Candelario Sparks Smokies to 5-4 Win
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - After a tough month of July, the Smokies' offense kick started August with a bang. Tennessee's lineup collected 15 hits - including three apiece from C Willson Contreras and 3B Jeimer Candelario - which helped the squad capture its first five-game series since the final days of June, as the Smokies edged the Montgomery Biscuits, 5-4, on Saturday night at Riverwalk Stadium.
With the victory, Tennessee improved their second half record to 15-19 and their overall mark to 54-49. Montgomery's loss drops them to four games back of the Birmingham Barons for first place in the Southern League North Division. The Biscuits now sit at 54-48 in 2015 and 20-14 in the second leg of the campaign.
Trailing 4-3 entering the fifth, Contreras (3-5, R, RBI, SO) came through in the clutch to help put the Smokies in front for good. CF Albert Almora Jr. (1-4, R, 2B, RBI, BB, SO) engineered the rally with a double down the left field line and scooted over to third on a ground out by LF Bijan Rademacher (1-4, R, HR, RBI, BB). With the tying run now 90-feet away, the Venezuelan native swung at the first pitch and slapped it into left field. Almora Jr. scored on Contreras' RBI single to even the game up at four.
With the game now knotted up, RF Billy McKinney (1-5, 2 SO) moved the go-ahead run into scoring position with a single to right and Candelario (3-5, R, HR, RBI) loaded the bases with a single of his own to left. With a 1-1 count on 1B Jacob Rogers (1-5, 2B, 3 SO), Biscuits' starter Jared Mortensen's (5.0 IP, 10 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 6 SO) offering erred and skipped to the backstop. Contreras motored from third to score and put Tennessee back in front, 5-4.
Smokies starter Jeffry Antigua (6.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 5 SO) nursed the advantage through six before giving way to fire-baller Corey Black (2.0 IP, 2 H, 4 SO) out of the bullpen. The converted starter compiled back-to-back scoreless frames in the seventh and eighth, stranding the tying run on-base in each inning. The Southern League's leader in saves - P.J. Francescon (1.0 IP, SO) - made quick work of Montgomery in the ninth. The two-time league All-Star sat down the Biscuits in order to accrue his 16th save and close out the victory.
The Smokies jumped out in front of the Biscuits in the first thanks to a leadoff triple by DH Jacob Hannemann (2-4, R, 3B, SO). The speedster would score one batter later on a grounder off the bat of Almora Jr.
Tennessee utilized the long ball in the next two frames. Candelario led off the second with a blast to right - his sixth of the year and his first at the Double-A level - to stretch the Smokies' lead to 2-0. Rademacher cracked one of his own in the third - his fourth of the season - to put Montgomery behind, 3-0.
The Biscuits tallied all four of their runs in the third inning. CF Joey Rickard (2-5, R, 2B, 2 RBI, SO) brought home a pair with a two-run double and 1B Cameron Seitzer (3-4, R, HR, 2 RBI, SO) put the Biscuits' in front with a two-run blast to right, his ninth of the year.
Antigua (6.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 5 SO) fell one run shy of a quality start, but accumulated his fifth win of the season and his fourth with Tennessee. Mortensen (5.0 IP, 10 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 6 SO) issued ten of the Smokies' 15 hits and suffered his fourth loss of the year.
Contreras (3-5, R, RBI, SO) and Candelario (3-5, R, HR, RBI) each garnered three hits, a run, and a RBI to lead the Smokies offense. Contreras' three hits tied a season-best, while Candelario's trio of knocks extended his hitting streak to a season-long eight games. Hannemann (2-4, R, 3B, SO) and SS Ryan Dent (2-4, 2B, 2 SO) also added multi-hit games for Tennessee. McKinney's (1-5, 2 SO) base-hit in the fifth pushed his hit-streak to seven in-a-row.
Seitzer (3-4, R, HR, 2 RBI, SO) racked up a team-best three hits and two RBI for the Biscuits. Rickard (2-5, R, 2B, 2 RBI, SO) and 3B Patrick Leonard (2-4, 2B, SO) each added multi-hit games for Montgomery in defeat.
Tennessee returns home tomorrow evening, as they kickoff a five-game set against the Birmingham Barons, the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. 20-year old right-hander Tyler Danish (7-7, 4.75 ERA) is scheduled to start for Birmingham. The Smokies have not yet named their starter for the contest.
The Pilot Pre-Game Show will kick off the broadcast at 4:50 p.m. ET, leading up to a 5:05 p.m. ET first pitch from Smokies Stadium. Sunday night's broadcast can be heard exclusively on Sports Radio 99.1 FM and 990 AM, as well as SmokiesBaseball.com or via the TuneIn Radio app.
Sunday evening's affair will be a U.S. Cellular Family FUNday. For just $48 fans receive four tickets, four meal vouchers and two kid's zone wrist bands. Sunday night's ballgame will also feature a postgame performance by Chris August, as a part of the Smokies' annual Christian concert.
Single-game tickets, as well as multi-voucher and season ticket packages are still available, and can be purchased online at smokiesbaseball.com, or by calling the Smokies Ticket Office at 865-286-2300.
ABOUT THE TENNESSEE SMOKIES
The Tennessee Smokies are the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. Members of the ten-team Southern 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.