on center stage

Today’s can’t-miss game is St. Louis at Pittsburgh, a battle for first place in the National League Central. The Pirates won Friday’s series opener at PNC Park, forging the tie at the top and handing the Cardinals a second straight loss. Enter Lance Lynn to play the role of stopper for the Cards. This is an iffy proposition. The right-hander out of Ole Miss is winless in his last four starts and just 3-5 with a 4.48 ERA over his last 10. His 10-1 start in 2013 seems almost forgotten. For the year, he is 13-8, 4.02 with 158 strikeouts and 62 walks in 168 innings. There is a bright side for Lynn: He has been effective against Pirates stars Andrew McCutchen (4-for-23) and Pedro Alvarez (4-for-18). It’ll certainly be interesting to see how he handles things tonight. He’ll be opposed by A.J. Burnett, a veteran battler who is 6-9, 3.18.

'you're outta here'

Check off career ejection No. 66 for Ron Gardenhire, which moves him into a tie for ninth with the great Joe Torre on the all-time list for managerial ejections. Gardenhire, the former Jackson Mets infielder and current Minnesota Twins manager, was run Thursday during the Twins’ 3-1 home loss to Kansas City. (The Twins’ lone score came on a homer by Southern Miss product Brian Dozier, his 14th.) Gardenhire, generally an even-tempered and likable guy, is 989-923 in 12 years in Minnesota. He has won six division titles and was American League manager of the year in 2010. But his club will miss the postseason for the third straight year in 2013. Thursday’s loss was the Twins’ fifth straight and dropped their record to 57-75. Gardenhire has been run four times this season, a frustration that is perfectly understandable. And it’s also understandable why his job security is in question.

the view out west

Seth Smith walloped a home run for Oakland on Tuesday night, his first since June 16 – and first since having Lasik surgery last week. Smith, the ex-Hillcrest and Ole Miss standout, is having a down year (.240, seven homers, 34 RBIs), but maybe the ocular tuneup was what he needed to get him going. His homer on Tuesday was a key blow for the A’s, who beat Detroit 6-3 and remained 2.5 games behind first-place Texas in the American League West. The Rangers, getting an RBI hit from Mississippi State product Mitch Moreland, beat Seattle 4-3. Oakland currently holds the No. 2 wild card spot in the AL, but there are a lot of dogs still in the fight. The last few weeks of the season are going to be fun to watch in that league. P.S. Miami has sent former Ole Miss star Chris Coghlan to Triple-A New Orleans for a rehab assignment. … Former Mississippi Braves right-hander Paul Clemens pitched six strong innings for Houston in his first MLB start (not his first appearance) on Tuesday, but the Astros’ bullpen blew the save against the Chicago White Sox. Jackson native Donnie Veal cherry-picked the win for the Sox. … The M-Braves, now tied for first in the Southern League South with five games left at Jacksonville, topped the 200,000 mark in attendance after a strong final homestand. The announced average for 2013 was 2,861, down slightly from 2012 (2,904). The average in 2005, the club’s first year at Trustmark Park, was 3,847.

stay tuned ...

The schedule says it’s the last home game of the season for the Mississippi Braves. But don’t put the foam tomahawks away just yet. There may be more chopping days ahead at Trustmark Park. The M-Braves (35-28) remain very much in the chase for the Southern League South Division second-half title and a playoff berth. They enter tonight’s game against Huntsville at the TeePee a game behind first-place Jacksonville, with first-half champ Mobile sandwiched between the two. The M-Braves finish the regular season with a 5-game series at Jacksonville. Mississippi's first postseason appearance since 2008 will be there for the taking. The 2013 M-Braves (3.07 staff ERA) have had good pitching, which has been the norm since the club moved to Pearl. They’ve also become a productive offensive club, batting .252 (third in the league) and ranking fourth in runs. Christian Bethancourt (.283, 12 home runs, 44 RBIs) and Edward Salcedo (12 homers, 54 RBIs), both regarded as big league prospects, have made creditable strides this season. Tommy La Stella (.332 in 75 games) has had a breakthrough, while Jose Martinez (.288), Jaime Pedroza (.285), Christian Marrero (eight homers) and Barrett Kleinknecht (eight homers) have made significant contributions. And then there’s Mycal Jones, who rates some special notice. He first arrived in Double-A late in 2010, spent most of 2011 here after converting from infielder to center fielder and started 2012 in Pearl again. But he scuffled terribly (.141) and wound up back in A-ball. He got yet another shot with the M-Braves this spring and seems finally to have figured some things out. He is batting .261 with 29 stolen bases, 54 runs and 32 RBIs. Out with an injury since Aug. 11, he came off the disabled list on Monday and hit a key homer, his fourth, in a 2-1 victory over Huntsville. If the team, which let the first-half championship slip from its grasp, could somehow channel Jones’ perseverance over the last few days of the regular season … .

