(Media release from the Rome Braves):
After spending two straight weeks at home, the Rome Braves hit the road for six games with the Asheville Tourists.
Game One: Tourists 19, Braves 7
Rome and Asheville would kick off the series with a bang, as Asheville would tally nineteen total runs in the opener against the Braves. Roddery Munoz would get the starting nod for the Braves. Munoz would go five full innings and record seven strikeouts, but would also be tabbed with six earned runs on seven hits. Despite the seven runs from a hot-hitting offense, Asheville’s near twenty-run outburst was too much for the Braves to handle.
Milligan: 3-5, 2 RBI
Grissom: 3-4, 2 RBI
Game Two: Braves 10, Tourists 4
Game two would see Dylan Dodd get the start, as the lefty made his first career start against the Tourists. Rome would jump out to an early lead with a wild pitch in the top of the first, and Bryson Horne’s fourth homer of the year in the top of the second. The Tourists would storm back in the home half of the second, evening the score at two runs each. Asheville would then jump ahead with two more runs in the bottom of the third. However, Rome’s bats would find a new life in the mid to late innings, as they would score eight unanswered runs to secure a ten to four victory.
Grissom: 3-5, 1 RBI
Stephens: 2-4, 2 RBI
Game Three: Braves 22, Tourists 1
The third game of the series between the Braves and Tourists would see Rome score the most runs in a game all season. The Braves would hop out in front in the top of the first with a home run from Justyn-Henry Malloy and a triple from Drew Campbell to put them up three runs to none. The Braves would go on to score twenty-two runs, but they would only need two to win the game. Andrew Hoffmann would record one of his best starts of the year, going seven full innings and striking out five. The righty would surrender one run on two hits, with one of the hits being a solo home run in the bottom of the third. Nine out of ten Braves batters would record a hit, including newly acquired Dawson Dimon. Seven out of the ten Rome hitters would record multiple hits. The nail in the coffin would be Vaughn Grissom hitting grand slams in back-to-back innings.
Grissom: 4-7, 8 RBI, 2 HR
Carter: 5-6, 3 RBI
Game Four: Tourists 13, Braves 7
The Rome Braves would turn to Royber Salinas in Friday’s game four with the Tourists. The Braves jumped out to an early lead in the top of the first with a Justyn-Henry Malloy single to score Vaughn Grissom, but the Tourists would storm back in the bottom of the second with a five-run outburst. They would follow it up with five more runs in the bottom of the third, and two more runs in the bottom of the fourth. Vaughn Grissom would continue his rampage of absolutely obliterating the baseball, collecting four hits and driving in three runs, but it would not be enough to top the Tourists in game four.
Grissom: 4-5, 2 2B, 3 RBI
Valdes 2-4, 2B, 1 RBI
Game Five: Braves 12, Tourists 8
The opening frames of game five between the Braves and Tourists looked to foreshadow another offensive onslaught between the two teams. Rome opened the game with a five-run first due in large part to a grand slam from catcher Javier Valdes. However, Asheville would surge right back with four runs in the home half of the first inning. A Christian Robinson homer and Landon Stephens double would pad the lead for the Braves in the top of the second, but the Tourists would come back with three runs in the bottom half of the second. The game would go to the third inning with a score of seven to six in favor of Asheville. However, Rome’s bullpen would take control of the game, as Alec Barger, Dylan Spain, Ben Dum, and Austin Smith would combine for seven full innings of one run ball, striking out a combined seven Asheville hitters. The work from the ‘pen would be enough to keep the Braves in it, allowing the offense to rally back and give the Braves their thirty-fourth win of the season.
Stephens: 2-4, 2B, HR, 3 RBI
Bullpen: 7.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 7 K
Game Six: Braves 17, Tourists 5
The Sunday series finale would see lefty Lisandro Santos get the starting nod for the Braves as they looked to take the series from the Tourists. Rome would strike first in the opening frame with a Drew Campbell single to score Cody Milligan. The early lead would quickly vanish though, as Asheville rattled off a run in three consecutive innings. Rome would come back and put the game away with an eight-run top of the seventh, and a six-run top of the ninth.
Malloy: 3-4, 2B, 4 RBI
Stephens: 1-6, HR, 4 RBI
The Braves return home today for six games with the second place Hickory Crawdads, with righty Roddery Munoz scheduled to be the game one starter for the Braves against the High-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers.