 2005 with the potential to breakout. Jones started the year great in Rome hitting .308/.423/.577 with 29 walks and 29 strikeouts. The Braves were impressed enough to promote him to Myrtle Beach in the middle of the season. Unfortunately after 60 at-bats, Brandon broke a bone in his hand to sideline him for the remainder of the season. He still hit .350 in his 60 at-bats at Myrtle Beach to solidify himself as a top prospect in the Atlanta organization.

Current:
Brandon spent the first part of 2006 recovering from his hand injury from 2005. He had to shake off some rust once he came back but was still the most feared hitter in the Pelicans lineup for the first half of the season. The Braves were impressed enough to send him to Mississippi for the second half. His numbers at Myrtle Beach weren't that impressive but all of the scouts and coaches really liked what they saw out of him. He finished the first half at .259/.332/.424 with 7 home runs and 9 stolen bases. So far at Mississippi, Brandon is hitting .259 and slugging .448. I'm hoping to see some improvement in the second half of this year.
Projected:
Brandon Jones is already the top outfield prospect in the Braves' system. He possesses all the tools necessary to be a starting outfielder someday. The problem right now is he doesn't do anything great. His power numbers are not tremendous and he is not stealing a ton of bases. However, he is expected to develop more power down the road and he'll learn how to steal bases. At the very worst, I think he'll be a Langerhans type player who can be a very valuable fourth outfielder or platoon starter. However, if he progresses as expected, he should join Andruw Jones as a starting outfielder someday.

Year	Level	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	CS	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
2004	Rookie	57	209	35	62	6	5	3	33	23	33	4	2	.297	.366	.416	782
2005	Rookie	2	7	0	2	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	.286	.375	.286	661
	Rookie	2	8	0	1	0	0	0	2	0	2	0	1	.125	.125	.125	250
	A	43	156	37	48	12	3	8	27	29	29	4	1	.308	.423	.577	1000
	A+	17	60	7	21	4	0	0	5	9	9	0	1	.350	.437	.417	854
2006	A+	59	224	27	58	10	3	7	35	20	49	9	5	.259	.332	.424	756
	AA	17	58	7	15	4	2	1	7	6	11	0	1	.259	.313	.448	761

7/10 Recap

AAA - Richmond
No Game

AA - Mississippi
No Game

High A- Myrtle Beach 7, Wilmington 4
Diory Hernandez and Steve Pyzik combined for 7 hits and 6 RBI's as the Pelicans won 7-4. Carl Loadenthal had 2 hits of his own and scored 3 times. Kala Kaaihue doubled and scored twice to raise his average to .190. J.C. Holt stole his 19th base and Matt Young stole his 16th base as well. Ralph Roberts started and gave up 2 runs in 3 innings. Devin Anderson (W, 1-0) claimed his first win since being promoted to Myrtle Beach with 3 shutout innings of relief with 3 k's.

Box Score
Recap

Low A- Rome 7, Columbus 3
Jake Stevens (W, 2-1) pitched a great game, giving up 3 hits and one run in 6 innings for the win. The Braves scored 5 times in the 7th thanks to a grand slam by Eric Campbell. It was his 14th homer of the season. Jordan Schafer had 2 hits and an RBI and Jose Santos also had 2 hits and scored a run to go along with his first stolen base since being promoted from Danville.

Box Score
Recap

Rookie- Danville 2, Kingsport 4
Carlos Sencion (L, 0-1) pitched 4 shutout innings before allowing 3 runs in the 5th. Overall he allowed 4 runs in 5.1 innings. Jaye Chapman pitched the final 2.2 innings without allowing a run to lower his ERA to 2.63. Tyler Flowers had 2 hits including a 2-run home run. Danny Brezeale doubled twice but committed his 6th error of the year. Brandon Monk went 0-4 and is now hitting just .145 since being demoted from Rome. Chase Fontaine also went 0-4 but he is still batting .338.

