David Hurlbut held the Braves scoreless and gave up five hits over seven innings.
photo by Tim Evearitt
Starting pitcher David Hurlbut threw seven shutout innings to help lead the Lookouts to a 4-3 win over the Braves.
Chattanooga jumped out to an early lead in this one and had to hold on for dear life at the end. Hurlbut allowed five hits and two walks. He didn't strike out a batter but he seemed not to need strikeouts on this night.
The win ended a four-game losing skid and helped keep the Lookouts from being swept by Mississippi. Chattanooga has struggled in the second half with a 4-13 record. They are currently in last place in the Southern League North Division.
Inning-by-inning game Recap
The M-Braves were on the verge of a repeat performance of Sunday's come-from-behind win as they scored three runs in the last two innings. The tying run was on first base when the game ended.
Stephen Wickens and Heiker Meneses both picked up a pair of hits. Wickens cracked his eighth double and Meneses drove in his 22nd run. Niko Goodrum collected his first triple since being promoted to Double-A and he stole his seventh base. Travis Harrison drove in a run, his 40th of the season.
After falling behind early in the first four games of the series, the Lookouts' offense struck first in the fifth and final game. In the bottom of the second inning Kennys Vargas, Adam Brett Walker II and Wickens hit back-to-back-to-back singles to load the bases. The next batter, Marcus Knecht, grounded into a double play, but the Lookouts still took the one run lead.
A one run cushion was fine for Hurlbut who only allowed five hits in his seven innings of work. In the month of July the southpaw is 2-1 with a 1.93 ERA and a complete game.
After Hurlbut's last frame of work the Lookouts offense got rolling again. This time the team scored two runs with the help of three Braves errors in that inning.
Down three runs the Braves stuck around scoring a run on a K.D. Kang RBI. With no outs the Braves had runners on second and third, but Major League Veteran Scott Atchison got out of the jam.
The Lookouts then scored a run of their own in the bottom of the inning on a Harrison single that drove home Goodrum.
The run turned out to be important as the Braves scored two in the top of the ninth, the final one coming off the bat of Emerson Landoni. Landoni finished the night 5-for-5 and has recorded 10 consecutive hits, one shy of tying the Southern League Record.
Alex Muren made things interesting in the ninth by allowing two runs but he was still able to earn his first save.
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Tuesday the team will have an off day and travel to Biloxi for a five-game series beginning Wednesday night.
The Lookouts return home on Monday for a four-game home stretch that features two games against Montgomery and two against Tennessee.