De Avila delivers second straight quality start in Friday's loss in Pensacola
PENSACOLA, FL (June 7, 2024) — The Mississippi Braves missed some early opportunities for the second straight night and dropped a one-run game to the Pensacola Blue Wahoos 2-1 on Friday night at Blue Wahoos Stadium. The loss spoiled Luis De Avila's (L, 0-8) second straight quality start and handed
PENSACOLA, FL (June 7, 2024) — The Mississippi Braves missed some early opportunities for the second straight night and dropped a one-run game to the Pensacola Blue Wahoos 2-1 on Friday night at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
The loss spoiled Luis De Avila's (L, 0-8) second straight quality start and handed the 23-year-old left his eighth loss of the season. Over his 11 starts, the M-Braves (25-30) have produced just 23 runs (2.1 per game), which is the lowest run support of any starting pitcher.
Mississippi grabbed a 1-0 lead just two batters into the game on Friday night. Making his third start in the field, David Fletcher led off the game with a double down the right-field line and moved to third base on a fielding error. Nacho Alvarez Jr. smacked the first pitch from MD Johnson (W, 2-3) into left field, scoring Fletcher.
Pensacola tied the game in the second inning on a Harrison Spohn RBI single and went ahead in the third inning when a wild pitch allowed Joe Mack to score.
De Avila left his start with 6.0 innings of two-run baseball, scattering five hits, two runs, two walks, and three strikeouts. Austin Smith added a scoreless inning in the seventh inning, and Rolddy Munoz pitched the eighth inning and gave up a solo homer to Mack, his third in three days.
Bryson Horne continued his big week at the plate with three hits, finishing 3-for-4. Over the first four games, he is 8-for-14 with a homer, two runs, and three walks, upping his average to .267 for the year.
Game five of the six-game series in Pensacola is on Saturday night at Blue Wahoos Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 pm with LHP Jake McSteen (1-0, 4.18) starting for Mississippi against RHP Paul Campbell (5-1, 3.35) for the Wahoos. Coverage begins at 5:50 pm on 102.1 The Box, Bally Live, and MiLB.tv.
The M-Braves will return to Trustmark Park for a six-game homestand against the Rocket City Trash Pandas, June 11-16. The homestand features a Welcome to Summer Weekend with a Mississippi Braves Beach Towel Giveaway on Friday, June 14, and an Island-Themed Post-Game Fireworks on Saturday, June 15. For tickets and more information, visit mississippibraves.com.