Shuster Strikes Out Eight in M-Braves 3-2 Loss to Shuckers

BILOXI, MS - LHP Jared Shuster struck out eight batters and gave up just one run in 5 1/3 innings, but the Mississippi Braves (29-41) dropped the second half opener 3-2 to the Biloxi Shuckers (35-33) on Tuesday night at MGM Park.

Shuster struck out seven in his first three innings. He allowed one run off four hits and two walks.

Ranked as Atlanta’s No. 9 prospect, Shuster posts a 3.27 ERA and 82 strikeouts in 71 2/3 innings. He ranks fifth in ERA and second in strikeouts in the Southern League. The left-hander recently received an invitation to the MLB Futures Game on July 16 to compete against the top prospects in minor league baseball.

The M-Braves scored in the opening frame. After back-to-back base hits from Cody Milligan and Justin Dean, the two pulled off a double steal as Milligan stole home and Dean stole second to make it 1-0.

Since his promotion from High-A Rome, Milligan has hits in six of seven games for the M-Braves. He hit .329 with 17 doubles in 55 games for Rome.

Dean went 1-for-4 with a steal, giving the outfielder a hit in 11 of the last 13 games. In 21 games in June, he is batting .299 with five extra-base hits, 12 walks and eight stolen bases.

In the second, Andrew Moritz led off the inning with a base hit and advanced to second on an error. Yariel Gonzalez scored Moritz with a line drive to right field to extend the lead to 2-0.

Moritz’s hit extended his hitting streak to 11 games, his longest of the season. The outfielder went on a 10-game hit streak from May 18 to May 30.

After Shuster’s exit in the sixth, the Shuckers scored a run on a groundout and an error to make it 2-1 through six innings.

Biloxi took their first lead in the seventh, 3-2, with two runs on four hits.

Despite 1 2/3 scoreless innings from LHP Jake Higginbotham, the M-Braves came up just short in the ninth. Gonzalez banged a one-out double off the wall in right center to put the tying run in scoring position, but Milligan’s strikeout left the baserunner at third in the ninth.

Gonzalez went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI in his first game as the designated hitter. The infielder is hitting .238 with seven homers and 23 RBI.

The second game of the series is on Wednesday at MGM Park. RHP Alan Rangel (2-2, 4.95) makes the start for Mississippi against RHP Victor Castaneda (1-2, 2.75) for Biloxi. The first pitch is at 6:35 pm CT, with coverage starting at 6:20 pm CT on 103.9 WYAB, TuneIn Radio, First Pitch App, and MiLB.tv.