Barons Get the 6-1 Win for 9th Win in a Row

The Birmingham Barons use timely hitting and solid pitching to win 6-1 over the Knoxville Smokies before 3,339 at Regions Field on Sunday afternoon. The Barons sweep the three-game series with Knoxville and have won nine games in a row, the longest in the Southern League this season.

Starting pitcher Jake Palisch pitched 5.0 innings, giving up only two hits, one earned run, and a walk with a strikeout. Palisch was very effective with his pitch count, only throwing 58 pitches in the no-decision. Dalton Roach (1-0, 3.58) gets the win in relief, going two innings, giving up only one hit, no runs, a walk with two strikeouts. Andrew Dalquist pitched the eighth inning, giving up a hit with two strikeouts. Zach Franklin shut the door on the Smokies in the ninth, giving up only a hit with a strikeout.

The Barons scored first in the game in the bottom of the third inning as recent call-up Matt Hogan homered to deep right field to give the Barons the 1-0 lead. The Smokies tied the game on an Andy Garriola triple that scored Felix Stevens, and the game was tied at 1-1.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, Wilfred Veras singled on a ground ball to center field, scoring Ryan Galanie and Jacob Gonzalez, and the Barons took the 3-1 lead. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Veras stole second and, on a catcher's throwing error to second base, scored Sam Antonacci and the Barons led 4-1. Jason Matthew singled home Veras, and the Barons led 5-1. Rikuu Nishida's sacrifice fly scored Matthews, and the Barons led 6-1 late in the game.

For the Barons, Veras had two hits, two RBI, and a run scored. Matthews had two hits, an RBI, and a run scored. Hogan had two hits, an RBI, and a run scored in the Barons home win.