MONTGOMERY, Ala. - The Biscuits (32-23) were outhit 16-4 and lost to the Tennessee Smokies (28-27) in their series opener, 6-3, on Sunday night at Riverwalk Stadium.Things were looking good early for Montgomery with Jermaine Palacios walloping an RBI-double to left off Smokies starter Oscar De La Cruz (3-2) in
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - The Biscuits (32-23) were outhit 16-4 and lost to the Tennessee Smokies (28-27) in their series opener, 6-3, on Sunday night at Riverwalk Stadium.
Things were looking good early for Montgomery with Jermaine Palacios walloping an RBI-double to left off Smokies starter Oscar De La Cruz (3-2) in the second, and Jesús Sánchez mashing his seventh home run of the season to right in the third to make it 2-0 Biscuits. Montgomery starter Brian Shaffer (1-1) wiggled out of back-to-back jams in the second and third to preserve the two-run advantage as well.
The wheels would start to fall off in the fourth, however, when Connor Myers banged an RBI-double to left and cut the deficit in half at 2-1. In the same inning, Roberto Caro struck a two-run triple into the gap in right-center and put Tennessee ahead for good at 3-2. Caro finished the game 5-for-6 with the triple, three singles, and a double.
Jesse Hodges would tag reliever Blake Bivens for an RBI-double in the fifth, and a Vimael Machin sac fly in the sixth made it a 5-2 ballgame. After surrendering the Sanchez homer in the third, De La Cruz was dominant, retiring 12-straight Biscuits before exiting the game. Tennessee pitchers retired 16-consecutive Biscuit batters until Josh Lowe was drilled with a Jake Stinnett pitch in the eighth.
The Smokies added their final run in the top of the ninth on a Myers RBI-single, and Brett Sullivan's RBI-single in the bottom of the ninth proved to be the final run of the contest. There were 21 batters between Sanchez's home run and Sullivan's single, Montgomery's third and fourth hits of the game.
The Biscuits will try to bounce back on Monday when an opener and Riley O'Brien (1-3) take on Tyson Miller (3-2) at 6:35 PM CT.
The series will also include Alabama Agriculture Night on Tuesday, June 4; A Trucker Hat Giveaway presented by U.S. Air Force on Wednesday, June 5; and 80's Night featuring a T-Shirt Giveaway presented by Gipson's Tire Pros on Thursday, June 6.
