D-Braves Drop 2018 Home Opener

DANVILLE, Va. - The Danville Braves dropped just their sixth game on Opening Day since 2000 in Tuesday's loss against Pulaski, 4-1.

Pulaski took the first lead of the game, 1-0, in the fourth inning off the bat of Carlos Tatis, which then turned into an error as pitcher Dilmer Mejia overthrew first base.
The D-Braves answered back with a run of their own in the bottom half of the fourth inning, knotting the game at 1-1. Nicholas Vizcaino scored Hagen Owenby on an RBI groundout.
However, Pulaski would shutout the D-Braves the rest of the night and added three runs of their own in three of the next five innings. Pulaski's Luis Rijo pitched five innings of scoreless baseball in relief of starter Luis Medina. The Yankees' pitcher improves to 1-0 to begin his 2018 season.
The Braves had threatening scoring opportunities in the sixth and seventh inning, but bore no fruit of its labor. In the bottom of the sixth, the Braves had runners at first and second with no one out, and runners at first and third with one out, but couldn't brush a run across the plate.
The D-Braves held a chance when it sent right-handed pitcher Dilmer Mejia to the bump. The product of El Sauce, Nicaragua managed six innings of work with only allowing four hits and one earned run. Mejia also struck out eight Yankees in 84 pitches.
The Braves return to Legion Field tomorrow and Thursday to finish out their opening series of the 2018 season.
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About the D-Braves:
The Danville Braves are the Rookie (Advance) affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. The D-Braves began play in 1993 and will celebrate their 25th anniversary during the 2018 season. The D-Braves play in the Appalachian League, which consists of 10 teams across North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. For more information about the Danville Braves, please visit www.dbraves.com or call 434.797.3792. You can follow the D-Braves on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat.