Chuckie Robinson is listed as a catcher on Chattanooga’s roster, but he should be labelled as a “turret” instead. Because from his post behind the batter, Robinson was forever-ready to leap up and spray bullets to all corners of the infield diamond. A few Tennessee Smokies dared to run on him in the Lookouts’ 6-2 Wednesday win, but they were fools for doing so.
“With Chuckie, it’s not just about his arm,” manager Jose Moreno added.
“The leadership he brings is so important. He was on the team last year, and his spirit and energy behind the plate is (something everyone on the team sees). Seeing how he plays and how he blocks and controls the running game, you want to play like that.”
Christopher Morel got down early with an 0-2 count, but that didn’t end up mattering in the end. On the third pitch, Morel’s righthanded swing pulled the ball up and over the wall to give the Smokies an early 1-0 lead.
Nelson Velazquez was slightly more patient, taking three balls and one called strike before he swung the bat. The result was the same though, a long ball that almost hit scoreboard. Bryce Ball also got a hit on the next at-bat, but he provided some variety by just blooping the ball into right field.
Chattanooga’s Matt McLain gave the home crowd something worth cheering about in his first at-bat. He looped a ball into rightfield that got away from Velazquez. While the right fielder was fumbling around in the grass, McLain motored to third for a triple. A few seconds later, McLain sprinted home and scored after pitcher Cam Sanders hurled a wild pitch.
TJ Hopkins didn’t give his pitcher much help in the top of the third. Darius Hill slapped a long fly ball toward center, and Hopkins seemed to have a beat on it. But he mis-tracked the ball as he ran under it, and Hill ended up at center with a double.
After Velazquez got on base again and stole second, McWilliams faced another rough spot. McWilliams got out of it by inducing a popup for a second out, and then he struck out Chase Strumpf to escape the top of the third.
Chuckie Robinson may have had a rough day at the plate, but he didn’t let that affect his game behind it. Robinson consistently made killer throws to second base whenever the Smokies would try to steal. He didn’t get an out everytime (thanks to some mishandles), but Robinson’s lasers got a few.
After McLain’s superhuman effort in the first, Sanders put Chattanooga’s bats in Silverdale for the next hour or so. Robinson, Byrd Tenerowicz, and everyone else flailed away against the righthander with mid-90s stuff. McLain seemed to have a hit in the bottom of the fifth, but his grounder was deemed an error by the scorekeeper.
In the top of the sixth, third baseman Matt Lloyd handled a tough ball and then laid it off to Urbaez to get the first out. From there, the ball relayed to Tenerowicz at first to complete a snappy double play. In bottom of the inning, second baseman Urbaez went for a single. McAfee hustled to third on a slow single by Lloyd.
Lloyd then got a chance to show off his wheels on the very next play. Robinson finally got one past the defense, a rocket down the third-base line that nestled itself in the outfield corner. Urbaez ran home, Robinson went to second, and then Lloyd slid into home. These hits that led to the Lookouts’ 3-2 lead came off reliever Brandon Leibrandt.
Chattanooga’s relief options of Andy Fisher, Michael Byrne, and Rick Karcher combined to shutout the Smokies in four innings. In the bottom of the eighth, the Lookouts added another three insurance runs via a TJ Hopkins groundball that was fumbled by the Smokies, and then a wild pitch by Graham Lawson.
The Lookouts will play the Smokies once again on Thursday, and the winner will break the series’ 1-1 tie. First pitch is at 7:15.
BOX SCORE:
TENNESSEE SMOKIES 200 000 000. - 2/9/2
CHATTANOOGA 100 002 03X - 6/6/0
WP: Fisher
LP: Leibrandt
FULL BOX SCORE
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