Neil Ramirez will start for the Smokies in the series finale.
photo by Tim Evearitt
The Mobile BayBears scored nine runs in the third inning and routed the Mississippi Braves, 15-0, on Sunday night at Hank Aaron Stadium to win the South Division finals in four games.
The only Southern League team to win three titles in a row was Montgomery, which did it from 1975-77. Mobile can match that feat by defeating the North Division champion -- either Birmingham or Tennessee.
The offensive explosion was the highest run total of the season for the BayBears, who totaled 16 hits, while Mississippi suffered the most lopsided loss in franchise history.
Mobile will host the first two games in the best-of-5 Championship Series on Wednesday and Thursday at Hank Aaron Stadium, where they have won 11 of their last 13 games and were 43-27 during the regular season.
Montgomery vs. Tennessee series even at 2-2
For the second night, the Smokies found themselves in a must-win situation and continued their North Division Championship Series comeback with a 10-7 win over the Barons in Game Four, Sunday afternoon at Smokies Park. The win evens the best-of-five series at two games apiece and forces a series-deciding Game Five on Monday night at Smokies Park.
The fifth and deciding game of the series is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. Monday night at Smokies Park. The Smokies will send RHP Neil Ramirez (0-0, 0.00) to the mound to face off against RHP Myles Jaye (0-1, 17.18).
----- Source: MiLB.com
The Smokies' Javier Baez hit 37 homers at two levels during the 2013 season.
photo by Tim Evearitt