Box Score

GCL Braves 1, Yankees 5
Neftali Feliz (L, 0-1) started and gave up 2 runs in only 2 innings but took the loss as the Braves could only score once. Kyle Warren pitched pretty well as he only gave up one run in 3 innings of work. Javier Dominguez drove in the only run for the Braves but failed to record a hit. Jon Mark Owings went 1-2 with a walk to raise his average to .385 on his rehab stint. Josh Burrus is still rehabbing and went 1-3 to raise his average to .182.

Box Score

Weekend Recap

AAA - Richmond
Richmond beat Durham twice this weekend with some really good pitching.  Jason Shiell (W, 1-1) pitched 7 shutout innings in the first game with Wayne Franklin and Manny Acosta completing the shutout.  Ricardo Rodriguez (W, 5-7) won the second game by giving up only 2 runs in 7 innings.  Manny Acosta got the save for the second consecutive night.  Brayan Pena drove in 2 runs in the first game while Tony Pena scored twice on his 2-3 night.  Gregor Blanco singled, walked, stole a base, and scored as well.  Jamal Strong hit his first home run of the season in the second game.

Box Score: Richmond 3, Durham 0
Box Score: Richmond 4, Durham 2

AA - Mississippi
The Mississippi Braves didn't play on Sunday so there is only one game to cover.  Matt Wright started and pitched great but he left with the game tied and the Braves ended up losing in extra innings 4-2.  Wright only gave up 3 hits and 2 runs in 6.2 innings to lower his ERA to 2.22.  Arthur Santos (L, 1-2) pitched 3 innings in relief and gave up his first earned run of the season since being promoted to Mississippi.  His ERA now stands at 0.47.  Mississippi got on the board with an Anthony Lerew pinch-hit RBI groundout.  Luis Hernandez drove in the other run.

Box Score: Mobile 4, Mississippi 2

High A- Myrtle Beach
Myrtle Beach split their games this weekend with the first game being a wild win at 11-10.  Jo-Jo Reyes started the game and only gave up one run on 3 hits in 5 innings to lower his ERA to 1.02.  Devin Anderson, Ralph Roberts, and Moises Hernandez then gave up 9 runs out of the pen.  Michael Nix (W, 2-3) pitched 1.2 innings of scoreless ball for the win.  Matt Young, Van Pope, Kala Kaaihue, and Greg Creek each drove in 2 runs in the game.  James Parr started  Sunday's game and left in a 3-3 game after 6 innings.  Joey Devine (L, 0-1) then came in and walked 3, threw a wild pitch, and gave up 2 runs.  Diory Hernandez singled twice and scored twice while Clint Sammons drove in a run with 2 hits.

Box Score: MB 11, Wilmington 10
Box Score: Wilmington 5, MB 3

Low A- Rome
Rome has yet to find the success they enjoyed in the first half as they lost twice this weekend.  The pitching faltered on Saturday as Tyler Bullock, Nick Tisone, and Adam Stanley (L, 1-4) combined to give up 11 runs.  Asher Demme pitched well on Sunday as he gave up only one run on 7 hits in 5 innings but Jeff Lyman (L, 4-1) blew the game with 3 runs in 3 innings.  Lyman stuggled with control as he walked 4 and gave up 3 hits.  Jamie Romak stared in both games with 2 home runs and 4 RBI.  Jordan Schafer homered and drove in 4 runs on Saturday.

Box Score: Columbus 11, Rome 9
Box Score: Columbus 4, Rome 3

Rookie- Danville
Danville continued its good play with a couple of high scoring victories.  Phillip Britton went 4-10 with 5 RBI's over the weekend.  Chase Fontaine also had a couple of good games with 3 hits and a home run.  Danny Brezeale also hit a 3-run homer on Saturday.  Tommy Hanson (W, 1-1) got the win on Saturday despite giving up 3 runs in 2 innings.  Lee Hyde (W, 1-0) took the win on Sunday with 2 shutout innings.

