No one knows what the future holds, especially when it comes to young pitchers.
However, based on the last two nights, the future at Turner Field looks bright.
For the second straight night, the Rome Braves, the Class A South Atlantic League affiliate of the Atlanta Braves, turned loose a young pitcher on the Savannah Sand Gnats and got excellent results.
Lucas Sims, a 19-year-old right-hander who was a first-round draft pick out of Snellville’s Brookwood High School in 2012, threw a six-inning one-hitter and then saw his bullpen close out the game in a 6-2 win Saturday night at Grayson Stadium before a turnout of 2,309.
The game actually was closer than the final score indicated. The Braves didn’t put it out of reach until the ninth when they got three runs off Gnats reliever Wanel Mesa in an ugly inning.
Mesa came on in relief of starter Steven Matz, who turned in an outstanding performance but trailed 3-2 when he left after eight innings.
In the ninth, Mesa came unraveled as he gave up two hits, walked three, had a throwing error and uncorked a wild pitch to give Rome all it needed to win its first game in the four-game series which concludes this afternoon at 2:05.
Slumping Brandon Nimmo had the only hit Sims allowed. The left-handed-hitting Nimmo, who is in the throes of a 3-for-34 skid, was jammed badly but muscled the ball into short left as the Gnats got off to a 2-0 start.
However, after the first inning, Sims was in command — though he did uncharacteristically walk four batters. Sims had walked only seven in 35 1/3 innings going into the game.
The Gnats finished with two hits but did not get the second until Cole Frenzel, who drove in a run in the first with a sacrifice fly, singled with one out in the ninth.
“I’m going after hitters more,” said Sims, now 3-3. “I’m being more effective with my pitches, making them swing. My catcher called a good game, and the defense backed me up.
“Things have been going pretty well for me lately,” Sims said. “I try to pick up something each start and learn from my mistakes.”
Sims said he felt he took a step backward Saturday night with the four walks, but added, “I can’t complain ... the bullpen did a great job. We got good support.”
Relievers Alex Wilson and Shae Simmons, both also in their second year of professional baseball, held the Sand Gnats in check while the Braves managed to push across a run in the second and two in the sixth to grab the lead before breaking it open in the ninth.
Veteran Braves manager Randy Ingle liked what he saw out of the trio he sent to the mound.
“Sims is getting better and better every outing,” Ingle said. “He’s got above-average stuff and great makeup. He’s got an idea (on how he wants to pitch). His control is not bad at all.”
Sims’ performance came on the heels of a seven-inning scoreless outing on Friday night by teammate Mauricio Cabrera, another 19-year-old with a live arm. Cabrera throws in the mid to upper 90s.
Wilson pitched two scoreless, hitless innings while striking out two, and then Simmons closed it out in the ninth. He struck out two while giving up Frenzel’s single.
“Wilson has a good arm and he can throw it 91-92,” Ingle said. “Simmons throws it 95-97 and hit 99 last week. He’s absolutely fearless which is what you need in that guy that’s out there in the ninth.”
Sims was replaced by Wilson after he walked the first two batters in the seventh. Reynolds sacrificed, but Wilson got the next two men on infield grounders with the runners not being able to advance.
While the Braves pitchers did an outstanding job, Matz, who dropped to 2-4, had every right to be equally proud of his performance.
The Braves scored in the second and then got the go-ahead runs in the sixth as former Georgia Tech standout Kyle Wren doubled in a run, and then scored on Tyler Tewell’s sacrifice fly to center.
Wren, called up from Danville of the Rookie-level Appalachian League at the start of this series, is now 5 for 11 with three doubles in the three games.
Rome ab r h bi Savannah ab r h bi
Wren cf 4 1 1 1 Zurcher 2b 3 1 0 0
Pereza ss 2 1 1 0 Nimmo cf 3 1 1 0
Tewell c 3 0 0 1 Johnson rf 4 0 0 0 Kalnksky 1b 4 2 2 1 Sabol lf 4 0 0 0
Marte rf 4 0 1 1 Frenzel 1b 2 0 1 1
Meneses lf 4 0 0 0 Pina dh 3 0 0 0
Luna 3b 3 1 1 0 Rynolds 3b 2 0 0 0
Heffley 2b 4 0 0 0 Evans ss 3 0 0 0
Totals 31 6 6 4 Totals 27 2 2 1
Rome 010 002 003 —6
Savannah 200 000 000 —2
E—Peraza, Evans, Mesa. LOB—Rome 3, Savannah 5. DP—Rome, Savannah 2. 2B—Wren, Luna. SB—Wren. SAC—Reynolds. SF—Tewell, Frenzel.
ROME IP H R ER BB SO
Sims W,3-3 6 1 2 1 4 5
Wilson 2 0 0 0 0 2
Simmons 1 0 0 0 0 2
SAVANNAH IP H R ER BB SO
Matz L,2-4 8 4 3 2 1 5
Mesa 1 2 3 2 3 1
WP—Matz, Mesa. HBP—Reynolds (by Sims). T—2:16. A—2,309.