Waters extends league-best on-base streak in Sunday loss to Mobile

PEARL, MS - The Mississippi Braves (33-36) closed out the first half of the 2019 season on Sunday afternoon at Trustmark Park, falling to the Mobile BayBears (27-41) 6-2. The BayBears and M-Braves split the six-game series in five days. 

All-Star outfielder Drew Waters  singled in the bottom of the first inning to extend his on-base streak to 25 games, the longest such streak in the Southern League this season. It also moved his hitting streak to 13 games, the longest by an M-Brave this season. 

For the third straight game, the BayBears struck first. Jahamai Jones began the game with a single and moved to second base when a pitch hit Bo Way. M-Braves starting pitcher Kyle Muller (L, 4-4) bounced back with consecutive strikeouts, but with two outs, Erick Salcedo singled home, Jones. 

The Braves tied the game in the third inning and scored an unearned run Ray-Patrick Didder opened the frame with a single, moved to second base on a groundout by Riley Unroe  and then scored on an E4 off of the bat of Waters. Didder finished the day 2-for-4.

The BayBears quickly jumped back ahead in the top of the fourth inning when Jones belted a three-run home run into the Mississippi bullpen, giving the BayBears a 4-1 lead. The first three BayBears reached in the fifth inning and two more runs scored. Muller exited after 4+ innings, giving up six runs on five hits with five walks and seven strikeouts. 

Claudio Custodio  took over for Muller and walked the first batter, but retired the next six-straight BayBears. Jason Hursh , Jeremy Walker  and Thomas Burrows  combined to pitch one inning and retire each batter. The bullpen combined to retire the final 14 batters of the game. 

Atlanta Braves top catching prospect William Contreras  collected his first two-hit game on Sunday and drove home Tyler Neslony  in the eighth inning to pull the Braves within 6-2. Greyson Jenista  was also 2-for-4, his first multi-hit game at the Double-A level. 

Mobile starter Jesus Castillo (W, 5-6) tossed 7.0 innings and allowed one unearned run, securing the victory. 

The M-Braves out-hit the BayBears 11-5 but were 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position in the loss. Sunday's game marked the final meeting between the BayBears and Braves at Trustmark Park. The Mobile franchise will relocate to Madison, Alabama in 2020. 

The M-Braves conclude the first-half of 2019 with a 33-36 record and will begin the second half of the season on Thursday, June 20 in Biloxi. The league pauses for three days, and the 49th Southern League All-Star Game will be held on Tuesday night at MGM Park in Biloxi. First pitch of the second-half opener on Thursday is set for 6:35 pm with coverage beginning at 6:20 pm on 103.9 WYAB, TuneIn Radio, MiLB First Pitch app. and MiLB.TV (subscription required). 

The Braves return to Trustmark Park for the first homestand of the second-half, June 25-29 to face the Jackson (TN) Generals.