Rome races out to 4-2 start in season-opening series at Winston-Salem

The Rome Braves (4-2) had a successful first series of 2021, taking four out of six games over the Winston-Salem Dash on the road. Rome won the first three games of the series before taking the Saturday night contest in North Carolina to win the series outright. A big key to the Braves winning the opening series was the offensive firepower shown in Winston-Salem. One breakout performance came via catcher Logan Brown, who belted a Grand Slam that served as the difference in Rome’s 8-7 win on May 5. The Braves are currently tied for first place in the Southern Division of the High-A East League with the 4-2 Bowling Green Hot Rods.

May 4, Rome wins 11-5

Rome won 11-5 in the season opener at Truist Stadium on May 4. Michael Harris II and Cody Milligan each led the offense with 3 hit, 3 RBI performances.

May 5, Rome wins 8-7

The R-Braves followed up the season-opening W with a much slimmer triumph the next night, winning 8-7 thanks to a five-run sixth inning. Logan Brown’s Grand Slam in the sixth was the key to Rome’s victory.

May 6, Rome wins 5-2

Thursday night’s contest led to another win for the good guys, as the Braves pulled away in the seventh inning of a 5-2 victory. Ricky DeVito pitched five innings of one-run ball, but reliever Coleman Huntley III earned the win after allowing just two baserunners in two innings pitched.

May 7, Winston-Salem wins 8-3

Rome suffered their first setback of the season on Friday night in an 8-3 loss to the Dash. Shean Michel was one of the lone bright spots offensively, as the designated hitter was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and one run batted in.

May 8, Rome wins 3-1

The High-A Braves bounced back with a 3-1 decision on Saturday, May 8. Jesse Franklin V had a two-hit day while Huntley picked up his second win in as many relief appearances, again holding the Winston-Salem offense to just two hits and one walk in 2 1/3 innings.

May 9, Winston-Salem wins 5-4

Rome finished the homestand with a walk-off loss on Mother’s Day, falling 5-4 in ten innings. Veteran Rome Brave Riley Delgado was 3-for-4 in the series finale with two runs and two RBIs.

Starting Pitcher of the Week

Staten Island, N.Y., native Ricky DeVito picked up Starting Pitcher of the Week honors for his efforts on Thursday. The right-hander allowed one earned run in five innings (1.80 ERA) and struck out six Dash batters. DeVito, a 22-year-old Seton Hall product, continues to show a lot of promise after a solid 2019 campaign that saw him advance from Rookie League ball all the way to Low-A in just a matter of months.

Relief Pitcher of the Week

In a rather easy decision, the team’s leader in wins was named this week’s Relief Pitcher of the Week. Coleman Huntley III earned the nod in the Thursday night and Saturday night games after coming in to relieve the starters. Huntley, a 28-year-old from Point Loma Nazarene that signed with Atlanta last summer, had a great start to his professional career allowing zero runs in four innings pitched last week.

Offensive Hitter of the Week

The opening road-stand provided plenty of memorable performances for the Rome Braves faithful who had been waiting for baseball since late 2019. From Logan Brown’s Grand Slam to Michael Harris and Cody Milligan combining for 6 RBIs, there was no shortage of excitement in Winston-Salem. However, one player stood out among the rest with his consistency against the Dash, and that is veteran Rome Brave Riley Delgado. The 26-year-old infielder narrowly edged out Milligan for the award this week. Although Milligan leads the team with a .438 batting average, Delgado finished right behind him hitting .364 against Dash pitching. Delgado scored six times in five games in Winston-Salem and joins Logan Brown and Bryce Ball as the only Braves to hit a long ball at Truist Stadium. Delgado is also tied for second on the team in runs batted in with five.