Box Score: Danville 8, Kingston 7
Box Score: Danville 9, Kingston 5

GCL Braves
Steve Kent (W, 1-0) made an impressive start on Saturday and Ysidro Garcia may have been a little better to finish off the Braves' 7-0 win over the Phillies.  Kent gave up only 2 hits with no walks and 6 strikeouts in 5 innings.  Garcia held the Phillies hitless in the final 4 innings while allowing only 2 walks.  The offense started ominously as the first 6 Braves hitters struck out.  Jon Mark Owings provided all the offense the Braves needed with a two-run double in the 3rd.  Steven Garcia added 3 hits and a solo homer.  Errors were the story of Sunday's game.  The Braves made 5 of them.  Deivis Rivadeneira made 2 of them.  Jose Ortegano gave up only one hit in 4 innings but also gave up 2 runs (one earned).  Chad Rodgers (L, 0-1) took the loss despite giving up only an unearned run in 4 innings.  Ysidro Garcia finished up by giving up 2 unearned runs of his own as the Braves fell 5-2.

Box Score: Braves 7, Phillies 0
Box Score: Indians 5, Braves 2

Top 20 Braves PRE-SEASON Prospects in Review

Everyone should check out John Sickel's midseason analysis of the Braves pre-season top-20 prospects.  Below is John's summary of the organization thus far this season.

"Salty is a big disappointment, although he's been banged up physically.
It will be very interesting to see how various prospect experts grade
him at the end of the year. I am undecided on that myself. It doesn't
fit with their reputation, but there have been several pitching
disappointments in this organization this year. I still love Chuck
James though, and Startup looks intriguing."

He's right on the money when he says we have had some major pitching disappointments.  Jake Stevens, Anthony Lerew, and Joey Devine have endured to most publicized declines.  Jairo Cueves, Luis Atilano, and James Parr are guys who have not quite lived up to their ability this year although it is far too early to give up on any of them.  Also, the emergence of Jo-Jo Reyes and Matt Harrison give the Braves a few arms to be proud of.

Prospect Profile: Matt Harrison

Name: Matt Harrison
Age: 20
Pos: SP
Height: 6-4
Weight: 221
Bats: L
Throws: L

History:
Matt was selected by the Braves in the 3rd round (97th overall) of the 2003 draft out of high school in North Carolina. Matt started his pro career in the gulf coast league and pitched pretty well. He was 3-1 with a 3.69 ERA in 11 games (6 starts). He struck out 33 in 39 innings and walked 9. The Braves made him a full-time starter in 2004 at Danville where he went 4-4 with a 4.09 ERA. His ERA went up but his HR/9, BB/9, and WHIP all went down. Harrison was then promoted to Rome in 2005 and had a standout year. He won 12 games with a 3.23 ERA and had a very small WHIP of 1.08. Harrison's K/9 has decreased every season but strikeouts has never been Harrison's game. Matt doesn't walk many and keeps the ball in the ballpark.

Current:
Matt's 2006 season with Myrtle Beach has been even better than his previous years as he was selected to the all-star team. For Myrtle Beach in the first half, Matt went 8-4 with a 3.10 ERA and 1.14 WHIP. He increased his k/9 to 6.67 and lowered his home run rate. Harrison was promoted to Mississippi at the mid-point of the season. He is currently 0-2 with a 5.40 ERA but his last start was very good and he has only given up one homer in 18.1 innings. I expect him to improve his numbers greatly as the season goes on.

Projected:
At this point in Matt Harrison's development, he projects as a starting pitcher in the big leagues. He has succeeded at every level he has been promoted to and will hopefully continue until he gets to Atlanta. As I said earlier, Harrison is not a strikeout pitcher but he strikes out people with more regularity than someone like Horacio Ramirez. I expect that he will eventually be a middle top back of the rotation starter and will likely get a chance at the rotation sometime in 2008.

Year	Team Name	Level	W	L	ERA	G	GS	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	WHIP
2003	Gulf Coast Braves	Rk	3	1	3.69	11	6	39.0	40	18	16	2	9	33	1.26
2004	Danville	Rk	4	4	4.09	13	12	66.0	72	36	30	3	10	49	1.24
2005	Rome	A	12	7	3.23	27	27	167.0	151	65	60	17	30	118	1.08
2006	Myrtle Beach	A+	8	4	3.10	13	13	81.1	77	30	28	6	16	60	1.14
2006	Mississippi	AA	0	2	5.40	3	3	18.1	22	12	11	1	4	16	1.44

Salty is hurt

If you've noticed that Jarrod Saltalamacchia has not been in the lineup recently, you should be interested to know that it is an injury that has kept him out. Here is an excerpt from a Baseball America article.

