Barons Walk-Off Victorious for Third Time This Week

Thirsty Thursday night at Regions Field generated a much more energetic crowd and ballgame. Following the marathon game the night before, both sides improved their pace tremendously, despite the highly competitive environment. Both Birmingham and Montgomery started one their better arms on their staff, with Jason Bilous and Sean Hunley going, respectively. After a scoreless first frame, the Barons jumped on the board first thanks to a convoluted set of mistakes by the Biscuits.

Craig Dedelow began the frame with an infield single that very easily could've resulted in a simple ground out to second. Then, the 6'4" outfielder swiped his ninth bag of the year because of a dropped throw that surely would've gunned him down. Next, Raudy Read rolled over a ball to Montgomery's shortstop, Greg Jones, who proceeded to go to third with it, and with a good toss, Dedelow would've been dead meat. Instead, Jones spiked the throw and allowed Dedelow to score on a fielder's choice while Read advanced to second too. Afterward, J.J. Muno lined a ball into the outfield and drove in Birmingham's second early run.

That lead didn't last for very long, though, as the Biscuits punched right back. Greg Jones made up for his aforementioned mistake by starting the third off with a triple. He came around to score via a single by Osleivis Basabe, who too scored soon thereafter thanks to a towering two-run big fly by Kameron Misner. The go-ahead dinger exited very quickly, moving at 107 mph and traveling a total distance of 425 feet.

Like the Barons' lead, the Biscuits failed to protect theirs for very long. In the bottom half. Jose Rodriguez ripped a single, then swiped his Southern-League leading 29th stolen base of the season. Moises Castillo followed that up with a single of his own, but Rodriguez stopped at third. Chicago's number two prospect, Birmingham's newest player, Oscar Colas, drove in the runner by beating out a grounder destined for a double-play. As a result, the game locked in at three apiece and did not shift for some time.

The fourth and fifth inning included some drama, but no runs, as both sides went into the bullpen and succeeded in doing so. Birmingham's Jason Bilous pitched very well beyond his shaky third. Overall, the right-handed pitcher finished with 5 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, BB, and 6 SO. Consequently, Bilous moved into third place within the Southern League for strikeouts, racking up 90 of them on the year.

Finally, in the bottom of the sixth, the Barons broke the tie thanks to J.J. Muno's third hit of the night. Before that, Craig Dedelow began the inning with a leadoff walk. Then, Raudy Read ripped a single that advanced Dedelow to third. From there, Birmingham recorded two consecutive outs before Muno stepped in. On a pitch that jammed the snot out of him, Muno broke his bat but still had enough power behind it to push it just over the first baseman.

However, once again, that lead lasted for only a brief time, as a two-RBI single in the eighth evened this ballgame up at four. Heading into the ninth, Birmingham turned to Brian Glowicki to shut the door and leave a chance for another walk-off victory. When Glowicki did just that, part one of the ideal finale had been completed. And, of course, due up to start the ninth was none other than J.J. Muno. His phenomenal night carried on as he not only recorded his fourth hit of the night but he also advanced to second on a perfectly read ball in the dirt. Ian Dawkins stepped in and battled hard to eventually walk away with a very productive flyout which moved Muno to third. Then, one of Birmingham's most consistent hitters, Jose Rodriguez, stepped in and ended the night in its' tracks. Doing so gives the Barons their third walk-off of the week, as they claimed game three by a score of 5-4.