SL1 Birmingham Barons

Barons' Season Ends with 3-0 Loss at Mississippi

Published on September 7, 2008 under Southern League (SL1)
Birmingham Barons News Release


PEARL, Miss. -- Kris Medlen tossed a complete-game shutout, and the Mississippi Braves finished off their series sweep of the Birmingham Barons with a 3-0 victory Saturday night. By taking all three games of the South's Division Series, the M-Braves (3-0) earned the right to advance to the Southern League Championship Series to take on the Carolina Mudcats, who swept West Tenn in the North's Division Series.

Medlen (1-0) was dominant from the outset, as he faced the minimum number of batters over the first four innings. He scattered five hits on the evening, did not issue a walk, and struck out 12 in the shutout victory. A Lee Cruz double in the seventh inning was the only extra-base hit he allowed, and that would also be the lone time Birmingham (0-3) had a runner reach scoring position against him.

He was spotted an early lead and never looked back.

Mississippi got to Barons starter Lucas Harrell (0-1) quickly, using a pair of singles and a sacrifice fly to plate a first-inning run and take a 1-0 lead. Van Pope later doubled in the fourth and was chased home on a Greg Creek RBI single that made it a 2-0 game. Even though he was saddled with the defeat, Harrell pitched well in his seven innings, getting touched for just six hits and a walk while fanning seven.

The Braves tacked on an extra run in the eighth against the Birmingham bullpen. Joe Torres allowed all three men he faced to reach safely to open the inning, thanks to a pair of walks and a sacrifice bunt attempt that turned into an error when Torres threw wildly to second trying to get a force out. He was replaced by Ryan Rote, who got two quick outs but then plunked Pope to force in a run and extend the Mississippi lead to 3-0.

Victor Mercedes poked a one-out single to left in the top of the ninth, but any thoughts of a Birmingham rally ended when Javier Castillo was called out on strikes and Cruz flew out to deep center to end the game.

Mercedes led the Birmingham offense with a 2-for-4 line Saturday, and his multi-hit effort was one of the few bright spots at the plate for the Barons, who managed just 17 hits and three walks in 29 innings over the three-game series and struck out 33 times.

Mississippi was nearly as woeful at the plate, tallying 17 hits and 12 walks and collecting 30 strikeouts. Pope's 2-of-3 evening was the only multi-hit game for the Braves in Saturday's clincher.

Harrell, game one starter Justin Cassel, and game two starter Aaron Poreda combined to allow only 15 hits over their 21 total innings in the series, while fanning 23. The starting troika surrendered a total of just four runs in three games but received only two runs of support. The Barons were shut out just five times in the regular season but were blanked twice in a three-game span this series.

After besting Mississippi in the first eight games played between the two teams this season, Birmingham then lost 13 of the next 16 contests to the Braves, including the playoffs.

Dating to 2004, the Barons have now lost their last seven playoff games. The squad was also swept in 2005, its last trip to the Southern League postseason before this year, when the Jacksonville Suns took three straight contests from Birmingham.

Mississippi will face Carolina in the Southern League Championship Series, which is slated to begin Monday at Carolina. With its season now over, Birmingham is expected to release its 2009 schedule over the next couple of weeks.

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Southern League Stories from September 7, 2008


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