Smokies win extra inning dotted series in Birmingham

In a match-up of division leaders, the four-game series between the Smokies (20-9) and the Barons (15-13) came up long and short. Tennessee took one of the two extra inning games in the series and turned Saturday’s pitcher’s duel into a 10-2 landslide win that ended up taking the series as Monday’s rain forced a cancellation of game four. The game will not be made up as it is the last time the two teams face each other this season.
Scott Krause drew a bases-loaded walk in the 11th inning to force in the winning run as Tennessee opened the series at Birmingham with a 5-4 win. The teams combined for 4 errors and 20 runners left on base.
Chris Weekly reached base to start the eleventh on an error by shortstop Guillermo Reyes and advanced when Kris McWhirter (L, 1-5) walked Skip Schumaker. John Nelson advanced both runners with a sacrifice bunt before Papo Bolivar was intentionally walked to load the bases. Scott Dunn was brought in to face Bucky Jacobsen and struck him out on three pitches. He wasn’t so accurate with Krause, walking him on a 3-1 pitch to force in the winning run.
The back and forth affair got ugly as the game grew old. Tennessee committed a pair of errors in the 9th inning to allow Birmingham to tie the game at 4. With Mike Lyons (W, 3-3) looking for his franchise tying 27th save of the season, Scott Bikowski reached base on a lead off walk, and was safe at second a batter later when John Nelson dropped the ball on a force out. Following a sacrifice bunt by Guillermo Reyes, Tommy Nicholson sent a sharp ground ball to second baseman Chris Weekly. Weekly missed the ball, and right fielder Kevan Burns, overran it for the innings second error, allowing pinch-running pitcher Mitch Wylie to score the tying run.
The first five batters of the eighth inning reached base for Tennessee against reliever Matt Smith with Kevan Burns and Corey Erickson picking up RBI singles to put the Smokies ahead 4-2. Smith was replaced by Jim Bullard with the bases loaded and no outs, and Bullard kept Tennessee off the scoreboard the rest of the inning, stranding three.
Tennessee stranded 13 base runners in the game, including leaving the bases loaded in the 8th and 11th innings.
Tennessee pounded out 16 hits in a 10-2 win over Birmingham Saturday night in the second game of a four game series. Skip Schumaker had a four-hit night and Julio Villallon (W,4-1) took a no-hitter into the fifth inning as the Smokies won their fourth straight.
Villalon didn’t allow a hit until Carlos Maldonado singled in the fifth inning. Scott Bikowski had reached an a Chris Weekly single prior to Maldonado’s single. Chad Durham singled with two outs to score Bikowski for the Barons’ first run. Villalon allowed just one unearned run and four hits over seven innings with five strikeouts and no walks.
Tennessee led 2-1 heading into the eighth inning on the strength of an RBI double by Corey Erickson and a run scoring single from Yadier Molina against starter Mitch Wylie (L, 2-3).
The Smokies jumped on Barons reliever Jeff Bajenaru for eight runs over thefinal two innings to blow the game open. Papo Bolivar greeted Bajenaru with a triple and scored on a wild pitch to kick start the offense in the eighth.Erickson (2-for-3, two doubles) laced a run scoring double and Yadier Molina (3-for-4, 3 RBI) scored Erickson with a sacrifice fly.
Tennessee batted around against Bajenaru in the ninth, getting run scoringsingles from Bolivar (3-for-5, two runs) and Burns and a two run single from Molina for the final tally.
Tommy Nicholson laced a 10th inning single to score Juan Piniella and give Birmingham a 2-1 win over Tennessee Sunday night in the third game of the four game away series.
The Smokies avoided a no-hitter and a shutout on the same pitch with two outs in the seventh inning as Bucky Jacobsen homered against Barons starter Byeong An for Tennessee’s lone run. Jacobsen’s seventh inning home run was his 20th of the year. Birminham’s Scott Dunn (W, 5-3) struck out the first four batters he faced and pitched two scoreless innings to earn the win.
Juan Piniella singled with one out in the tenth against Josh Axelson (L,0-1). Jeremy Reed was walked on four pitches before Nicholson delivered the game winner, snapping the Barons’ three game losing streak.
Juan Pena allowed one unearned run over 7 1/3 innings but didn’t figure in the decision for Tennessee. Josh Kinney worked out of a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the ninth by striking out Danny Sandoval to send the game into extra innings.
Tennessee travels to Huntsville to start four game series against the Stars Tuesday night. The series is the middle of a twelve game, now eleven game road trip. The Smokies return to Sevier County on July 31 for a series against Orlando, who the Smokies will visit for the last four games of this road swing.