Milligan’s Walk Off Completes M-Braves Comeback Win

Photo by Eddie Kelly

PEARL, MS – Cody Milligan smashed a walk-off single over the head of the left fielder, and the Mississippi Braves (57-70, 24-35) completed a three-run comeback, 4-3, over the Tennessee Smokies (68-59, 32-27) on Wednesday night at Trustmark Park.

Milligan notched the sixth walk off win for the M-Braves this season. The M-Braves have won six of their last eight games.

The Smokies scored three runs between the fourth and fifth innings to take a 3-0 lead.

Daniel Martinez went 4 2/3 innings in his fifth Double-A start. After seeing one over the minimum in the first three innings, Martinez gave up three runs on five hits over his last five outs. The right-hander walked three and struck out seven batters.

Ty Tice was the first pitcher out of the bullpen. The 27-year-old picked up the last out in the fifth and worked around two baserunners in the sixth to keep the score at 3-0.

Milligan stole a base and scored on a base hit from Luke Waddell to put the M-Braves on the board in the sixth inning. After Jesse Franklin V doubled, Drake Baldwin grounded in Waddell to make it 3-2.

Franklin went 2-for-3 with a double, a single and a walk. Waddell hit in his 11th of the last 13 games, going 1-for-3 with an RBI single and a walk. Milligan went 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run.

Nick Margevicius made his first appearance since being placed on the Injured List on August 22. The lefty pitched a 1-2-3 seventh inning. Patrick Halligan pitched around a leadoff single in the eighth to keep the M-Braves within a run.

In the eighth, Waddell walked with two outs and quickly stole second base. Franklin walked right after to put runners on first and second base. Tennessee made a pitching change, and Porter Hodge forced Baldwin into a groundout to keep the Smokies ahead by a run.

Kyle Wilcox kept the M-Braves within a run by retiring the Smokies in order in the ninth. Bryson Horne and Brandon Parker walked to start the bottom of the ninth. Javier Valdes grounded a single up the middle to score the tying run. Two batters later, Milligan smacked a ball over the left fielder to walk it off and complete the comeback.

The third game of the series is on Thursday night at Trustmark Park. LHP Luis De Avila (6-9, 3.49) will make the start Mississippi while RHP Walker Powell (11-6, 3.76) will start for Tennessee. The first pitch is at 6:35 pm CT, with coverage starting 15 minutes before on 102.1 The Box, MiLB First Pitch App, and Bally Live.