a need for speed

In the biggest game on the MLB schedule Monday night, Cincinnati at St. Louis, Zack Cozart came up big for the Reds. The former Ole Miss standout tripled and doubled, drove in three runs and scored another. He also made some good plays at shortstop. Unfortunately for Cincy, that wasn’t enough. With big home runs from Matt Holliday and Allen Craig (a game-changing grand slam off Mississippi Braves alum J.J. Hoover), St. Louis won 8-6, moved into first place alone in the National League Central and dropped the third-place Reds 3½ games back. Cozart’s recent exploits notwithstanding — he entered Monday having batted .281, up 40 points from his season average, over his previous 10 games — the Reds continue to have offensive issues. Among those is speed on the bases. The cure for that, of course, could be Billy Hamilton, the base-stealing demon from Taylorsville. Hamilton likely will be promoted when rosters expand on Sunday. He is batting .257 (.310 on-base percentage) with 73 steals, 73 runs, six homers and 41 RBIs in 119 games at Triple-A Louisville. P.S. Meridian Community College product Cliff Lee stifled the New York Mets for eight innings on Monday to notch his 11th win for Philadelphia; it was his first W since July 5. Jonathan Papelbon, the ex-Missisippi State star, worked the ninth for his 22nd save, just his second since July 11.

well, that's one

Louis Coleman’s ERA skyrocketed on Friday night. All the way to 0.40. Coleman, the former Pillow Academy star, gave up a home run in Kansas City’s 11-10 loss to Washington; it was the first run the sidearming right-hander had allowed all season. He had worked 21 straight scoreless innings before Jayson Werth took him deep in the fourth inning at Kauffman Stadium. For his MLB career, all with the Royals, Coleman has a 2.77 ERA in 133 innings. The Greenwood native and LSU alum was one of three Mississippi-born players who participated in Friday’s game, a matchup of two teams whose playoff aspirations have gone “poof.” Natchez native and ex-Southwest Mississippi Community College standout Jarrod Dyson stole a base (No. 23) and scored a run as a pinch runner for KC, which lost its sixth straight. One really has to wonder if Royals manager Ned Yost, the old Jackson Mets catcher, will be back next season. Brandon native and former Northwest Rankin/Meridian CC/Mississippi State star Tyler Moore went 3-for-5 for Washington and boosted his average to .203. Even with the win, the Nationals are 13 games behind Atlanta in the National League East. We already know that this is ex-JaxMets skipper Davey Johnson’s last season at the Washington helm. P.S. Former State star Mitch Moreland belted his 18th homer (as a pinch hitter) to help Texas beat the Chicago White Sox 11-5 and opened up a 3½-game lead on Oakland in the American League West. … If or when Freddy Garcia joins the Atlanta rotation, he would be the sixth former Jackson General to play for the Braves. The list: Shane Reynolds, Daryle Ward, Tom Martin, Billy Wagner and Julio Lugo. Garcia, who has 155 big league victories, was acquired from Baltimore on Friday. Just 3-5, 5.77 with the Orioles, the 36-year-old Garcia was 8-3, 2.84 at Triple-A Norfolk.

these are the times

Paul Maholm, the ex-Mississippi State standout, will return to the mound for Atlanta today in a game that has suddenly taken on a lot more significance. It’s not just a test of Maholm’s left wrist, which sidelined him for about a month. It’s not just an opportunity for the veteran lefty (9-9 with a 4.41 ERA) to make his case for a fulltime spot in the rotation. It’s not just the series opener in a potential playoff preview against National League Central power St. Louis. It’s not even because it’s the MLB Network Showcase Game for tonight. Nope, more than all that, it’ll be the Braves’ first game SINCE. Since, of course, Jason Heyward’s frightening injury. Hit in the face by a pitch on Wednesday, the former Mississippi Braves star has a broken jaw that might force him to miss the rest of the regular season. The Braves have had a plethora of injuries and ailments this year, but this one kinda feels different. Heyward wasn’t having a great year overall — .253, 13 home runs, 37 RBIs — but since he moved to the leadoff spot at the end of July, he has batted .345, slugged .586 and led the Braves on a 19-4 splurge. Their NL East lead is a safe 15 games. But will the loss of Heyward, and the way it happened, send them into a funk? These are the times that try men’s souls – or at least their plate discipline. Heyward’s absence will mean more at-bats for ex-M-Braves such as Jordan Schafer, Evan Gattis and Joey Terdoslavich. Can they answer the call? Many will be looking for signs of a hangover tonight at Busch Stadium. A strong start from Maholm, who was scuffling before his injury, would certainly be a boost to morale.

