Minor League Preview - May 5

Here's today's look around the minor league system.

RICHMOND

The Braves have won three in a row and start a four-game set against Indianapolis tonight at the Diamond. Chuck James goes for the Braves against right-hander Ty Taubenheim. James is 0-1 on the season in two games with a 1.80 ERA. This could be his last start in Richmond, as the Braves may need James in Pittsburgh on Saturday. Richmond is 17-12 on the season, 3.5 games up on Charlotte in the International League’s South Division.


MISSISSIPPI

Mississippi heads back on the road today for the start of a five-game series in West Tennessee against the Diamond Jaxx. Left-hander Dan Smith will go for the Braves against righty Doug Fister. Smith is looking for his first win of the season. He’s 0-4 with a 5.28 ERA in six games. The Braves are 9-21 on the season, seven games back of the Birmingham Barons in the Southern League South Division.


MYRTLE BEACH

Could this be the final Pelicans’ start for right-hander Tommy Hanson in Myrtle Beach? He’ll pitch tonight against the Potomac Nationals, who are in first place in the Northern Division of the Carolina League. Hanson is 3-0 on the season with a 0.79 ERA. A good performance against the 19-9 Nationals might propel the Braves to send Hanson to Double-A. Jordan Zimmerman (3-1, 1.65) goes for Potomac. The Pelicans are 18-12 on the season, four games on top of Winston-Salem in the Southern Division.


ROME

Rome has now lost three in a row and will try to snap out of it tonight against the Green Jackets in Augusta. Game time is 7:05. Jose Ortegano (0-1, 3.12) goes for the Braves, who are 11-19 on the season, eleven games back of Charleston in the Sally League’s Southern Division.



Bill Shanks is the author of Scout's Honor: The Bravest Way To Build A Winning Team, a look inside the Braves‘ traditional scouting and player development philosophies. He can be heard on 680 the Fan in Atlanta and 105.5 the Fan in Macon. Email Bill at .