The Smokies began showing playoff form as the calendar turned to August, taking six of their first seven games to start the month.  They carried that momentum into this past week, picking up four of seven against Huntsville and defending league champion Jacksonville.
After Monday’s game in Huntsville was rained out, the Smokies played two to wrap up the series Tuesday.  Rebel Ridling carried the load with four hits and two homers, as the Smokies swept the doubleheader by scores of 8-0 and 4-2.  The pair of wins put the Smokies a season-best 21 games over .500.
Jacksonville returned to Smokies Park for the first time since last season’s championship series on Wednesday, and silenced the Smokies in the series opener.  Brooks Raley put together a great outing on the hill, but the offense was unable to produce in the 3-1 loss.
Runs were aplenty in Thursday’s contest, and the Smokies went home victorious in dramatic fashion.  Josh Vitters helped tie the game with an RBI single in the seventh, and two innings later, brought in Ty Wright with a single to give the Smokies an 8-7 win.
The Smokies used another late-inning rally to pull out a 5-4 win Friday.  Trailing by a run with the bases loaded and no outs in the eighth, Vitters grounded into a potential double play ball, and an errant throw to first base allowed the go-ahead run to score.
Trey McNutt landed on the wrong side of a pitcher’s duel Saturday, as the Smokies fell 3-0.  The right-hander put together a quality start and the bullpen kept the Suns in check over the final three frames, but Jacksonville’s Brad Hand hurled six scoreless innings and the Smokies did not manage a base runner past the third inning.
Another strong outing from a Jacksonville starter led to the Smokies dropping the series finale 4-1 on Sunday.  The Suns’ Bryan Evans worked seven innings and surrendered only four hits, and the Smokies were unable to muster a rally in the late innings after Vitters drove in their only run with an RBI single in the sixth.
The Smokies hit the road to take on Jackson for five games this week, and then return home for a 10-game homestand against Chattanooga and Jacksonville starting Sunday.  For tickets or more information, call (865) 286-2300, or visit www.smokiesbaseball.com.

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