Pena Puzzles Shuckers in 7-2 Smokies Win
BILOXI, Miss. - Smokies starter Felix Pena continued his fantastic end to the season by tossing seven innings of four-hit one run baseball. The right-hander was aided by his offense, as Tennessee scored three in the first - thanks to a two-run blast by 3B Jeimer Candelario - and added four in the third, in the Smokies' 7-2 victory over the Biloxi Shuckers on Saturday night at MGM Park.
With the win, Tennessee is guaranteed to post a winning record in most halves of the season for the first time since 2011. The triumph improves the Smokies' record to 36-32 in the season's second leg and 75-62 overall. The loss dropped Biloxi to 34-33 in the second half and 77-58 in total for 2015.
Much like last night, Tennessee kick started their offense right out of the gate. CF Jacob Hannemann started the contest with a triple down the right field line and scored the game's opening tally on a RBI grounder off the bat off 1B Dan Vogelbach. The ball was misplayed and the 22-year old was safe at first, as the Smokies grabbed a 1-0 lead.
After a ground out and a passed ball allowed Vogelbach to advance to third, Candelario stepped in and uncorked a laser beam to right. The screaming line drive sailed way over the right field fence and touched down for a two-run home run. The blast - Candelario's tenth of the year and his fifth as a Southern Leaguer - put the Smokies ahead, 3-0.
That was all the run support Pena (7.0 IP, 4 H, R, ER, 3 BB, 5 SO). The right-hander cruised through seven innings, allowing just one run on four hits, to accrue his seventh win of the season. Pena's effort was his eighth quality start of the season and the ninth by Tennessee starters in the last ten outings.
Tennessee would break the game open in the third. Again it was Hannemann who got things started by ripping a double into right. A single to center by SS Carlos Penalver and a walk to Vogelbach loaded the bases for Southern League Postseason All-Star Willson Contreras. On the very first pitch of the at-bat, the 23-year old slashed a hard-hit grounder down the third base line and into the left field corner. Hannemann and Penalver scored, while Vogelbach stopped third, as Contreras' two-run double gave the Smokies a 5-0 edge.
Candelario then walked to re-load the bases for RF Bijan Rademacher. Shuckers starter Adrian Houser (2.0+ IP, 5 H, 7 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO) then plunked the left-handed batter on his right elbow to force home a run to stretch the Tennessee lead to 6-0. That was the end of the night for the right-hander, who surrendered seven runs over two-plus innings of work.
The Smokies scratched across their final run against reliever Jed Bradley (4.0 IP, BB, 5 SO). The first hitter the southpaw faced - LF Anthony Giansanti - slapped a fly ball to right for a sacrifice fly. Contreras scored easily from third to give Tennessee a 7-0 lead over Biloxi.
The Shuckers finally got on the scoreboard with single runs in the sixth and ninth. SS Orlando Arcia broke up the shutout with a RBI single to center and LF Victor Roache crushed a solo home run to right-center - his eighth at the Double-A level.
Tennesssee's bullpen duo of Gerardo Concepcion (1.1 IP, H, 2 SO) and Juan Paniagua (0.2 IP, H, R, ER) combined to allow just one run over the final two innings to secure the victory.
Houser (2.0+ IP, 5 H, 7 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO) - the reigning Southern League Pitcher of the Week - suffered his worst start since joining the Brewers' organization in a deadline deal with the Houston Astros and his first loss as a Southern Leaguer.
Hannemann (2-5, 2 R, 2B, 3B, 2 SO) ignited the Smokies' offense for the second straight night. The 24-year old tallied a team-best two hits and scored twice in the triumph.
Contreras (1-3, R, 2B, 2 RBI, BB) picked up a double, walked and drove in a pair to keep his Southern League-leading average at .327. Chattanooga's Max Kepler (0-3, BB) went hitless tonight for the Lookouts against the Jackson Generals and now trails Contreras by four points (.323) in the race for the circuit's batting crown.
Roache (2-4, R, HR, RBI) and 3B Yadiel Rivera (2-4) compiled the only multi-hit efforts in defeat for Biloxi.
Tennessee will look capture the final series of the 2015 campaign tomorrow night, as they play game four of their five-game set against the Shuckers. Southpaw Jeffry Antigua (5-5, 4.60 ERA) is expected to toe the slab, while Biloxi is projected to counter with the fellow lefty Josh Hader (1-3, 2.94 ERA).
The Pilot Pre-Game Show will kick off the broadcast at 5:55 p.m. ET, leading up to a 6:10 p.m. ET first pitch from MGM Park. Saturday evening's broadcast can be heard exclusively on Sports Radio 99.1 FM and 990 AM, as well as SmokiesBaseball.com or via the TuneIn Radio app.
The Smokies will begin their 2016 campaign at home on Thursday, April 7, starting a five-game series against the Mobile BayBears, the Double-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks. The entire 2016 schedule, in addition to season ticket information, can be found online at smokiesbaseball.com.
ABOUT THE TENNESSEE SMOKIES
The Tennessee Smokies are the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. Members of the ten-team Southern League, Smokies baseball has been entertaining families and fans of America's national pastime in the East Tennessee region for over 100 years. To learn more about the Tennessee Smokies, visit www.smokiesbaseball.com.