G-BRAVES JOURNAL: Braves looking to clinch a spot in the playoffs

The Atlanta Braves aren’t the only professional baseball team in a play-off hunt. The Gwinnett Braves are in the thick of a hunt for either the South division title or the wild card in the International League. The G-Braves could possibly win the division, claim the bonus spot or end the season as the odd men out.

With almost exactly a month left in the AAA season, and the roster hopefully somewhat stable (at least for minor league standards), the team is priming it’s engine nicely. Over June and July, they notched a combined record of 36-23. By comparison, their record for the season’s first two months was 26-25.

Manager Dave Brundage won’t be relying on smoke and mirrors to extend the season. He’ll rely on his team playing fundamental baseball, starting with (what else) starting pitching. The organization’s top pitching prospect, Julio Teheran, is 12-1 with a 1.60 ERA in for the G-Braves. Mike Minor is a former first round pick (2009), and has anchored the no. 2 starter’s spot, with an ERA of 3.12. Behind those two, Todd Redmond and Johan Flande have done more than just add depth to the rotation. Redmond, , leads the league in innings pitched and has the third best ERA, 3.02. Flande has only been a starter for about half the season, but has seven wins and logged over 100 innings pitched.

The closer, Jairo Asencio, has been at least as impressive from the bullpen. He boasts a 1.34 ERA. Brundage appreciates his closer’s efficiency recently, “He’s got three major league pitches. With 19 saves in 19 chances, he gives me a lot less gray hairs when he’s out there.”

At the plate, the offense has gained momentum throughout the year. Outfielder Stefan Gartrell has gone from the waiver wire in April to second in the IL with 23 home runs. Wilkin Ramirez and Matt Young have bounced up and down I-85 this summer, but have settled in the other outfield spots and were feasting on AAA pitching during the just completed three game home stand, going a combined 17-37 with 10 RBI.

In the dirt, shortstop Tyler Pastornicky was called up from AA Mississippi last month and has also bolstered the line-up. Pastornicky is hitting over .400 in 14 games. He summed up the parallel success between his season and his club’s situation, “It’s always good when you get a promotion. A promotion to a team that’s playing well in a playoff race, that’s exciting.”