Birmingham Homers Smoke Tennessee, 8-3

With an impressive power display at the plate and on the mound, the Birmingham Barons (13-13) earned an 8-3 win over the Tennessee Smokies (12-13) in the opener of their five-game series on Wednesday night at Smokies Stadium.  

• Turning Point: The Barons were quick to jump on Smokies starter Trevor Clifton (L, 2-3). Matt Rose continued his hot streak with a two-run double to left field with two outs in the first for the game's first runs. Trey Michalczewski followed by fouling off 10 pitches before drawing a walk on the 14th pitch of his at-bat. That proved to be the end of Clifton's night, as the starter threw 40 pitches and only got two outs, leaving the bullpen to finish the game.
• Facts And Figures: Rose was again the catalyst for the Birmingham offense on Wednesday. In the fifth inning, he crushed a solo home run, his sixth in his past five games, to increase the Birmingham lead to 5-0. He finished 2-for-4 with a walk and three RBIs. Over his last six games, Rose is hitting .526 (10-for-19) with 14 RBIs.
• Moments That Mattered: The league's leading home-run team had its most productive night of the season, launching a season-high four long balls out of Smokies Stadium. Danny Mendick hit a two-run shot in the second to double the Barons' lead before Rose's fifth inning shot. Zack Collins and Michalczewski each added a solo home run late to cap the scoring.
• By The Numbers: Given an early lead, Dane Dunning (W, 2-0) shined on the mound for Birmingham. In his second Double-A start, the righty tossed 6.0 scoreless innings, giving up just four singles and one walk while striking out five to earn his second consecutive victory.
• Up Next: The Barons and Smokies continue their series on Thursday night with a 6 p.m. matchup. Spencer Adams (1-2, 5.82) will start for the Barons against Duncan Robinson (0-1, 3.75). Curt Bloom will have the call on 960 WERC News Radio and the iHeart Radio app.