Barons Drop Game 1 to Biscuits 8-5

The Birmingham Barons dropped Game 1 against the Montgomery Biscuits by a score of 8-5. The Barons collected 11 hits and used a total of four pitchers.

The Barons starting RHP Jonathan Cannon kicked off Game 1 with an efficient first inning in which he sat Montgomery down in order. Cannon allowed a hit on the first batter, however, with a ground out and a swinging strikeout that led into a throw out by Edgar Quero, Birmingham escaped the top of the first. In the bottom, the Barons started similarly to the Biscuits with a lead off hit by Jose Rodriguez. Birmingham could not muster any other success in the inning as the rest of the order was sat down.

The Biscuits kicked off the second with a little more success as they were able to secure two hits in the half inning. Cannon did not let any of those hits affect the scoreboard as he would end the inning with two swinging strikeouts. The Barons, other than a Quero walk, did not put any pressure on Montgomery in the bottom of the second.

In the third, Montgomery Gionti Turner singled to kick off the inning. Two batters later, Dru Baker smacked a hard-hit grounder to center field to score Turner for the first run of the ballgame, and the 1-0 lead. However, that was the only damage the Biscuits mustered in the top half of the inning. In the bottom, the Barons went three-up three-down.

Montgomery added to their lead in the fourth with two runs in the frame. The Biscuits scored their runs off a Kenny Piper two-run home run, his fourth homer of the season. Cannon and the Barons were able to keep the damage minimal; he ended the inning in four batters, after the two-run shot. Birmingham could not respond in the bottom of the half inning as a Wilfred Veras single was all they could achieve.

The Biscuits did not stop adding in the fifth as Junior Caminero unloads his 14th home run of the season over the left field wall. Cannon, despite the homer, was efficient in the inning as he collected two straight outs after the run. The right-hander capped off the inning with his fifth strikeout in as many innings. Cannon’s night would end after the inning, he would finish with nine hits, four earned runs and two home runs, coupled with his five strikeouts.

In the bottom of the inning, Alsander Womack started the inning with a broken bat single paired with a Terrell Tatum soft bunt and a wild pitch moved the aforementioned to third-base with two outs. Colson Montgomery did not back down from the moment as he smacked a two-RBI triple to get the Barons within two and extend his on-base streak to 20 games. Bryan Ramos added one more as a single scored Montgomery and the Barons just a run behind the Biscuits.

Just as the Barons were starting to gain the momentum, Montgomery would score a run on an error thrown by RHP Adisyn Coffey, Coffey relieved Cannon to start the inning. Coffey would allow a single off the next batter as the Biscuits then sat 6-3. Coffey did his best to swing the energy back to the Barons as he ended the top half with a strikeout. The first hurler out of the bullpen for the Barons night ended after his lone inning. Coffey finished the night with two hits, two runs, one earned run, one walk and two strikeouts.

Birmingham received the momentum and Quero delivered a line shot to right field to kick off the bottom of the inning. Womack continued the comeback climb as he lined his second hit of the night to center field, advancing Quero to scoring position at second. Even with a wild pitch to advance both runners into scoring position, the Barons could not respond in the bottom of the sixth.

The Barons opted to go with LHP Garrett Schoenle in the top of the seventh. In Schoenle’s first inning, he sat down the Biscuits in order for the first time all night. Birmingham’s bats rewarded his efforts as Ramos hit a bloop RBI-single that confused the defense and Veras smacked a single up the middle to bring the Barons within one.

Schoenle continued in the eighth, where he allowed two runs to the Biscuits. Montgomery smacked both of their runs in off a single by Tristan Peters. Schoenle was aided to end the inning by a crucial throw by Yoelqui Cespedes to get the runner at home and keep the score 8-5. Schoenle’s night was over as he was relieved in the top of the ninth by RHP Tristan Stivors. Schoenle finished with three hits, two walks and two strikeouts. The Barons bats were unable to respond as they were sat down in four batters.

Stivors ended the final half inning on the mound for the Barons with two strikeouts and a pop fly. Birmingham found themselves down three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning, after the right-handers' stellar efforts. The Barons bats, however, got down in four batters.

Birmingham now will turn their efforts to Game 2 on Wednesday, August 30th. The Barons are planning to have The Chicago White Sox No. 18 prospect, RHP Matt Thompson.