It seems like the Birmingham Barons and the Chattanooga Lookouts are getting comfortable trading wins as they play their first six-game series at AT&T Field this week.
The Lookouts won in a landslide Tuesday by a 16-4 final and then posted a 5-2 victory on Thursday.
The Barons won their first game of the season with a 9-6 victory on Wednesday, so just figure it was Birmingham’s time to prevail as the fourth game was played before the largest crowd of the season Friday night.
With 6,361 fans on hand for a minor-league game and the season’s first fireworks show, the visitors from Alabama spoiled the chance to go over .500 for the first time with an 8-3 victory.
The Barons improve to 2-5 for the young season while the Lookouts are now 3-4.
Chattanooga starting pitcher Jacque Puchue took his first loss as the slender southpaw simply didn’t have his best stuff, allowing five runs on five hits while lasting just two and a third innings.
Meanwhile, Birmingham starter Jason Bilous got the win with five innings of work, allowing two runs on three hits while striking out seven and walking none.
The Barons scored single runs in the first and third innings while tacking on three more in the second for a 5-0 lead.
The Lookouts made things interesting with single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth, but they loaded the bases in the seventh and didn’t score to kill any momentum they had built with that mid-game rally.
All thoughts of a comeback went down the drain in the ninth when the Barons used a double from Jose Rodriguez, two walks, two errors and a hit batter to score three runs and put the game out of reach.
Chattanooga manager Jose Moreno liked the effort his team put forth, but he pointed to that seventh inning with a chance to get closer and not getting anything as the turning point in the game.
“A few missed plays hurt and us not scoring in the seventh when we loaded the bases hurt even more. The bad start didn’t help anything, but it’s a long season and we’ll be fine,” he said shortly before the fireworks show began.
Birmingham loaded the bases in the first on walks to Craig Dedelow and Lenyn Sosa and a single by Yoelqui Cespedes. Rodriquez grounded to second to drive in the only run as a liner to center ended the threat.
Jagger Rusconi singled with one out in the second and advanced when Yolbert Sanchez walked. Both scored when Dedelow doubled off the wall in left. Dedelow then scored on a double by Sosa.
Rodriguez made it 5-0 in the third when he scored on a wild pitch, but that was all the scoring the Barons would do until they posted those insurance runs in the ninth.
Meanwhile, Chattanooga’s bats finally produced a few key hits and three runs in the three middle innings.
Matt McLain, who seems to create instant offense every time he comes to bat, led off the fourth with a triple off the wall in right before scoring on a groundout by Quincy McAfee.
T.J. Hopkins ripped a solo homer off the scoreboard in left on the first pitch of the fifth while McLain led off the sixth with a double and scored on a sacrifice fly to left by Rivas.
The Barons lead was 5-3 at this point with momentum on Chattanooga’s side, but it all disappeared in the seventh.
Hopkins led off with a walk before James Free singled to left. Jacob Hurtubise flied to left for the first out before Michael Siani walked to load the bases.
McLain took a called third strike for the second out before Matt Lloyd grounded to second to force Siani at second to end the threat.
With all the wind out of Chattanooga sails, Declan Cronin then retired the Lookouts in order in the ninth to end the game.
Rodriguez was the only Birmingham player with two hits while McLain was the only Lookout with two.
Game five is set for 7:15 Saturday night while the series will conclude with a 2:15 start on Easter Sunday.
BIRMINGHAM 131 000 003 – 8 9 0
CHATTANOOGA 000 111 000 – 3 6 2
Bilous,Tejada (6), Henzman (7), Cronin (9) and Fernandez; Puchue, Pinto (3), Garcia (6), Karcher (7), Brache (9) and Free.
(Email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com)