The Chattanooga Lookouts opened a 12-game home stand at AT&T Field Tuesday night against the Birmingham Barons, hoping to keep pace with the first-place Tennessee Smokies in the Southern League’s Northern Division.
The Lookouts were also hoping to break a one-game losing streak, but neither of those happened as the Barons rallied for a 5-3 victory.
Chattanooga had scored one run in the second inning and two more in the third, but couldn’t hang on against the worst team in the league as the Barons knotted the score with three runs in the fourth before scoring two more in the eighth.
The Lookouts fall to 27-24 and are 1.5 games back of the Smokies, who extended a half-game lead with a win over Rocket City on Tuesday. The Barons are now 18-34 for the season.
Nick Quintana drove in Chattanooga’s first run with an infield single in the second, allowing Jose Torres to score after reaching on a fielder’s choice.
The Lookouts added two more in the third with three straight doubles, those coming from Alex McGarry, Rece Hinds and Quincy McAfee. Back-to-back groundouts from Torres and Nick Northcut ended that rally and the Lookouts never really threatened again.
The Barons knotted the score with three runs in the top of the fourth on the strength of two hits and three walks.
Xavier Hernandez got the first RBI with a bases-loaded walk while Moises Castillo ripped a two-run single to right on a 3-2 count to tie the game.
Nobody scored in the next three innings before the Barons plated the final two runs in the eighth.
Tommy Eveld, named the Southern League’s Pitcher of the Week last week, took his first loss after winning twice by allowing two runs on three hits.
Again, both runs scored with two outs as Castillo got the first one whie Alsander Womack added another for insurance.
Yoelvin Silven got the win after pitching two scoreless innings as he struck out the side in the eighth after allowing a one-out walk in the seventh.
Caleb Freeman came on to pitch the ninth for the Barons, but suffered an apparent injury after hitting Northcut. Southpaw Ben Holmes then came out to retire the next three hitters in order, including two via strikeouts.
Both teams finished Tuesday’s game with eight hits.
Womack had three to lead the Barons while Castillo had two hits and three RBIs. McGarry and McAfee both had two hits for Chattanooga.
The series will continue for the next five days, concluding with Sunday afternoon’s game at 2:15. After a day off on Monday, the Lookouts will host the Rocket City Trash Pandas for six games.
BIRMINGHAM 000 300 020 – 5 8 2
CHATTANOOGA 012 000 000 – 3 8 1
Thompson, Perez (5), Silven (7), Freeman (9), Holmes (9) and Hackenberg; Richardson, Cachutt (3), Glogoski (4), Benoit (6), Eveld (8) and Vellojin.
(Email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com)