"Things have gone from bad to worse for Braves No. 1 prospect Jarrod Saltalamacchia this season. While he has made strides defensively, the Double-A
Mississippi catcher is hitting just .197/.311/.297 with four homers and
25 RBIs in 239 at-bats this season. Saltalamacchia sustained a bone
bruise on his left hand at the base of his wrist on June 28 and hasn’t
played since. He is not expected to return until after the all-star
break"

Maybe this will give him a chance to work on his swing which has reportedly fallen apart this season. We know he is hitting under .200 but the question is why? Scouts are saying that his swing has deteriorated drastically from both sides of the plate and his power has been zapped. He has made a concerted effort to work on his defense this season so that could have something to do with his offensive drop-off. Hopefully this break will do him some good and he can regain the swing that made him a top prospect.

7/7 Recap

AAA - Richmond 9, Durham 4
Michael Ryan stayed red hot with a homer and 4 RBI's. He now has his average up to .258. Brayan Pena went 4-5 and has his average all the way up to .272 after a rough start. Gregor Blanco went 2-6 with 2 runs and 2 RBI's. Lance Cormier (W, 2-0) started and pitched really well; 7 innings, 6 hits, one run. Paul Bush finished the game by giving up 3 runs in 2 innings.

Box Score
Recap

AA - Mississippi 5, Mobile 0
Anthony Lerew (W, 1-2) made another impressive start with 6 shutout innings lowering his ERA to 2.70. Dan Smith, Eric Schmitt, and Glen Tucker each threw shutout innings in relief. Brandon Jones led the offense with 2 hits a stolen base and a home run. Yunel Escobar went 3-3 with an RBI and a stolen base and Bobby Darula went 2-4 with a homer from the leadoff spot.

Box Score
Recap

High A - Myrtle Beach 0, Frederick 2
Matt Young had 3 hits but got shutout by Frederick 3-0. Kala Kaaihue continues to struggle since his promotion and is not hitting .156. Charlie Morton (L, 4-6) started and only gave up 2 runs in 6 innings. Moises Hernandez pitched a scoreless 7th and Dave Watkins struck out the side in the 8th.

Box Score
Recap

Low A - Rome 4, Savannah 7
Rome lost 7-4 as Jairo Cuevas (L, 3-7) gave up 3 runs in the 8th inning. Beau Jones started and only gave up 2 runs (one earned) in 5 innings but he walked 6 people. Beau is going to have to cut down on his walks and be able to pitch later into games. Brad Nelson pitched a scoreless 9th. Jordan Schafer stayed hot and went 3-4 with 2 doubles and a homer. Jamie Romak went 2-4 and hit a homer as well. Catcher, Cody Clark, went 1-2 with a couple of walks and is now hitting .317. Eric Campbell and Elvis Andrus each went 0-4.

Box Score
Recap

Rookie - Danville 9, Johnson City 0
Jaye Chapman started and pitched 2 hitless innings but Jamie Richmond (W, 3-0) was the star as he held Johnson City scoreless on one hit for 6 innings. The offense was led by Willie Cabrera who went 2-4 with a homer and 2 RBI. Shortstop, Chase Fontaine, went 3-5 with 3 RBI's and is hitting .364. Larry Williams also drove in 2 runs with 2 hits while raising his average to .313.

