20-year old Cristian Pache, Atlanta's top offensive hitting prospect, hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning.
photo by Tim Evearitt
The Chattanooga Lookouts can’t seem to get a break with the Mississippi Braves.
The Braves had collected 26 hits, including a dozen for extra bases, in winning the first two games of the current series at At&T Field.
They only got four hits on Wednesday night, but two of them were home runs that accounted for all of Mississippi’s scoring as the Braves improved to 6-5 overall with the 3-2 victory.
The Lookouts are now 4-7 following their third-straight loss.
Chattanooga starting pitcher Tejay Antone pitched brilliantly for six innings, allowing just two hits while walking two and striking out five.
Alejandro Salazar had singled to right leading off for the Braves in the second, but he was erased when Luis Valenzuela bounced into a 4-6-3 double play.
Unfortunately, the second hit the lanky righty allowed was a two-run homer off the bat of Cristian Rache in the sixth. Antone is now 1-1 after suffering the loss.
Drew Waters had walked with one out and was aboard when Pache ripped a 2-0 pitch over the Salvation Army sign down the line in left to give the Braves a 2-1 lead.
Daniel Lockhart roped an 0-2 offering over the fence in right with one out in the seventh for what turned out to be the winning run.
Centerfielder Jose Siri scored Chattanooga’s first run in the third. He singled and went to second on a Braves’ throwing error before stealing third. Then with Mississippi starter Ian Anderson apparently thinking about something else, Siri broke for home between pitches and was safe without a throw.
Lockhart’s homer extended the Braves lead to 3-1.
Taylor Trammell homered to right leading off the eighth for the Lookouts, but Jason Hursh retired the final six hitters he faced to preserve the win for Phil Pfeifer, who had relieved Anderson with two outs in the fifth.
Anderson, one of Atlanta’s top pitching prospects, allowed the one run on three hits while striking out five. He was replaced by Pfeifer after Trammell walked for Anderson’s third base on balls.
The Braves finished with three runs on four hits while the Lookouts countered with two runs on five hits.
Siri was the only Lookout with two hits.
Box Score http://tinyurl.com/y3yaynya
Game four of the five-game series is set for 7:15 Thursday night.
MISSISSIPPI 000 002 100 – 3 4 2
CHATTANOOGA 001 000 010 – 2 5 0
Anderson, Pfeifer (5), Hursh (8) and Martinez; Antone, Boyles (7), Hendrix (7) and Stephenson.
(email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com)