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SL1 Birmingham Barons

Barons Sweep Twin Bill at Tennessee

May 13, 2019 - Southern League (SL1)
Birmingham Barons News Release


KODAK, Tenn. - The Birmingham Barons (15-22) picked up a pair of wins and swept the Tennessee Smokies (17-20) in Monday's doubleheader at Smokies Stadium.

The Barons earned their first road doubleheader sweep of a North Division opponent since April 8, 2018 at Chattanooga.

GAME 1 - Behind the strength of Luis Robert's first Double-A home run, along with four RBI from Ti'Quan Forbes, the Barons powered past the Smokies by a 6-1 final in the first game of the twin bill.

With the Barons on top 1-0 in the third inning, Robert led off with a solo shot to left-center. The White Sox No. 4 prospect broke out of a 1-for-14 slump with the blast.

Left-hander Kyle Kubat continued his magnificent stretch in his third start as a Baron. Kubat pitched a seven-inning complete game and allowed just six hits with five strikeouts. Tennessee broke the shutout bid with a run-scoring single from Charcer Burks in the final frame.

Kubat's scoreless stretch, which dated back to his 2019 debut April 8, came to a close with the Smokies' late run. The southpaw, who began the season with Class-A Advanced Winston-Salem, tossed 37.2 consecutive innings without surrendering an earned run.

Forbes, meanwhile, delivered a strong day at the plate to help back Kubat's quality start. The 22-year-old third baseman opened scoring in the top of the first with an RBI-groundout and sent a three-run homer to right in the fifth to extend Birmingham's lead to 6-0.

GAME 2 - Blake Rutherford and Gavin Sheets each recorded a pair of RBI to support a strong start from Blake Battenfield as the Barons took Game 2 of the doubleheader by a 4-1 final.

Battenfield scattered four hits across five innings of work and allowed just one run in his Barons debut. The right-hander and former 17th-round selection out of Oklahoma State struck out six to earn his first win at the Double-A level.

Sheets provided Battenfield with immediate run support after his first-inning, two-RBI single. The White Sox No. 18 prospect took over the team lead with his 16th and 17th RBI of the season.

White Sox No. 9 prospect Blake Rutherford later added insurance with a towering two-run blast to right field. It marked his third home run of the season, which is tied for the team lead alongside Sheets and Yermin Mercedes.

Left-hander Tanner Banks tossed a scoreless sixth as a bridge to right-hander Luis Martinez, who collected his first career save and closed out the win with a 1-2-3 seventh.

The Barons and Smokies will continue their series with an 11 a.m. matchup Tuesday morning as Birmingham left-hander Kodi Medeiros (0-5, 6.94) opposes Tennessee right-hander Thomas Hatch (1-4, 5.85).

Coverage of Tuesday's game will begin at 10:45 a.m. with the Coca-Cola Pregame Show on WJQX-FM 100.5.

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