Box Score
Recap

7/5 Recap

AAA - Richmond
Ottawa 11, Richmond 9
Good:
OF- Gregor Blanco- 3/4, 3R, 2BB, SB, CS, .255
2B- Martin Prado- 3/6, 3R, .301
OF- Michael Ryan- 3/4, R, 5 RBI, BB, .244
DH- Dax Norris- 2/5, 2 RBI, .255
Bad:
SP- Jonathan Johnson- 5 IP, 7H, 6R, 3BB, K, 5.23
P- Franklin Nunez (L, 1-6)- .2 IP, 2H, 2R, BB, 4.97

Box Score
Recap

AA - Mississippi
No Game

High A - Myrtle Beach
No Game

Low A - Rome
Savannah 9, Rome 2
Good:
OF- Jordan Schafer- 2/3, HR, R, 2 RBI, .216
Bad:
SP- Jake Stevens (L,1-2)- 5 IP, 6H, 7R, 5BB, 5K, 4.94
DH- Josh Morris- 0/4, .147

Box Score
Recap

Rookie - Danville
Suspended: Rain

GCL Braves-
Jeffrey Locke started and gave up 4 runs (3 earned) in 3 innings as the Braves fell to the Yankees 8-3.  Casey Beck pitched two shutout innings to finish the game for the Braves.  The offense was lead by Adam Coe and Diory Hernandez who each hit home runs.  Coe now has 4 homers to go with his .347 average.  Josh Burrus has joined the GCL Braves as he rehabs his injury.

Box Score

Kevin Barry called back up

Chris Reitsma did not like what he felt in his hand in his first appearance back and has been placed on the DL again.  There is some speculation that he could sit out the remainder of the season if he needs surgery.  Kevin Barry was recalled from Richmond again to replace Chris.  In my opinion this is good news and hopefully Barry will be a consistent bullpen performer not that he has once again gotten the chance he deserves.

Prospect Profile: Eric Campbell

Name: Eric Campbell
Age: 20
Pos: 3B
Height: 6-0
Weight: 195
Bats: R
Throws: R

History:
Eric Campbell was taken by the Braves in the 2nd round (71st overall) of the 2004 draft out of high school in Indiana. The Braves viewed him as a third baseman with power despite his size (6-0, 195), and I've heard he's more like 5-11 than 6-0. He was sent to the GCL Braves as are almost all high school draft picks. His 2004 season with the GCL Braves was really a disappointment. He hit .251/.306/.384 with 7 home runs and 29 RBI's. He walked on 15 times and struck out 47 times in 211 at-bats. He also played a few games in Rome at the end of the season and went 3-22 there. Eric was promoted to Danville in 2005 despite his 2004 struggles and quickly answered all of his critics. He went on to be an Appalachian League All-Star, Co-player of the year in the Appalachian League, and Rookie Level Player of the Year. He hit .313/.383/.634 and even stole 15 bases in 19 attempts in his breakout season. His slugging potential was seen with his 18 home runs and 64 RBI's in 262 at-bats. He also improved his plate discipline a little bit by walking 28 times. 2005 was a breakout season for Eric which launched him into the status of the heir apparent to Chipper Jones now that Marte has moved on.

Current:
Eric Campbell's debut in full season single-A ball has further solidified Eric as a top prospect. In 297 at-bats, Eric is hitting .303/.342/.519 with 13 home runs and 52 RBI's. He was also selected as a starter for the South Atlantic League All-Star team. Eric also continues to show some speed on the base paths with 9 steals in 11 attempts in the first half. When it comes to plate discipline, Campbell has declined in walks but has improved in strikeouts. He has only walked 14 times but has also cut his strikeouts down a lot to 43.

Projected:
Eric's projected MLB position is still somewhat up in the air. His height and quickness make some people speculate that he could end up being a second baseman at the big league level. His power would make him an excellent offensive second baseman. Right now he is staying at third base and showing enough power to project him as a slugging third baseman even at the major league level. He needs to work on taking walks but everything else is looking very good. He hits for average and power. He has speed and has decreased his strikeouts. He should be starting somewhere in Atlanta's infield in a few years.

