Smokies still hanging on to first place

chris@seymourherald.com The Tennessee Smokies remained in first place in the Southern League Eastern Division after a 12-3 loss to the Carolina Mudcats on Sunday afternoon. The Mudcats (11-17), who won the first half Eastern Division title, are guaranteed a playoff spot but had fallen on hard times after the All-Star break. Carolina finally had the opportunity to take out a week of frustration Sunday night in their 12-3 win. Tennessee pitchers gave up five Carolina home runs in the game that saw starter Cameron Reimers begin the game but was pulled after 4 2/3 innings of work. Reimers allowed two home runs to Tino Sanchez and a total of six earned runs. He walked five and gave up 10 hits. Francisco Ozuna came on in relief of Reimers but didn’t fare any better, giving up four home runs in 3 1/3 innings. Sunday’s game was the second time this season that the Smokies have given up five home runs in a game. The five long balls by Carolina set a new franchise record. Gabe Gross, who smacked two home runs in the game, in the loss led the Smokies’ offense. It was the second time this season that Gross has hit two home runs in the same game. Second baseman Jimmy Alvarez was 2-3 and Jim Deschaine led off the Tennessee scoring with a solo shot in the second inning. Deschaine’s homer had his team leading 11th for the year. The Smokies picked up the win in Saturday night’s game by riding the left arm of pitcher Diego Markwell. Markwell picked up his 10th win of the season in the 5-1 victory which saw him go 6 2/3 innings without giving up a Mudcat run. Tennessee scored the first run of the game when Matt Logan delivered a standup double in the bottom of the second to score Mike Rouse, who had reached on a leadoff walk. The Smokies then added four more in the fourth on a Jose’ Umbria RBI single down the third baseline that scored Logan. Logan reached on what appeared to be fly ball out to left field, but advanced to second, when the umpire ruled that the Carolina outfielder did not make the catch. Jimmy Alvarez singled in Umbria and Rich Thompson slid headfirst into third following a throwing error. Thompson came in to score when Carolina committed a throwing error trying to catch Alvarez stealing second. Alvarez later scored on a Carolina wild pitch to put the Smokies up 5-0 after four. Carolina scored their only run of the game on a Choo Freeman RBI single in the eighth inning. Right hander Vinnie Chulk picked his league leading 11th win of the season Friday night by limiting the Mudcats to just three hits through seven innings in the 5-2 win. Shawn Fagan, who is hitting at a .395 clip in his last 11 games, went 3-4 with two doubles in the win. Shortstop Mike Rouse was 2-2 for the night. The Smokies lit the scoreboard first with four runs in the first inning on a Flemming RBI single, a Rouse RBI double and a two run error by the Mudcat first baseman. Chulk retired the last 13 batters he faced and Hugo Castellanos closed out the ninth for his 15th save. Carolina managed just one hit and had only two base runners over the last six innings. Tennessee finished out the series with Carolina on Monday night and started a four game series with the Greenville Braves on Tuesday.