Morel Hits Tenth Home Run, Davis Hits Fourth in Smokies Win
CHATTANOOGA, TN - The Tennessee Smokies (23-32) took down the Chattanooga Lookouts (32-24) 5-2 Thursday night at AT&T Field. The Smokies have won back-to-back road games for the first time this season. Down 2-1 in the fifth, Christopher Morel hit a three run home run to give the Smokies their
CHATTANOOGA, TN - The Tennessee Smokies (23-32) took down the Chattanooga Lookouts (32-24) 5-2 Thursday night at AT&T Field. The Smokies have won back-to-back road games for the first time this season. Down 2-1 in the fifth, Christopher Morel hit a three run home run to give the Smokies their first lead, a lead they would not give back.
RHP Javier Assad (W, 2-3) retired the first two Lookouts before running into trouble in the first. After back-to-back two-out singles, T.J. Hopkins hit a two-run double to give Chattanooga the lead. Assad would settle down after the first. He earned the win for the second straight start, allowing two runs on six hits with four strikeouts in five innings.
In the third, Chase Strumpf doubled and scored the Smokies first run on Zach Davis’s RBI single off LHP Connor Curlis (L, 3-4).
Curlis retired the first two Smokies in order in the fifth then gave up a double to Zach Davis and walked Carlos Sepulveda. Morel followed with a two-out, three-run home run off Curlis, his team-leading 10th, to give the Smokies a 4-2 lead. In the sixth, Brennen Davis provided the Smokies with an insurance run after hitting a solo home run off Curlis, his fourth of the season.
LHP Luis Lugo retired all nine Lookouts he faced with three strikeouts. RHP Cayne Ueckert (SV, 4) worked himself into and out of trouble in the ninth before recording his fourth save. After striking out the first two hitters, Ueckert walked one and hit one before getting pinch-hitter Chuckie Robinson to ground out to end the game.
The Smokies and Lookouts continue their series Friday night at AT&T Field. First pitch between RHP Peyton Remy (0-2, 4.67) and RHP Ricky Salinas (3-2, 4.19) is scheduled for 7:15 PM. Fans can hear all Smokies games by going to https://www.milb.com/tennessee/fans/audio-listen-live.
The Smokies return home on Tuesday July 13 to begin a six game series with the Mississippi Braves. Tickets are available and can be purchased online, over the phone, or by visiting the box office.
ABOUT THE TENNESSEE SMOKIES
The Tennessee Smokies are the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. Members of the eight-team Double-A South League, Smokies baseball has been entertaining families and fans of America’s national pastime in the East Tennessee region for over 100 years. To learn more about the Tennessee Smokies, visit www.smokiesbaseball.com.