Shuckers open SLCS with a dominant 7-2 victory over Lookouts
BILOXI, MS - Behind another masterful performance from starter Jorge Lopez and homers from Orlando Arcia and Brett Phillips, the Biloxi Shuckers took a 1-0 lead in the BC Powder's Southern League Championship Series after a 7-2 triumph in game one on Wednesday night at MGM Park. In four postseason games, the Shuckers are now 4-0 and have scored 24 runs on 42 hits, with just one opposing starter lasting into the sixth inning (Daniel Wright - 5.1 innings on Sept. 10).
The game one winner has won three of the last four Southern League Championships. After four games, Shuckers starting pitchers have a 0.34 ERA, giving up just one earned run over 28.2 innings. Lopez stopped the consecutive innings without an earned run by giving up one in the third inning.
Biloxi (1-0) had to play from behind for the first time this postseason as Chattanooga (0-1) plated the first run of the game in the third on a RBI single off the bat of Jorge Polanco, scoring Stuart Turner. The earned was the first in 24.1 innings allowed by Shuckers starting pitching this postseason.
The Shuckers had a quick answer in the home-half of the third. Adam Weisenburger (1x2, 2 R) started the inning by being hit by a pitch and came around to score the tying run on Yadiel Rivera's (2x5, 3 RBI, R, 2B, 3B) triple to right-center field. Arcia (2x3, HR, 3 RBI, R, BB) followed with a line drive blast just to the right of the auxiliary scoreboard in left field to give Biloxi a 3-1 lead.
In four postseason games, the Milwaukee Brewers' top-ranked prospect is batting .625, 10-for-16 with three doubles, a triple, three homeruns and nine RBI.
The two-run margin was more than enough for Lopez (2-0). In seven innings of work, the 22-year-old allowed just the one run on four hits, a walk and six strikeouts. In two starts over the postseason, the Puerto Rico native has allowed two runs - one earned - over 13.2 innings of work while walking four and striking out 13.
Phillips (1x3, HR, RBI, 2 R, BB) extended Biloxi's lead to three with a solo shot in the fourth, his first long ball since joining the Shuckers on Aug. 1. Arcia added another RBI in the fifth with a single up the middle to bring in Nick Shaw (1x4, R, 2B). Rivera plated two more runs in the sixth on a double to center that scored Phillips and Weisenburger to give the Shuckers a commanding, 7-1, lead.
Josh Hader came out of the bullpen to take the eighth and worked around an error and a walk by striking out the side. Damien Magnifico took the bump in the ninth and allowed a run, but ultimately finished off the game
Biloxi will look to take a two-game advantage in the best-of-five matchup with Chattanooga in game two on Thursday night at MGM Park. RHP Adrian Houser (1-0, 0.00) will make his second start of the postseason for the Shuckers, and first since tossing a shutout and striking out 10 against the Pensacola Blue Wahoos in game two of the Divisional Round on Sept. 11. LHP Jason Wheeler (0-0, 1.50) toes the rubber for the Lookouts, his second of the year against Biloxi. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m., with coverage beginning at 6:55 p.m. on 1240-AM WGCM, 1580-AM WPMO and the Biloxi Shuckers Radio Network. Fans can also listen to the game using the TuneIn Radio app or by going to www.biloxishuckers.com.
Thursday night will be the final chance for Shuckers fans to see their team until next April. Fans can purchase Biloxi Shuckers Championship Series tickets directly by CLICKING HERE
In addition to purchasing tickets at the MGM Park Box Office, fans may also use the options listed below from Ticketmaster. In order to purchase tickets over the phone, please call Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000. The MGM Park Box Office does not process any phone sales. All phone sales must be made through Ticketmaster with the number provided.In order to purchase tickets online, please visit www.ticketmaster.com or www.BiloxiShuckers.com. Tickets may also be purchased at all Ticketmaster outlets. Please visit www.ticketmaster.com for additional locations in your area.