Max Kepler blasts his second home run of the series.
photo by Tim Evearitt
Down one run late in the game the Lookouts (25-15) scored four runs in the seventh and four in the eighth to capture the 11-5 win over the Montgomery Biscuits (17-23) and clinch their fourth straight series.
Chattanooga leads the North Division of the Southern League with a 3.0 game lead over the Tennessee Smokies.
The Lookouts found themselves in a deficit early as the Biscuits scored two runs in the first off Lookouts starter DJ Baxendale. Chattanooga bounced back quickly in the bottom of that inning when Byron Buxton launched his first of two triples and then scored on an error.
Two more runs were scored by the home team in the second inning, this time on a two-run single off the bat of Heiker Meneses.
Buxton stands on the bag at third after his first triple. He leads the league with nine.
Montgomery seized momentum from the Lookouts in the third inning on a Johnny Field home run. After Field's solo shot the game remained stuck at 3-3 until the sixth inning when Tyler Goeddel scored on a sacrifice fly.
In the seventh inning Chattanooga was able to break the game wide open. Miguel Sano started off the inning with a double, but was thrown out at third on a Travis Harrison fielder's choice. With one runner on Max Kepler came to the plate and belted his second home run of the season. Kepler finished the night 2-for-4 with a double and a homer. The outfielder is now hitting .344 on the season and has a team-high 27 hits this month. In 19 games this month Kepler is batting .379 (25-for-63) with seven doubles, a home run and 10 RBIs. He now leads the team in hits this month with 27.
Now back in front the Lookouts began to put the game out of reach. Meneses knocked home two more runs in the seventh on a double to give him a season-high four for the night. The eighth inning brought even more offensive success for the Lookouts. The inning began with two straight walks and Sano blasted a double to increase their lead to five. Two more runs came across two batters later when Adam Brett Walker II hit his 10th homer of the year.
The Biscuits scored one run in the top of the ninth, but the Lookouts held on for their 25th win of the season.
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NOTES:
The Lookouts announced the placement of infielder DJ Hicks on the Disabled List and the activation of catcher Jairo Rodriguez from the Disabled List. The team also announced the transfer of RHP Tyler Duffey to Rochester and the addition of LHP David Hurlbut from Fort Myers. In two games for the Miracle, Hurlbut pitched a combined 12 innings and allowed zero earned runs while fanning nine batters.
MLB.com top prospect Byron Buxton's two triples brings his season total to a Southern League and Minor League Baseball leading nine. The outfielder also has 21 RBIs this month which are the most in the Southern League. Overall in May he is hitting .256 (22-for-86) with 11 extra-base hits, 18 runs and four stolen bases.
Chattanooga leads the Southern League in home runs with 40, triples with 19, RBI with 206, total bases with 580, and slugging with at .439.
Chattanooga is in Mobile Thursday night where they will begin a five-game series against the BayBears. The game is set for 7:35 p.m. and features Lookouts starting pitcher Alex Wimmers (2-0, 6.19) against Brandon Sinnery (4-1, 4.15).
The Lookouts return home Wednesday, May 27, to play the Biloxi Shuckers (formerly Huntsville Stars) in the opening game of a five-game set. The series could be a battle of division leaders. Currently, the Shuckers (Brewers) lead the South Division of the Southern League.
Batting ninth in the order, Heiker Menenes had four RBI.
photo by Tim Evearitt