SL1 Knoxville Smokies

Montgomery chases Caridad in 3rd & 4th innings

Published on July 22, 2008 under Southern League (SL1)
Knoxville Smokies News Release


Sevierville, TN - The Tennessee Smokies received a very rude homecoming from the Montgomery Biscuits in being dealt a 9-6 loss in front of 3,425 fans at Smokies Park on Tuesday night. Despite out-hitting the Biscuits fifteen to thirteen, the Smokies dropped to 18-14 for the second half of the season, but remained in first place in the North Division.

After the Biscuits jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning, the Smokies fought back with three runs of their own to take the lead back. Jake Fox smacked his 11th home run of the season, a towering shot to left field, to tie the game at 2-2. Doug Deeds, who was four for five from the plate tonight, and then singled in the next at bat. Welington Castillo delivered with at double down the left field line to score Deeds and give the Smokies a 3-2 lead.

Esmailin Caridad (4-2) got the start for the Smokies and held the lead through the second inning, but ran into all kinds of trouble in the third and fourth. Caridad did not get much help in the field, as two costly Smokies errors allowed two runs to score and gave the Biscuits the lead back at 5-3. In the fourth, Caridad gave up a two-run home run off the bat of Rashad Eldridge, his first of the season, to stake Montgomery to a 7-3 advantage.

Biscuits starting pitcher Jino Gonzalez (2-3) settled down after a rough first inning to earn the win despite giving up ten Smokies hits. Tennessee was not able to get the timely hit that they needed to get a rally going tonight, as they stranded thirteen base runners on the evening. The Smokies were able to mount a small rally in the bottom of the ninth down 9-4 by plating a couple of runs. But Sam Fuld popped out to end the game representing the tying run to give the Biscuits the early series advantage. Fox drove in two runs and scored three times on the night, Castillo went three for five on the night, with Fuld and Nate Spears each collecting two hits apiece.

The Smokies will look to even the score against the Biscuits on Wednesday night at Smokies Park with game time set at 7:15 pm. Tennessee will look to right-hander Grant Johnson (1-2, 8.24) tomorrow night as Montgomery will send left-hander David Price (4-0, 2.03) to the mound. The five-game series will continue through Saturday July 26th, with all game times set for 7:15 pm.

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Southern League Stories from July 22, 2008


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