Chattanooga dropped their third game in a row in a morning-early afternoon slugfest at AT&T Field, as the Tennessee Smokies edged the Lookouts Wednesday, 9-8, before an enthusiastic crowd of 4,757 fans..
Both teams played their second straight game that featured at least 14 runs. Although coming out on the losing end, the Lookouts out hit the Smokies, 14-to-12..
Chattanooga left 11 men stranded on base and went 5-for-14 with runners in scoring position
The Lookouts struck first with four runs in the first inning off Tennessee starter LHP Luis Lugo (W, 3-0). After a Jose Siri RBI-double, Ibandel Isabel blasted his league-leading 18th home run of 2019. Isabel has been red-hot at the plate as that was his fourth homer in the last six games.
Lugo kept the Lookouts off the board over the next three innings to enable Tennessee to get back in the game and they did in the fourth inning.
Tennessee's comeback came quickly in the fourth. Vimael Machin singled in a runner to make it 4-1. With the bases loaded, Jesse Hodges provided the Smokies with a bases-clearing double to tie the game at four off Chattanooga starter LHP Packy Naughton (L, 3-4).
Naughton had his shortest outing of the year going 4 2/3 innings deep, giving up seven earned runs on nine hits.
In the fifth inning, PJ Higgins handed the Smokies the lead with a sacrifice fly to plate Wynton Bernard. The next batter, Machin, doubled in two more to turn it into seven unanswered runs by Tennessee.
Catcher Tyler Stephenson brought Chattanooga within a run with a two-run double in the fifth inning
The Lookouts late-inning rally was fully intact again Wednesday as Stephenson again pulled the Lookouts within a run in the ninth as he blasted a solo homer.
It still wasn't enough as Tennessee pulls through shutting the door in the ninth inning. RHP Tommy Nance (S, 4) worked around a pair of two-out base runners to secure the save for Tennessee
Mitch Nay collected his 23rd RBI in June as he went two for three with a pair of runs scored.
Lookouts game highlights (from redsminorleagues.com)
Alfredo Rodriguez went 2-5 with a double and a run scored.
Jose Siri went 1-5 with a double and an RBI.
Mitch Nay went 2-3 with 2 walks, 2 runs scored, and he had an RBI.
Ibandel Isabel went 2-5 with a double, home run (18), 2 runs, and he had 2 RBI.
Tyler Stephenson went 3-4 with 2 doubles, walk, 2 runs scored, a home run (4), and 3 RBI.
Stuart Fairchild went 2-5 with an RBI and a steal.
Michael Beltre went 1-4 with a walk and a run scored.
Calten Daal went 1-2.
Cory Thompson threw 1.2 shutout innings with 2 walks and a strikeout.
The Lookouts are back in action Thursday evening as LHP Reiver Sanmartin (0-0, 9.00 ERA) makes his second start of the year against RHP Alex Lange (0-0, 3.00 ERA) with a 7:15 p.m. first pitch.