Tagged: Jed Bradley
The “Killer B’s”: Bradley to AA, Berberet on Fire
LHP Jed Bradley (left) and C Parker Berberet (right) paced the Manatees in a 7-5 win over Tampa on Sunday.
In the 1990’s and early 2000’s the Houston Astros were noted for having the “Killer B’s”. Craig Biggio, Jeff Bagwell, Derek Bell, and Lance Berkman were key pieces on some talented Houston teams. On Sunday night, the Manatees rallied behind their own “Killer B’s” to defeat Tampa. Both Jed Bradley and Parker Berberet put together strong outings in Brevard’s 7-5 victory in what was a historic night for both players, but for different reasons.
Movin’ On Up!
When rosters were released in the days leading up to the season, it came as a surprise to some that Jed Bradley was returning to Space Coast Stadium for a third consecutive season. After dealing with some rocky performances and a slew of injuries in the past, Bradley came to Viera a new man in 2014.
The left-hander tied Jorge Lopez for the team lead in victories on Sunday with five. Bradley surrendered just two runs into the seventh inning, but tired in that final frame. The lefty finished the day with five runs allowed (four earned) on nine hits in 6.1 innings of work.
Control, which had been a problem for Bradley in his first two pro seasons, was not an issue for him on Sunday. He issued just one walk compared to six strike outs. For the year, Bradley has issued just 10 free passes, while striking out the second-most batters in the Florida State League (53).
Unlike any start Bradley has had in the past, the best part of his day came when manager Joe Ayrault removed him from the ball game. As the left-hander handed the ball over to his skipper, Ayrault turned and told him the news he had waited almost two and a half years to hear. He was going home to Double-A Huntsville.
After a rough first outing against Daytona on April 5, Bradley was a revelation for the team. In his final nine starts with the club, Bradley went 5-1 with a 2.08 earned run average. Over that stretch, the former Georgia Tech product received the FSL Pitcher of the Week Award twice and had two of the most impressive outings of his career. On May 20, Bradley threw nine innings of four-hit, shutout baseball in a no-decision against the Palm Beach Cardinals. As well, he struck out a career-high nine batters against the Daytona Cubs on April 27.
Blazing Berberet
If not for the efforts of his backstop, Parker Berberet, Bradley may not have won his final start with the Manatees. Berberet, who has received limited playing time this year due to the success of Cameron Garfield, has been on an absolute tear over the last few days.
In his last three games, dating back to May 22, Berberet has picked up at least one hit in every outing. In all three of those games, Berberet has recorded at least one double and one RBI.
However, Sunday night’s performance was the high mark for Berberet’s season. Starting back-to-back games for the first time all year, Berberet tied a career-high with four base-hits in the win over the Yankees. The catcher lined two doubles to right, singled twice, stole a base, scored and drove in a run.
Over the two games he has played during this homestand, Berberet has yet to be retired (6-for-6 at the plate) with three doubles, three runs scored and two RBI.
‘Tees Tidbits: Due to a virus that has ravaged the Manatees clubhouse, the team has been extremely short-handed over the last few days…Brevard County only had nine position players and two pitchers (excluding Bradley) available during Sunday’s ballgame…In order to aid the depleted bullpen, RHP Mark Williams was transferred to the roster from Class-A Wisconsin…1B Garrett Cooper, who had has played since May 20 with flu-like symptoms, was placed on the disabled list to make room on the roster for Williams…With Bradley’s departure, the ‘Tees roster currently sits at 24, one below the FSL limit.
How Sweep It is!
C Cameron Garfield hit at a .467 (7-for-15) clip against Daytona, while LHP Jed Bradley earned FSL Pitcher of the Week for his efforts.
With back-to-back 5-2 victories over the Daytona Cubs on Friday and Saturday evenings the Brevard County Manatees completed a four-game sweep against their I-95 rivals.
By taking all four games from Daytona, Brevard County has tied its season-high with four straight victories, but more notable was the way the Manatees did it.
At The Plate
The ‘Tees bats battered Cubs pitching by hitting at a .319 clip (43-for-135) with four home runs, including three on Saturday night.
However, Joe Ayrault’s club didn’t just get it done with the long ball. In the four-game set the Manatees recorded an incredible 16 extra-base hits.
Nathan Orf, who hit leadoff throughout the series, was a particular menace against the Cubs. Orf, who was hit by a pitch in each of the first three games, tallied four runs scored, three doubles, a triple and drove in a run against Daytona.
If Orf was a nuisance, catcher Cameron Garfield was a demoralizer. The California native put together the best series of his season by absolutely mashing Cubs pitching. Garfield extended his hitting streak to 10 games by batting .467 during the four-game series (7-for-15), including multi-hit performances in each of the first three nights.
