Thrust into starting duty following the activation of AJ Smith-Shawver, it was another spectacular effort from Allan Winans who continues his strong season. The original plan was for Smith-Shawver to start the game and Winans to come in – but instead Winans took the mound to start the first and didn’t look back. After beginning the season with some blister issues, Allan took off in the month of June winning the International League Pitcher of the Month for the month after registering a 1.16 ERA across five starts. That being said this win was a total staff effort as the quartet of Winans, Jackson Stephens, Tommy Doyle, and Daysbel Hernandez limited the Jumbo Shrimp to just eight hits across ten innings with just two of those being extra-base hits (two doubles). Despite pitching in a matchup that consisted of the Pitcher of the Month and fantastic pitching prospect Max Meyer, it was Daysbel, who again pitched in just two innings, that had the most whiffs in the game (8). His continued strong work will likely result with him back on the big league team when eligible.
Offensively, it was a struggle as the Stripers faced off against baseball’s #81, and Marlins #3 prospect, Max Meyer. The Stripers scored their first run in the bottom of the third when Andrew Velazquez connected on his 11th homer of the season.
The score would remain tied, again thanks to some spectacular pitching from both clubs, until the 10th inning when Jacksonville scored in the top half of the inning to go up 2-1. Gwinnett responded by walking it off courtesy of Yuli Gurriel with the bases loaded.
We were blessed with another Ian Mejia sighting over in Mississippi as the 2022 11th round draft pick cruised, once again, to another outstanding outing. The two time Southern League Pitcher of the Month completely shut out the Barons, who were Southern League North first half champions. Following Mejia, were almost as equally impressive outings, by Jorge Juan (1IP 0H 0ER 0BB 3K), and Elison Joseph (1IP 0H 0R 1BB 2K) – who was making his Double-A debut. The three shut out a team that was second in run differential, and fourth overall in runs scored in the Southern League – a feat of its own.
On the offensive side of things this game was 0-0 heading into the fourth inning when Justin Dean lead off the inning with a single. Dean would go first-to-third on a Tyler Tolve single before scoring on a Bryson Horne sacrifice fly. At the time, with how both teams were pitching, it seemed like that might be all either team gets but the Braves tacked on an additional four runs the following inning thanks to a Justin Dean bases loaded walk (2-0), and two run single by Tyler Tolve (4-0) that scored Keshawn Ogans, and Cal Conley. Sebastian Rivero would single in Justin Dean to extend that lead to 5-0. Mississippi would add their final run in the seventh from this Justin Dean homer