the plots thicken

Meanwhile, back at the pennant race: Former Itawamba Community College standout Desmond Jennings went 1-for-4 with a walk in his return from the disabled list on Monday night. Jennings helped Tampa Bay beat division rival Baltimore 4-3 and stay a game back of first-place Boston in the American League East. … Mitch Moreland contributed a two-run double and also scored during Texas’ 11-run third-inning outburst against hapless Houston. The former Mississippi State star now has 20 doubles, 17 home runs and 50 RBIs for the Rangers, who stayed a half-game up on Oakland in the AL West with their 16-5 romp over the Astros. … The A’s, who held a nice lead in the division not so long ago, haven’t been getting much from Ole Miss product Seth Smith. He is 2-for-20 in August and has seen his average skid to .241. … Ole Miss alum Zack Cozart drove in two runs and had a hand in two sweet double plays as Cincinnati topped Arizona 5-3. The Reds, third in the wild, wild National League Central, are just 2.5 games back of leader Pittsburgh in the division and have a firm grip on the second wild card. … St. Louis, second in the NL Central (1 game back), throws former Rebels ace Lance Lynn at Milwaukee tonight. Lynn is 13-6 with a 3.89 ERA but has won just one of his last four starts. ... Ex-State star Jonathan Papelbon registered his first save since July 11 for Philadelphia, which is out of postseason contention for the second straight year. Papelbon, thought to be on the trading block, has 21 saves on the season. P.S. Former Hattiesburg High slugger John Lindsey has changed uniforms yet again. The 36-year-old Lindsey, in pro ball since 1995, is now with the independent New Jersey Jackals. He began this season with Detroit’s Triple-A Toledo club, then moved to Campeche in the Mexican League, where he hit 20 homers. Lindsey has 292 career minor league bombs and 1,895 hits. He went 1-for-11 in his lone MLB stint with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2010.

the hot bat

Just can't ignore what Corey Dickerson is doing for the Colorado Rockies. The McComb native and former Meridian Community College star banged out three more hits in a Rockies win on Wednesday. The lefty-swinging outfielder is batting .357 over his last 10 games. For the year, he's at .321 with two homers, two triples, eight doubles and eight RBIs in 33 games. “Just keep doing what I'm doing, playing hard and the at-bats will come,” he told mlb.com. Dickerson, who had huge numbers in the minors, reportedly has improved his defense, which will also be important to getting playing time. In 19 games spread over the three outfield positions, Dickerson has not made an error, though he doesn't have an assist either. P.S. Ole Miss alum Lance Lynn (13-6, 3.79 ERA) goes to the hill for St. Louis today in a big National League Central game with Pittsburgh. The Pirates' 5-1 win on Tuesday stretched their division lead over the Cardinals back to 3 games. … In case you missed it, the 2014 Southern League schedule has been released and there is no team in Biloxi. It has become apparent there won't be a team there before 2015, if then. Construction has not yet begun on the proposed stadium.

whatever happened to …

Brandon Jones, the onetime Mississippi Braves star, was named hitter of the week in the independent Can-Am League on Tuesday. Jones went 11-for-24 with six RBIs last week and is batting .288 with a homer and 19 RBIs on the year for the New Jersey Jackals. Jones, who got some big league time with Atlanta, spent last season with the Kansas City T-Bones of the indy American Association and hit .326 with 14 homers and 73 RBIs. P.S. The Jackals released former M-Braves standout Cody Johnson on Tuesday. The much-traveled Johnson, a former first-round pick by Atlanta, has now been released by three different teams this season. He began the year in the New York Yankees system and later played for York in the Atlantic League. The strikeout-prone Johnson has 144 career minor league homers and a .245 average.

