Suns Face Smokies In Rubber Match

Jacksonville finishes their series against the Tennessee Smokies in a rubber match this evening at 7:15 p.m. at Smokies Park in Kodak, Tennessee.

The Suns drew the series even Sunday afternoon with an 8-1 victory, which included a five-hit game from INF Mark Canha and a three-run homer by OF Jake Marisnick. Starter Adam Conley also earned the win after allowing a lone unearned run in seven strong innings pitched.

Right-hander Bryan Evans (2-3, 3.89 ERA) is slated to take the hill for Jacksonville tonight in the series finale. The 26-year-old fired two scoreless innings in relief earlier in the series on Thursday evening against the Smokies. In his most recent start on July 11 versus Mobile, the California native earned the win after yielding just three hits in five shutout frames.

The Smokies are expected to give the nod to All-Star right-hander Kyle Hendricks (9-3, 2.03 ERA). Hendricks, who started the 2013 Southern League All-Star Game for the North Division at Bragan Field, earned the win in his last outing on July 13 at Jacksonville after relinquishing a lone hit in five scoreless innings pitched, adding four strikeouts.

Fans can listen to the game on the Suns Baseball Network, with the "Voice of the Suns" Roger Hoover entering his second season as Jacksonville's Director of Broadcasting. Hoover is assisted by Matt Leland and Andrew Green. Leland and Green will host the UF Health Suns Pregame Show beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET on the Suns Baseball Network.

Below are more notes on tonight's game, direct from the official Suns game notes compiled by Roger Hoover. The entire game notes for tonight's contest can be viewed by clicking here.

Canha Can't Stop: This series has been Mark Canha's party, he can do what he wants. Against the Smokies the past four games, Canha is hitting .600 (9-for-15) with five runs batted in, a home run, three doubles, three runs scored, and he was drawn three walks. After collecting a three-hit game with a homer in Saturday's game, Canha posted a career-high with five hits as part of a 5-for-6 effort on Sunday with a clutch two-RBI single in the top of the fourth against Tennessee starter A.J. Morris. After hitting .230 in June, Canha has turned it around in July, hitting .340 (16-for-47) with two homers and nine RBI in 16 games played.

See You Later Smokies: Today's rubber match between the Suns and Smokies will mark the final meeting between the clubs this season at Smokies Park in Kodak, Tenn. Jacksonville won yesterday's game 8-1 to force a rubber match in the five-game series. The Suns and Smokies will meet for a final time this season in Jacksonville from August 2-6 at Bragan Field.

J.T. Collecting Hits: Suns catcher J.T. Realmuto carries a eight-game hitting streak into tonight's game against the Tennessee Smokies at Smokies Park. His hitting streak began on July 10 against the Mobile BayBears at Bragan Field, and has continued through yesterday. It is his longest hitting streak of the season, and over the past eight games he is hitting .294 with a home run, seven runs batted in, three doubles, and four runs scored.

Tonight's broadcast will air on the Suns Baseball Network's flagship station 94.1 Classic Rock WSOS-FM, plus the Suns' mobile app. Click the link below to listen live online.

Listen live to the Suns and Smokies July 22, 2013

You can also follow along with the game by following the Suns Baseball Network on Twitter and liking us on Facebook.