Barons Flex Early, Take Down Trash Pandas 7-4 on the Road

By Jeff Allison

MADISON, Alabama -- The Birmingham Barons score four runs early and go on for the 7-4 win over the Rocket City Trash Pandas before 3,015 at Toyota Field on Thursday night. The Barons scored five runs through two innings and held off the Trash Pandas the rest of the way.

Starting pitcher Connor McCullough pitched 3.0 innings, giving up one hit, one earned run, two walks, and getting five strikeouts. Chase Watkins pitched 3.0 innings, giving up four hits, three earned runs, and no walks, and finished with three strikeouts. Winning pitcher Jairo Iriarte (2-0, 0.00) goes one inning and gets two strikeouts. Iriarte has pitched 7.2 innings this season and has only given up six hits, five walks, and nine strikeouts. Jackson Kelley gets his first save of the season, going two innings and getting four strikeouts in those two innings.

The Barons (5-7) scored at the top of the first inning when Braden Montgomery walked, and Ryan Galanie walked. Samuel Zavala singled to load the bases. With two outs, catcher Calvin Harris doubled on a line drive to left field, scoring Montgomery and Galanie, and the Barons took the 2-0 lead. Wilfred Veras followed with a double to left field, scoring Zavala and Harris, and the Barons took a 4-0 lead to start the game.

The Trash Pandas (5-7) scored in the bottom of the first inning on a bases-loaded walk by David Calabrese, and the Barons lead was 4-1. In the top of the second inning, Andy Weber walked, and Rikuu Nishida walked. Montgomery singled on a line drive to right field, and Weber scored. The Barons led 5-1.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, a Tucker Flint RBI single scored Harold Coll, and the Barons lead was 5-2. In the top of the sixth inning, Nishida walked and stole second. Montgomery hit a double to right field, scoring Nishida. The Barons led 6-2.

Rocket City closed the gap again when, in the bottom of the sixth inning, Ben Gobbel hit a home run deep over the left field wall. The Barons lead was 6-4.

In the top of the eighth inning, the Barons get an insurance run. Juan Gonzalez was hit by a pitch. A wild pitch sent Gonzalez to second base. Nishida singled on a line drive to left field, scoring Gonzalez. The Barons took a 7-4 lead. Iriarte and Jackson Kelley pitched the final three innings, giving up no hits, no walks, with six strikeouts.

Montgomery is on a tear for the Barons as he has raised his average to .318 on the season. The White Sox's #1 prospect had three home runs, 12 RBI, and 2 stolen bases this season. Harris had two hits, two RBI, and a run scored in the win.