Kirsch Blanks Barons in First Career Shutout

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - For the first time in his minor league career, Chris Kirsch threw a complete game shutout and Jake Bauers knocked in four runs as the Biscuits beat the Birmingham Barons on Saturday night at Regions Field by a score of 5-0.

Kirsch, who entered the game with a 4-4 record, had gone seven innings twice this season, his two longest outings of the year. But the left-hander saved his most brilliant performance for tonight, striking out a season-high seven and allowing just six hits and no walks or runs in the complete game shutout.

Taylor Guerrieri and Yonny Chirinos shared the previous two longest outings of the season, each right-hander having gone 7.1 innings in one respective start. Kirsch would go the distance though, and got plenty of help from his first baseman Bauers who knocked in two on a double in the first inning to put Montgomery out in front early.

Four innings later, Bauers was at it again, plating two more on a single after Kean Wong's RBI-single to put the game out of reach for Birmingham who were kept off-balance all evening by the dominant southpaw. Kirsch is now 5-4 on the year with a 3.61 ERA. The left-hander's magnificent outing was the first Biscuits complete game shutout since Austin Pruitt blanked the Biloxi Shuckers 1-0 on July 8, 2015 at Riverwalk Stadium.

The Biscuits have now won the series, and will look to take the finale on Sunday with Yonny Chirinos (3-1) taking on James Dykstra (3-4) at 3:00 PM.