Clementina Collects Four Hits, M-Braves Crush Blue Wahoos 9-1

Clementina goes 4-for-4 with homer, Alexander smacks third home run in two games, Shuster tosses six innings of one-run ball

By Jack Sadighian

May 28, 2022

PENSACOLA, FL - Hendrik Clementina went 4-for-4 with a homer and three RBI, and the Mississippi Braves (22-22) beat the Pensacola Blue Wahoos (20-19) 9-1 on Saturday night at Blue Wahoos Stadium. Clementina has now reached in 13 consecutive plate appearances. The catcher went 5-for-5 with a home run and

PENSACOLA, FL - Hendrik Clementina went 4-for-4 with a homer and three RBI, and the Mississippi Braves (22-22) beat the Pensacola Blue Wahoos (20-19) 9-1 on Saturday night at Blue Wahoos Stadium.

Clementina has now reached in 13 consecutive plate appearances. The catcher went 5-for-5 with a home run and two RBI last night. Clementina is batting .301 with four home runs and 14 RBI in 30 games this season.

The M-Braves moved to a .500 record for the first time this season and secured the series with the win tonight. The M-Braves lead the series 4-1.

LHP Jared Shuster tossed six innings of one-run ball for his fourth win of the season. The left-hander holds a 2.06 ERA, which is second in the Southern League, with 11 walks to 51 strikeouts in 48 innings. Atlanta’s No. 9 prospect leads the league with a .880 WHIP, 48 innings pitched and is second with a .181 opponent batting average.

The M-Braves scored runs in six of nine innings.

Clementina started the scoring with a line drive to center field to score Luke Waddell to make it 1-0.

Drew Lugbauer scorched an RBI single to center field in the third to bring in Yariel Gonzalez and make it 2-0.

In the fifth, Clementina smashed a solo home run into the bay over the left field wall to make it 4-0.

CJ Alexander blasted his third homer in two games, an opposite-field two-run shot in the seventh to give the M-Braves a 6-1 lead. Alexander has seven home runs and 18 RBI in 21 games in May.

Clementina added another RBI in a two-run eighth, and the M-Braves scored another run in the ninth in the 9-1 win.

Andrew Moritz singled in the ninth inning to extend his hit streak to eight games. Moritz is hitting .233 with eight RBI in 21 games with the M-Braves.

The Atlanta Braves selected the contract of Michael Harris II who went straight from Mississippi to his major league debut against Miami. Harris II started in center field and recorded his first big-league hit in the sixth inning off Sandy Alcantara. He also scored Atlanta’s only run in the 4-1 loss.

Harris II, the Atlanta Braves top prospect, played in all 43 M-Braves games this season, reaching base safely in 41 of 43 games. The Dekalb, GA native had a minor-league best 31-game on-base streak to start this season snapped on May 14, in Chattanooga.

In 43 games, Harris II hit .305 with 16 doubles, two triples, five home runs, 33 RBI, and 11 stolen bases. He registered a .878 OPS from the leadoff spot.

The final game of the road series is on Sunday afternoon at Blue Wahoos Stadium. RHP Alan Rangel (1-1, 4.83) makes the start for Mississippi against RHP Jeff Lindgren (0-0, 3.38) for Pensacola. The first pitch is at 4:05 pm CT, with coverage starting at 3:50 pm CT on 103.9 WYAB, TuneIn Radio, First Pitch App, and MiLB.tv.