Garfield made his mark by tallying five of Brevard’s 16 extra-base hits. The catcher doubled four times and drove in three runs during the series’ first three matchups, before punctuating his dominance in the finale. After an error by Gioskar Amaya kept the third inning alive, Garfield demolished the first pitch he saw from Cubs starter Jose Rosario well over the manual scoreboard in left field for a two-run homer, his first of 2014. The blast gave the Manatees a 3-0 lead and ended up being the deciding blow in a 5-2 victory.
On the Mound
The Manatees pitching was equally, if not more, impressive. The pitching staff allowed four runs, only two earned, over the course of the series good for a microscopic 0.50 ERA. The ‘Tees staff also produced a multitude of swings and misses, striking out 38 Cubs, equaling an average of 9.5 per game.
Left-handers Jed Bradley and Hobbs Johnson were both dominating on Thursday and Saturday nights, respectively. Bradley pieced together arguably his best performance of the season, allowing just two hits and two walks, while striking out seven hitters over a season-high 6.2 shutout innings en route to his second Florida State League Pitcher of the Week award.
Johnson was no slouch either. The North Carolina product struck out a career-high nine batters on Saturday night in Daytona. The lefty shutout the Cubs through his first six frames, then surrendered two runs (one earned) in the seventh before being removed with one out. The 6.1 innings of work was the longest outing of Johnson’s career.
History Lesson
The sweep gives Brevard County a 7-5 series edge over Daytona with eight games remaining in the I-95 rivalry for 2014. The Manatees have not won the I-95 Trophy since they took 11-of-18 games against the Cubs back in 2007.
Future Major League outfielder Lorenzo Cain (.309 AVG) and shortstop Alcides Escobar (.395 AVG) batted over .300 during the season series, while catcher Angel Salome hit a gaudy .441 (15-for-34) in 9 games that year against the Cubs. Future Brewers infielder Mat Gamel led the offensive charge in ’07, recording 11 extra-base hits in the season series (eight doubles, two triples and one home run) while driving in 11 runs. Another eventual Major Leaguer, pitcher Mike McClendon, dominated the Cubbies on the rubber. The right-hander went 2-0 with a 1.42 ERA in three starts against Daytona.
This four-game shellacking is the Manatees first four-game sweep against the Cubs since they took the final four matchups in 2011. Future Brewers pitcher Hiram Burgos allowed one run over 5.2 innings to pick up the win in the first game, while current ‘Tee Austin Ross started and recorded the victory in a 15-4 victory against Daytona in the second meeting.
Bradley Continues to Baffle Opponents
LHP Jed Bradley enters tonight’s ball game leading Brevard County in strikeouts (29) and tied for the team lead in wins (3).
As the 15th overall pick by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2011 First-Year Player Draft, expectations have always been high for Jed Bradley. After a rocky couple of seasons, it seems as if Bradley has found his groove out on the mound.
In his first season with the Manatees back in 2012, Bradley did not allow an earned run through his initial three starts, but struggled from there on out. The left-hander finished the season with a 5-10 record and an ERA up over five and a half.
2013 was better for Jed, but there were still plenty of struggles. His ERA came down a full run, but was only able to compile a 4-4 record, surrendering 81 hits over 78.1 innings, in 16 starts before his season was cut short due to injury.
However, in his first five starts of 2014, Jed Bradley has been absolutely stellar. Since taking the loss in a rough outing against the Daytona Cubs in his first start of the season, Bradley has put together the best four-game stretch of his professional career.
Starting with his April 11 victory at Dunedin, Bradley has gone 3-0 with a 1.22 ERA. The Huntsville, Ala. native has surrendered just three runs, allowing no more than one run in each appearance. As well, Bradley has allowed a career-low fourteen hits over 22 innings of work.
Similarly, the former first-round pick has struck out 25 batters, also a career-best for four straight outings, including recording a career-high nine punch outs in a no-decision last night in Daytona.
His best night on the bump came on April 16, when he blanked the Lakeland Flying Tigers over six innings en route to the Manatees second 1-0 victory of the season. The performance resulted in being named the Florida State League Pitcher of Week, the first ‘Tee to receive the honor since Brent Suter won it in June of last year.
A big key to Bradley’s success during this time frame has been his ability to retire the lead-off man. Since his loss to Daytona on April 5, Bradley has allowed just three of 22 lead-off batters (.095 batting average) to reach base on two singles and a walk. Even more impressive, only one of those players have come across to score a run, with the other two being retired trying to steal.
With the Brewers Double-A affiliate, the Huntsville Stars, slated to move out of state to Biloxi, Miss. next season, Bradley looks determined to get a chance to make his home starts right where he grew up. If the left-hander continues to pitch the way he has over the first month of the season, he’ll get that opportunity sooner rather than later.
Brevard County Manatees 