M-Braves Drop Back-and-Forth Game to Rocket City

Photo by Jack Sadighian

PEARL, MS – The Mississippi Braves (54-70, 21-35) dropped a back-and-forth game, 4-2, to the Rocket City Trash Pandas (57-68, 25-31) on Saturday night at Trustmark Park.

The M-Braves will have another chance to win the series in the finale tomorrow night.

Hurston Waldrep, Atlanta’s 2023 first round pick, made his Double-A debut after just four starts and 15 professional innings since he was signed on July 13. The right-hander went three shutout innings, allowing two hits and three walks with five strikeouts.

After Bryce Osmond allowed just two baserunners in the first five innings, Javier Valdes blasted a solo homer into the left-field bullpen to tie the game at 1-1. Valdes went 1-for-3 with his eighth home run and 25th RBI in 66 games.

José Montilla followed Waldrep and allowed one unearned run with four strikeouts in three innings of relief. Montilla got some help from his defense in the fourth when Cal Conley flipped behind the back to Luke Waddell for a brilliant putout at second base to end the frame.

Rocket City took the lead back with a run in the top of the seventh. The M-Braves again tied the game on a two-out RBI base hit from Josh Fuentes. The infielder lined a single under the glove of the diving centerfielder to tie the game at 2-2.

The Trash Pandas wasted no time taking the lead back, scoring three batters into the top of the eighth. Rocket City added an insurance run in the ninth to make it 4-2.

The M-Braves failed to get anything going in the final two innings. Waddell was the lone baserunner on a walk in the ninth. Waddell went 1-for-3 with a walk and has hit in nine of the last 10 games.

The series finale is on Sunday night at Trustmark Park. RHP Alan Rangel (2-15, 4.97) will make the start Mississippi while RHP Michael Darrell-Hicks will make his Double-A debut for Rocket City. The first pitch is at 6:05 pm CT, with coverage starting 15 minutes before on 102.1 The Box, MiLB First Pitch App, and Bally Live.