random stuff

There is speculation out there that Tyler Moore may be back in Washington soon. The former Northwest Rankin High, Meridian Community College and Mississippi State standout has been raking at Triple-A Syracuse of late. He was named the International League player of the week for last week and is currently hitting .312 with eight home runs and 38 RBIs in 36 games. In sporadic play with the Nationals this season, he batted just .151 with three homers. Washington’s season has skidded off the rails, and the Nats brass might want to see what Moore can do with regular at-bats. … Meridian CC product Corey Dickerson, now with Colorado, swatted his second homer on Thursday. Keep an eye on him. … Former Ole Miss star Alex Presley has six hits, three runs and two RBIs since returning to Pittsburgh late last month. He is batting .281 in 26 games overall for the Pirates, who have hit the 70-win plateau and moved 4 games ahead of second-place St. Louis in the National League Central. … Cleveland’s playoff hopes took a serious hit this week when the Indians were swept in four games at home by Detroit, the first-place team in the American League Central. The Indians are now 7 games behind. No one felt worse about this development than Mickey Callaway, the former Ole Miss pitcher who is in his first campaign as the Tribe’s pitching coach. Cleveland’s pitching has been fairly solid this season, but against Detroit, the Indians suffered a blown save on Monday, saw their ace (Justin Masterson) get roughed up on Tuesday, dropped a 6-5 game in 14 innings on Wednesday and were mashed 10-3 on Thursday. … Ex-Rebels standout Chris Coghlan, on the disabled list (calf injury) with Miami since June, is expected to begin some rehab work soon in the low minors. Reports say Coghlan, the NL rookie of the year in 2009 as an outfielder, could return to The Show in September as a third baseman. … Starkville native Julio Borbon was outrighted to Triple-A Iowa by the Chicago Cubs earlier this week.

coming soon

After hammering away in Triple-A for most of the last three seasons, Pascagoula’s Joey Butler is now anxiously awaiting his first swing as a major leaguer. Butler, a product of ’Goula High and UNO, was called up by Texas on Monday in the wake of Nelson Cruz’s suspension. Butler, 27, called the unexpected promotion “a humbling experience.” He was batting .290 with 10 homers and 44 RBIs at Round Rock. The 6-foot-2, 220-pound right-handed hitting outfielder, who didn’t play against the Los Angeles Angels on Monday night, is a career .290 hitter with 70 homers in six minor league seasons. The Rangers drafted him in the 15th round in 2008.

setbacks

Tampa Bay figures to miss Desmond Jennings, the ex-Itawamba Community College star who has gone to the disabled list with a broken finger. Jennings, the Rays’ center fielder and leadoff batter, is hitting .258 with 11 homers, 40 RBIs, 17 stolen bases and 69 runs in 104 games. He was injured while sliding on Saturday. He’ll be out at least 15 days at a time when the Rays are in hot pursuit of first-place Boston in the American League East, with third-place Baltimore breathing down their necks. In other injury news, Weir High and Holmes CC alum Roy Oswalt had a setback (cramp) in a simulated game on Saturday and his return to Colorado’s rotation is on hold. Oswalt, 0-4 with a 7.64 ERA for the Rockies, injured his left hamstring on July 7 and went on the DL. P.S. Props to former Mississippi Braves pitcher Brett Oberholtzer, who has thrown 14 scoreless innings in his two starts for Houston. He beat Boston on Monday.

first things first

Hunter Renfroe, the first pick from Mississippi in this year’s MLB draft, is batting .286 with four homers and 15 RBIs in 22 games for San Diego’s short-season Class A Eugene club. Renfroe, from Crystal Springs and Mississippi State, is slugging .516. … Last year’s top pick from the state, D.J. Davis out of Stone County High, is hitting .255 with four homers, 19 RBIs, seven triples and nine steals for rookie-level Bluefield in the Toronto organization. … Connor Barron of Sumrall, the first Mississippian picked in 2011, is at Southern Miss. He is currently playing summer ball in the Texas Collegiate League and batting .253 with six homers and 25 RBIs in 43 games. … The first pick out of the Magnolia State in 2010 was Drew Pomeranz, the ex-Ole Miss standout who is currently on the disabled list with an 0-4, 8.10 ledger for Colorado this season. … First-place Atlanta has won nine straight games, best current streak in MLB, and will seek to extend the run today against Cliff Lee, the Philadelphia ace out of Meridian Community College who is 10-4, 3.05. … Props to Tommy La Stella of the Mississippi Braves, who is now first in the club record book with a 21-game hit streak. With La Stella's help on Saturday, the M-Braves won at Huntsville 6-5 and are now 22-18 (2½ games out of first place) in the second half of the Southern League season.