Year	Team Name	Level	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	CS	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG
2004	Gulf Coast Braves	Rk	211	30	53	7	0	7	29	3	1	15	47	.251	.306	.384
2005	Danville	Rk	262	77	82	26	2	18	64	15	4	28	64	.313	.383	.634
2006	Rome	A	300	60	90	19	3	13	52	9	2	14	44	.300	.341	.513

7/3 Recap

AAA - Richmond
Richmond 8, Ottawa 4
Good:
OF- Gregor Blanco- 1/3, 2R, RBI, 2BB, .213
C- Brayan Pena- 2/5, R, 2 RBI, .265
SS- Tony Pena- 2/5, R, .273
P- Wayne Franklin- 2 IP, H, 2K, 2.39
P- Manny Acosta- IP, H, K, 4.19

Box Score
Recap

AA - Mississippi
Mississippi 3, Montgomery 2
Good:
3B- Yunel Escobar- 1/4, 3B, R, RBI, .279
P- Matt Wright- 7 IP, 5H, 1ER, 4K, 2.19
P- Arthur Santos- 2.2 IP, H, unearned run, 2K, 0.00
Bad:
SS- Luis Hernandez- error lead to winning run

Box Score
Recap

High A - Myrtle Beach
MB 5, Potomac 0
Good:
1B- Kala Kaaihue- 1/3, HR, 3 RBI, 2R, .188
C- Clint Sammons- 3/4, RBI, .233
DH- Mark Jurich- 2/3, HR, 2BB, .250
P- Jo-Jo Reyes- 7 IP, 7H, BB, 6K, 0.71
Bad:
SS- Jaime Trejo- 0/4, 2K, .213

Box Score
Recap

Low A - Rome
Charleston 2, Rome1
Good:
C- Max Ramirez- 2/4, HR, .286
P- Adam Stanley- 6 IP, 6H, R, 2BB, 2K, 5.16
Bad:
P- Marcus Covington- 2.2 IP, 4H, R, 2BB, 2K, 1.35
OF- Jamie Romak- 0/4, 3K, .209

Box Score
Recap

Rookie - Danville
Burlington 8, Danville 4
Good:
1B- Tyler Flowers- 1/2, R, 2BB, .280
2B- Brandon Monk- 2/3, R, .158
P- Lee Hyde- IP, H, BB, K, 0.00
Bad:
P- Kyle Cofield- 4 IP, 6H, 6R, 2BB, K, 4.97

Box Score
Recap

GCL Braves-
Chad Rodgers had a successful debut but the Braves fell 5-2 to the Phillies. Rogers gave up one run on two hits in three innings. Jose Ortegano took the loss by giving up three runs on five hits in four innings. Cody Johnson went 1-2 with an RBI and holds a .308 average. Adam Coe also went 1-3 with a couple of walks to lower his average to a healthy .390.

Box Score

First Half Stats: Myrtle Beach

Player	POS	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	CS	OBP	SLG	AVG	OPS	E
Barbaro Canizares	OF	6	21	3	8	0	0	1	1	1	3	1	0	.409	.524	.381	.933	0
Carl Loadenthal	OF	49	163	27	53	8	0	3	18	26	28	12	6	.419	.429	.325	.848	2
Onil Joseph	OF	31	107	19	34	4	2	2	12	10	18	4	2	.381	.449	.318	.830	1
Matt Young	OF	73	252	35	70	19	2	1	30	47	34	14	6	.399	.381	.278	.780	2
Mike Rozema	SS	43	155	23	43	10	1	4	11	10	28	4	4	.323	.432	.277	.756	6
Greg Creek	1B	56	193	20	52	9	1	3	25	12	27	4	3	.319	.373	.269	.692	4
Brandon Jones	OF	59	226	27	58	10	3	7	35	25	49	11	6	.329	.420	.257	.750	5
Van Pope	3B	71	260	33	65	19	1	6	38	25	50	3	3	.327	.400	.250	.727	8
Mark Jurich	1B	23	78	6	18	4	1	1	12	4	15	0	0	.268	.346	.231	.614	2
Steve Doetsch	OF	69	222	23	51	7	2	0	13	22	61	8	2	.307	.279	.230	.586	2
J.C. Holt	2B	56	211	29	47	10	1	1	13	22	44	16	3	.303	.294	.223	.596	3
Clint Sammons	C	57	194	18	43	8	0	5	24	20	40	4	1	.294	.340	.222	.634	6
Jaime Trejo	3B	27	83	12	18	3	0	1	6	8	21	3	1	.280	.289	.217	.569	8
Willie James	SS	11	23	3	5	0	0	0	0	6	4	3	1	.419	.217	.217	.637	1
Scott Schade	3B	15	51	3	11	2	0	2	6	7	24	0	0	.310	.373	.216	.683	0
Diory Hernandez	SS	22	85	7	17	3	0	3	14	4	21	2	0	.242	.341	.200	.583	2
Steve Pyzik	C	27	89	4	17	2	0	0	6	5	7	0	0	.240	.213	.191	.453	4
Ardley Jansen	OF	6	21	0	4	2	0	0	1	1	4	1	0	.227	.286	.190	.513	1
Kala Kaaihue	1B	7	22	3	4	1	0	1	4	3	5	0	0	.280	.364	.182	.644	2
Robert Marcial	2B	16	38	3	4	0	0	0	6	6	13	1	0	.227	.105	.105	.333	1
Barksdale	C	7	23	2	2	0	0	2	3	0	10	0	0	.087	.348	.087	.435	1

