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Tennessee Smokies

Smokies slienced by Torra, Mobile Monday night

August 31, 2009 - Southern League (SL1)
Tennessee Smokies News Release


SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. - The Tennessee Smokies were unable to capitalize on another opportunity to take sole possession of first in the Southern League North Division pennant race, succumbing to the Mobile BayBears and their pitcher Matt Torra, 6-0, at Smokies Park. However, the Smokies (34-30) remain in first place as both the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx and Chattanooga Lookouts both lost.

Torra almost single-handedly defeated the Smokies Monday night. On the mound, he threw his league-leading fourth complete game of the season. The gem was also his second shutout of the year, an effort that saw Torra (9-13) allow only four hits, strike out seven and not walk a single hitter.

He helped his own cause at the plate as well, taking Tennessee reliever David Cales deep for a three-run homer in the sixth to put Mobile up 6-0.

Tennessee starter Hung-Wen Chen was not bad in his start, allowing only two runs on five hits in five innings of work. He did strikeout two and walk only one, but would take the loss and fall to 11-7.

There was a scary moment in the top of the fourth. Bryan Byrne was hit in the head by a Hung-Wen Chen fastball. After shaking the cobwebs out, Byrne was able to walk off under his own power. He would leave the game and be replaced at first base by Pete Clifford.

Mobile would break the game open in the sixth inning. Smokies reliever Jayson Ruhlman struggled on the mound, allowing two hits and a walk while recording only one out. Cales inherited a bases-loaded situation from Ruhlman, and unfortunately couldn't get the job done. Torra's three-run shot did the most damage to put the game out of reach at 6-0.

After the Smokies were retired in the bottom of the sixth, things got tense. As he was leaving the third base coaches box to return to the dugout, umpire Jason Cooksey ejected Smokies manager Ryne Sandberg. Sandberg felt that his 2B Tony Thomas was intentionally hit in retaliation for Chen's hitting of the BayBears' Byrne in the fourth. Sandberg would share words with Mobile manager Hector De La Cruz and ignore warnings from the umpire crew to quit jawing at the Mobile bench.

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