Could La Stella Help Braves In September?

Minor League Report: Tuesday July 30

  • Tuesday, July 30, 2013
  • David Jenkins
It's a reasonable question to ask: could Tommy La Stella help the Braves in September?

The injury prone second baseman is indeed alive and well and owner of a 17-game hitting streak currently in Mississippi. He is hitting .347 for the month after having his .400-plus June cut short due to a lingering hamstring problem 

The onetime eighth round pick (2011) out of Coastal Carolina has done two things with remarkable consistency since the Braves signed him: getting hits and getting hurt.
And not just aches and pains -- La Stella has already had to regoup after a serious beaning AND a broken leg!

This year, it's been an inflammed elbow (more scary than serious), then a lingering hamstring concern. All told, he's played in 56 games, including seven in Lynchburg as he rehabbed the elbow and half-a-hundred with the M-Braves. He's hitting a collective .354 with 68 hits and only 17 strikeouts. 

Strictly a lefty hitter, the second baseman has only 11 doubles and a pair of homers, but his consistency at the plate is unmistakable. His final year at Coastal saw him hit .398, and his entire pro career looks like this: in 209 games, he's hit .322 (237 hits) with 46 doubles, 17 homers, 93 walks and only 70 strikeouts.

Can a left-handed bat like that help off the bench in September. I believe the answer is, "Of course."
---------------------------- 
Two pitching performances to file away. Lynchburg's Jarrett Miller: six innings, one hit, no runs, six strikeouts in the Hillcats' 3-1 win. Miller now has eight wins.

So, too, does our Mexican of Mystery, Felix Falcon. His Tuesday start (six innings, three hits, no runs) raised his record to 8-0 for the DSL team. We demand a full accounting of this pitcher, whose bio is still incomplete on every Web site we can find.
----------------------------

TUESDAY'S SCORES

CLASS AAA

Gwinnett (47-63), idle.

CLASS AA

Mississippi (19-16) 7, Montgomery 4


WP: Atkins (3-1) 5.1 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 5 BB, 4 K.
Jaime 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K. Egan (Save, 1) 0.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R.
Salcedo 3-4, R, 2B, 3B, 2 RBI; Marrero 1-3, HR (6th), RBI; La Stella 1-4, R, RBI, SB (.330); Hefflinger 1-4, R; Kleinknecht 1-4, HR (6th), RBI; M.Jones 1-3, 2 R, 2 SB.

ADVANCED CLASS A

Lynchburg (13-21) 3, Frederick 1


WP: J. Miller (8-6) 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 6 K. Cornely (Save, 3) 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R.
Hyams 1-5, HR (2nd), RBI; Moses 2-4, 2B, R, RBI; E. Reyes 1-3, RBI; Kubitza 1-3, 2B. .

CLASS A

Augusta 2, Rome (16-21) 1


SP: Parsons (3-6) 7 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 6 K.
Peraza 1-4, R; Sanchez 3-4, 2B, RBI; Marte 1-3; Tewell 0-4, 3 K.

SHORT-SEASON

DSL Braves (21-26) 4, DSL Blue Jays 0 


WP: Falcon (8-0) 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K. (1.70).
Grullon 2-4, SB; Estevez 2-3, 2B, R, RBI, SB; Castro 1-4, RBI.

GCL Braves (13-19) 3, GCL Tigers 1

WP: Gonzalez (4-2) 5 IP, 4 H, 0 ER(1R), 0 BB, 3 K.
Vail (Save, 2) 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K.
V. Reyes 2-4 (.361); Reed Harper 2-4, 2B, HR (1st), RBI; Sanchez 2-3, 2B, RBI; Sears 1-2, 2B, 2 R.

Bluefield 5, Danville (19-17) 0

LP: Waszak (1-3) 5 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K. (1.01)
Kimbrel 1 IP, 3 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 1 K. 1 HR. (9.50)
Camargo 2-4, 3B; Reynolds 1-3; Schrader 1-4. .
Sports
Chattanooga Women Host Shorter In Season Hoops Opener
  • 11/4/2024

Basketball season is officially upon us, and what better way to bring in another new season than by joining Chattanooga women’s basketball at the Roundhouse on Monday for the team’s season-opening ... more

Chattanooga Soccer Loses 2-0 In SoCon Semifinals
  • 11/4/2024

The Chattanooga soccer team outshot top-seeded Western Carolina 11-9 but fell 2-0 in the semifinal round of the Southern Conference Championship on the Catamounts campus Sunday afternoon. ... more

Lee Travels To Union; Earns 3-1 Win
  • 11/4/2024

The Lee University Flames defeated the Union University Bulldogs on the road 3-1 to earn a spot in the Gulf South Conference Tournament on Sunday afternoon Play for the afternoon began with ... more