a night to remember

It has been a largely forgettable season for Minnesota, which has languished near the bottom of the American League Central much of the time, and for former Southern Miss star Brian Dozier, who has had to battle to keep a job in his second big league tour with the Twins. In that context, a game like Friday night’s becomes all the more exhilarating. Dozier knocked in the game-winning run in the bottom of the 13th inning — his first career walk-off hit — as the Twins (46-60) stopped a four-game skid with a 4-3 win over Houston. Dozier, who went 3-for-7 and extended his hitting streak to nine games, had quite the night. He doubled in the eighth inning and scored to tie it at 2-2. In the ninth, after the Astros had gone back in front 3-2, he drove in the tying run. Then came the big hit in the 13th. “A confidence booster,” Dozier told The Associated Press. Dozier, who was moved from shortstop to second base this season, is hitting just .236, though he does have nine home runs. There could be changes in Minnesota in the off-season; manager Ron Gardenhire, the former Jackson Mets shortstop, may be on the way out if the club doesn't perk up. Dozier, a .298 career hitter in the minors, may need a strong finish to secure his spot for 2014.

on the power pole

Amory native and former Mississippi State star Mitch Moreland smacked his 15th home run for Texas on Thursday and holds a comfortable lead in the unofficial Mississippi Home Run Derby for 2013. Moreland, in 94 games, has matched his homer total from 2012 even though he is batting only .243 for the Rangers. His primary challengers in this faux competition figured to be Ole Miss product Seth Smith and MSU alum Tyler Moore, but neither has put up power numbers like last year. Smith (14 bombs in 2012) has six homers in 87 games for Oakland. Moore (10 homers in 156 at-bats in 2012) hasn’t gotten much opportunity with Washington and has just three homers in 42 games/106 ABs. He is currently at Triple-A Syracuse, where he is hitting .306 with six homers. Ex-Itawamba Community College standout Desmond Jennings is No. 2 on the Mississippi power chart, with 11 homers for Tampa Bay. He’s got pop (13 homers in 2012) but is considered more of a speed guy and often bats leadoff. Somewhat surprising is the power displayed by Southern Miss alum Brian Dozier, who has hit nine homers in 91 games for Minnesota. Ex-UM star Zack Cozart belted 15 home runs for Cincinnati last year and, with eight in 99 games this year, could reach that number again. P.S. MSU alum Jonathan Papelbon, seemingly unhappy with the situation in Philadelphia, has blown six saves since June 1 and has an ERA of 2.59 after Thursday’s blown save/loss against San Francisco. … Meridian CC product Cliff Lee — still a Phillie — is going to miss another start today because of a neck problem. … Zeke Spruill started for Arizona on Thursday, running to eight the number of former Mississippi Braves pitchers who have started games for MLB clubs other than Atlanta in 2013.

hot stuff

The hottest team in baseball, by numbers, is the Kansas City Royals, managed by former Jackson Mets catcher Ned Yost. The Royals have won eight straight to reach 53-51, 7 games out in the American League Central with plenty of games left. Southwest Mississippi Community College product Jarrod Dyson has helped, with six hits and four steals in his last six games. And ex-Pillow Academy star Louis Coleman still hasn’t allowed an earned run out of the KC bullpen. … Former JaxMets skipper Clint Hurdle has seen his Pittsburgh Pirates take four straight from St. Louis in their National League Central showdown. The Bucs are 65-42 and lead the Cardinals by 2½ games. … In keeping with this theme, Texas has won three straight games with walk-off homers and crept within 4 games of Oakland in the AL West. Texas’ hitting coach, coincidentally, is ex-JaxMets star Dave Magadan. … No team had a better July than Tampa Bay, which went 21-5 and is second in the AL East at 64-44, a half-game back of Boston. Some credit there should go to former Jackson Generals pitching coach Jim Hickey, who won a Texas League ring in 1996. Over the previous five seasons, all under Hickey, the Rays have a 3.74 ERA. They’re at 3.76 this year, fifth in the AL. Last year, this club posted a remarkable 3.19 ERA with a .228 opponents batting average (lowest in the DH era) and an AL-best strikeout total. Their pitching has made them perennial playoff contenders in a tough division. … Kudos should also go to Atlanta’s pitching coach, former JaxMets hurler Roger McDowell. The Braves have weathered all kinds of injuries to their staff (and position players, as well) and bolted to an 11-game lead in the NL East. Atlanta, fueled by so many ex-Mississippi Braves stars, look like the best team in the league right now. P.S. Reports say former Generals standout Lance Berkman, on the DL with Texas, may retire. … Former M-Braves lefty Brett Oberholtzer threw seven shutout innings Wednesday for Houston against Baltimore and got his first career win. … The Chicago Cubs’ trade of outfielder Alfonso Soriano may open up more playing time for Starkville native Julio Borbon, who is batting just .194 but is 7-for-8 on stolen bases.