Jordan Groshans hits two homers as Columbus Clingstones roll 9-1 to highlight Braves minor league slate

Columbus, the Double-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves, put together a statement performance on Friday, defeating Tennessee 9-1 with Jordan Groshans providing the spark. Groshans, listed in reports as the designated hitter, opened the scoring burst with a solo home run in the sixth inning to extend the Clingstones’ lead to 3-0. He added another solo shot in the eighth to help make it 5-0, giving him a pair of homers in the same game and pacing the Clingstones’ offense from start to finish.

The rest of the lineup helped turn early momentum into separation. Alongside Groshans’ two homers, Drew Compton also contributed a big extra-base moment, with the reports noting a triple and a homer on the night. Compton’s production has been trending upward over a short stretch, with the same recap describing 13 total bases over the previous three games, including two triples and a home run, a sign that Columbus’ lineup is getting multiple paths to impact.

On the mound, Columbus leaned on a starter who limited the damage and a staff that kept Tennessee from gaining traction. Julio Robaina was credited with holding Tennessee scoreless across six innings, a key element in a game where the Clingstones built their margin early and never allowed the visiting team to close the gap. With that kind of baseline control, the offense could keep stacking runs without having to chase the game.

Elsewhere in the Braves system, the day reflected the uneven rhythm that can come with a long minor league season. One game was cut short due to technical difficulties, an unusual wrinkle that served as a reminder that not every affiliate night is a full test of the usual rhythms of play and routine. In Gwinnett, the Stripers were shut out and managed just two hits, with the lone two base knocks attributed in the recap to Jose Azocar and Jair Camargo.

Gwinnett’s struggle on offense mattered because it forced the focus onto pitching, even though the Stripers could not turn it into runs. Austin Gomber received the start and allowed three runs over five innings, while Blake Burkhalter appeared in relief and worked a scoreless frame despite allowing three hits, with the recap describing his ERA remaining at 0.00 at the time of writing. Even with those efforts, the shutout underlined how quickly a minor league lineup can be kept in check when timing and traffic on the bases do not line up.

Taken together, the Friday slate offered a familiar Braves prospect theme: when the top of the order finds contact and the middle of the lineup produces damage, the farm system’s scoreboard can swing quickly. Columbus’ 9-1 win was a direct example, anchored by Groshans’ two-hit-hold power display and Robaina’s ability to hold Tennessee to nothing for the first six innings. For Atlanta’s organizational evaluators, it is the combination of production and the way it shapes game control that tends to stand out in these recaps.

What to watch next is whether Columbus can sustain the level of run creation shown in this game, especially given the short-term hot streak attributed to Compton. For Gwinnett, the priority will likely be returning to something closer to average offensive output after a shutout, and for the Braves system overall, it will be worth tracking whether the rare disruptions, like a game cut short for technical reasons, end up being isolated incidents or something that affects travel-day rhythms.