Jose Berrios' performance demonstrated why he is high on the Twins' prospect list.
photo by Tim Evearitt
Smokies catcher Kyle Schwarber homered against Lookouts starting pitcher Jose Berrios, who fired six solid innings and took a no-hitter into the fifth, while Chattanooga left fielder Adam Walker's two-run homer in the fifth inning proved crucial in a 5-3 victory over Tennessee on Monday night at Smokies Stadium.
The loss snaps the Smokies' four-game winning streak and drops their overall record to 10-6, though the club does own a 2-1 advantage in the series. With the victory, Chattanooga improved their 2015 record to 8-9.
Inning-by-inning game recap
Rated the No. 36 overall prospect by Baseball America prior to this season, Berrios kept the Smokies offense in check and did not relinquish a hit until the fifth, when CF Pin-Chieh Chen slapped a base hit into left field. The right-hander earned his second victory of the season after ultimately allowing a lone earned run on two hits in his six frames.
The Lookouts began the scoring in the second via a two-run double. Levi Michael reached base on a fielder's choice and then advanced to second on Byron Buxton's free pass, before both came across on 3B Steve Wickens' clutch two-out double to left, giving Chattanooga the early 2-0 advantage.
The lead would then double to four two innings later thanks to the longball. Wickens first reached base by drawing a base on balls before coming plateward on Walker's two-run opposite field blast to right to move the Lookouts ahead 4-0.
Tennessee, however, would end Chattanooga's shutout hopes in the sixth thanks to a round tripper of their own. After being hit on the head by a bat on a backswing in the previous half inning, Scwharber smashed the first pitch he saw to lead off the bottom of the sixth for his third big fly of the season.
The Smokies subsequently made it a one-run game in the bottom of the seventh with another home run. SS Elliot Soto began the frame with a walk to bring up 3B Ryan Dent, who crushed a 1-1 offering into the second deck of Calhoun's At The Yard in left field, narrow Tennessee's deficit to 4-3. That margin would then open back to two in the ninth, however, when DJ Hicks walked with the bases loaded.
Chattanooga relievers Nick Burdi.Jake Reed and Zack Jones supported Berrios and threw the final three frames, with Burdi and Reed earning holds, while Jones notched his fourth save of 2015. Smokies starter Corey Black suffered the defeat to fall to 1-1 on the year, while southpaw Jeffry Antigua tossed three shutout innings of relief.
Schwarber was the only Tennessee batter to record a multi-hit effort and reached base three times, while Buxton also collected two base hits for the Lookouts. Smokies Dan Vogelbach, who earlier Monday earned his second straight Southern League Player of the Week honor, failed to reach base for the first time this season.
Tennessee will look to clinch the five-game set versus Chattanooga on Tuesday evening, with the fourth game of the series slated to start at 7:05 p.m. ET. The Smokies are expected to give the nod to RHP Ivan Pineryo, while the Lookouts are scheduled to counter with RHP Greg Peavey.
Adam Walker hit his fifth homer of the year.
photo by Tim Evearitt