Starting pitcher Kohl Stewart (2-4) gave up four runs in 3 2/3 innings.
photo by Tim Evearitt
The Birmingham Barons cruised to a 10-5 win over the Chattanooga Lookouts in the series finale. The Barons out hit the Lookouts 16-to-7 with five Birmingham plays having multi-hits in the game.
The Lookouts (9-6) enter Saturday's contest at Tennessee in a first-place tie in the North Division with Montgomery (9-6), with Jackson (8-6) a half-game back.
In the South Division, the Jacksonville Suns (8-7) and the Mississippi Braves (8-7) are tied for first-place.
Birmingham was able to jump on Chattanooga starter Kohl Stewart early and often, and knocked him out the game in the fourth inning.
It didn’t help any that his defense also committed two errors behind him that led to runs.
He finished 3 2/3 innings, and allowed seven runs (four earned) on eleven hits, including five doubles and a home run. He walked one and struck out one.
Adam Engel started things off for the Barons with a double to left field. Engel scored the first run of the game on a fielder's choice. Birmingham proceeded to load the bases and plate two runs. It looked like the Barons were going to score one more run, but Travis Harrison threw out Brady Shoemaker at home to end the inning.
Chattanooga carried that brief spurt of momentum into the bottom of the opening frame. A Engelb Vielma walk and a Ryan Walker double put runners on second and third with no outs. The runs then scored on a Travis Harrison grounder and a DJ Hicks double.
Now a one run game the Barons offense opened up the flood gates in the third with runs on a double and a sacrifice fly. Two more came across in the fourth to chase Lookouts starter Kohl Stewart out of the game.
Trailing by five the Lookouts took the deficit down to four in the sixth on two sacrifice flies.
Birmingham put the game away in the next inning by putting up a three spot in the top of the seventh.
The Lookouts' fifth run scored on a wild-pitch in the eighth, and that would be it.
Luke Westphal gave Chattanooga two scoreless innings, but ran into trouble of his own in his third. Before he was replaced by Zack Jones in the seventh, three runs had scored to make it 10-4. Jones also finished a scoreless eighth, and struck out one.
Jake Reed allowed a single and struck out two in the ninth.
Ryan Walker (2-for-3) and D.J. Hicks (2-for-3) had multi-hit games for the Lookouts.
Box
The loss puts the Lookouts at five games over .500 on the season as they head to Tennessee to take on the rival Smokies.
Saturday's game in Kodiak begins at 7:05 p. m.
NOTE: Daniel Palka since his promotion to Rochester
After hitting 21 home runs for the Double-A Lookouts, Palka has already hit two homers in two games for the Triple-A Red Wings.
Ryan Walker went 2-for-3 and scored three runs for the Lookouts.
photo by Tim Evearitt