Player W L ERA G GS CG SV IP H R ER HR HB BB SO WHIP Luis Atilano 3 7 5.01 15 15 1 0 88.0 109 53 49 14 2 20 34 1.47 Matt Harrison 8 4 3.10 13 13 2 0 81.1 77 30 28 6 4 16 60 1.14 Kelvin Villa 5 2 2.69 14 8 0 1 63.2 67 29 19 1 1 26 50 1.46 James Parr 3 5 5.40 12 10 0 1 63.1 71 40 38 6 1 16 49 1.37 Jake Stevens 1 6 6.41 13 11 0 0 60.1 69 47 43 5 7 30 33 1.64 Charlie Morton 3 5 6.12 16 10 0 0 57.1 66 46 39 7 4 30 48 1.67 Ralph Roberts 4 0 3.65 19 0 0 0 37.0 25 15 15 5 0 17 32 1.14 Jose Ascanio 1 1 4.94 8 6 0 0 31.0 38 18 17 0 4 20 23 1.87 Arthur Santos 4 0 1.04 13 0 0 1 26.0 21 4 3 0 2 6 15 1.04 Stephen Russell 2 0 2.35 12 2 0 0 23.0 16 7 6 3 1 10 19 1.13 Michael Nix 1 3 3.74 16 0 0 2 21.2 19 10 9 0 2 14 17 1.52 Wes Letson 0 0 5.59 12 0 0 0 19.1 26 13 12 0 0 10 9 1.86 David Watkins 1 4 4.08 16 0 0 5 17.2 8 12 8 2 1 8 17 0.91 Moises Hernandez 0 1 5.71 11 0 0 6 17.1 20 13 11 0 3 7 10 1.56 Zach Schreiber 0 0 1.10 8 0 0 3 16.1 13 2 2 1 0 8 18 1.29 Gonzalo Lopez 0 0 2.19 4 1 0 0 12.1 15 4 3 0 0 6 6 1.70 Dan Smith 1 0 1.13 8 0 0 5 8.0 5 1 1 1 0 4 13 1.13 Brad Nelson 0 0 0.00 3 0 0 0 7.1 3 0 0 0 0 2 4 0.68 Jo-Jo Reyes 0 0 1.59 1 1 0 0 5.2 3 3 1 0 0 1 7 0.71 Nelson Payano 0 0 6.23 2 1 0 0 4.1 6 6 3 0 1 3 5 2.08 Nick Tisone 0 0 0.00 1 0 0 0 3.0 4 0 0 0 0 1 3 1.67 Marcus Covington 1 0 0.00 2 0 0 0 2.0 1 0 0 0 0 4 2 2.50 Will Startup 1 0 0.00 1 0 0 0 2.0 1 0 0 0 0 1 3 1.00 Joey Devine 0 0 9.00 2 0 0 0 2.0 1 2 2 0 1 1 3 1.00 Devin Anderson 0 0 0.00 2 0 0 0 2.0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 1.00