The Smokies Look to Come Out Hot Post All Star Break

Teddy Clark

MONTGOMERY, AL — The Smokies are looking to come out of the All-Star break swinging as they head down to the Heart of Dixie to take on the Montgomery Biscuits. Knoxville doesn't just sit atop the Southern League North — the Smokies are tied for the best record in the entire Southern League at 11-7, alongside the Columbus Clingstones and Biloxi Shuckers of the Southern League South. And while they're only tied for first in the second half, they hold the best overall record in the league at 49-38.

The Biscuits will lean on their high-powered offense to try to steal a series win from Knoxville, while the Smokies aim to stick to their game plan and play complementary baseball.

Coming off a sweep of the June awards, the Smokies will play their first series without star catcher Owen Ayers, who was just called up to Triple-A Iowa. They're also without June Pitcher of the Month Jace Beck, a core piece of a pitching staff that already ranks best in the Southern League with a 4.36 ERA. That staff has been especially sharp in the second half, with three of the seven second-half starters posting a K/9 of nine or better. Backing them up is an offense that thrives with runners in scoring position, hitting .280 in those spots.

Montgomery's pitching, by contrast, has struggled since the second half began, posting a 5.51 ERA and surrendering a league-worst 33 home runs. To offset that, the Biscuits lean on a high-tempo offense — six players hitting .275 or better, a team average of .254 (third-best in the league), and 109 home runs, the second-most in the Southern League and a top-10 mark across all of Double-A. The venue works in their favor too: DABOS Park has allowed the second-most home runs and the second-best batting average of any park in the league. Montgomery will need the long ball — and a little hometown magic — to take this series from the front-running Smokies.

Players to Watch

For Knoxville, right fielder Alex Ramirez has been a fixture of the offense, hitting .283 and leading the Southern League in hits with 92 — a top-five mark in all of Double-A. He's had particular success at DABOS Park, batting .296 with 3 home runs, 8 RBIs, and just three strikeouts, making him a real threat at the plate this weekend.

On the mound, watch for Saturday starter Brooks Caple. In his two starts since the second half began, he's gone five-plus innings both times with nine combined strikeouts, and he's done the same in each of his last two outings against Montgomery. On the season, Caple carries a 3.74 ERA, an 8.87 K/9, and a .221 opponent batting average, and he'll be looking to work deep into Saturday's game once again.

For the Biscuits, keep an eye on newcomer Emilien Pitre, who's climbed quickly through the system since being called up from High-A Bowling Green in June. He's hit .306 since the promotion and been even hotter in July, batting .367 with 11 hits and five RBIs — while striking out just twice this month and only eight times in 25 games at the Double-A level.

On the mound, Sunday starter Gary Gill Hill is one to watch for Montgomery. He's 3-2 with a 4.26 ERA across 63.1 innings, with 30 earned runs and 45 strikeouts, and he's gone five-plus innings in 10 of his 12 starts this season. In two career outings against Knoxville, his best came in late May, when he threw 5.0 innings, allowed 7 hits and 1 earned run, and struck out six. The 21-year-old will look to go deep again on Sunday and slow down a surging Smokies offense.

Probable Pitching Matchups

7/17 Friday, 7:35 PM ET

RHP Luis Martinez-Gomez (0-2, 6.11 ERA) vs RHP Santiago Suarez (4-3, 5.51 ERA)

7/18 Saturday, 7:05 PM ET

RHP Brooks Caple (3-2, 3.74 ERA) vs RHP TJ Nichols (0-4, 5.85 ERA)

7/19 Sunday, 2:00 PM ET

RHP Kevin Valdez (Double-A Debut) vs RHP Gary Gill Hill (3-2, 4.26 ERA)

Wrap Up

Heading into their series at DABOS Park, the Southern League-leading Knoxville Smokies (49-38 overall, tied atop the second half at 11-7) travel to face the Montgomery Biscuits, who will be leaning on their power-heavy offense to counter a struggling pitching staff (5.51 ERA since the second half, a league-worst 33 home runs allowed). Knoxville arrives banged up, missing catcher Owen Ayers (called up to Triple-A) and June Pitcher of the Month Jace Beck, but still boasts the league's second-best team ERA (4.02) and an offense that hits .280 with runners in scoring position. Montgomery counters with six hitters batting .275 or better, 109 team home runs (second-most in the league), and a hitter-friendly home park working in their favor. Key names to watch include Knoxville's Alex Ramirez, the league leader in hits and a standout at DABOS Park, and Saturday starter Brooks Caple, who's consistently gone deep into games against Montgomery. For the Biscuits, hot-hitting rookie Emilien Pitre and steady Sunday starter Gary Gill Hill will look to carry the load as Montgomery tries to use power and home-field advantage to knock off the front-running Smokies.

Listen to all Smokies games LIVE on the Smokies website: https://www.milb.com/knoxville/fans/audio-listen-live

Get tickets to your next Smokies game here: https://www.milb.com/knoxville/tickets/single-game-tickets