BayBears lose lead in ninth to Barons
Published on July 27, 2003 under Southern League (SL1)
Mobile BayBears News Release
Birmingham, Ala. â Twice in Sunday night's game against Birmingham the BayBears held three-run leads, only to see the Barons come back and eventually win the second game of their four-game series, 7-6.
The BayBears led 6-5 entering the bottom of the ninth inning with their closer, Rusty Tucker on the mound. However, the first batter of the frame, Juan Piniella homered to tie the score 6-6. Then Jeremy Reed singled and was sacrificed to second by Carlos Maldanado. Following two walks, the first intentional by Tucker (2-4), pinch hitter Chad Durham lifted a sacrifice fly to right that scored Reed from third to win the game for the Barons.
The BayBears scored twice in the top of the second on a two-out double by Jon Benick to jump ahead 2-0. They added a single run in the third as Bobby Scales doubled in Rico Washington from first.
Birmingham answered with two runs of their own in the bottom of the third. With the bases loaded, Reed hit a grounder to second baseman Jake Gautreau who bobbled the pick up and then threw the ball away, allowing two runs to score. Those miscues would be the first of four BayBears errors on the night.
Rico Washington got one run back for the BayBears in the fifth as he drove in Freddy Guzman with a double to the right-centerfield gap. The hit gave Mobile a 4-2 lead.
The Barons' Scott Bikowski drove in another unearned Birmingham run in the bottom of the frame. BayBears starter Chris Rojas had Jeremy Reed hung out between first and second base but threw the ball into centerfield allowing Reed to reach second safely, and later cross the plate on Bikowski's single. All three runs Rojas allowed in his five innings were unearned.
The BayBears jumped out to a three-run lead again in the top of the sixth. The Barons second baseman Tommy Nicholson threw a ball away trying to retire Todd Donovan at first, allowing two runs to score, giving Mobile a 6-3 lead.
J.J. Trujillo gave up two runs to the Barons in the bottom of the seventh, trimming the lead to 6-5. Chris Saunders singled in two with a two-out hit to right.
The BayBears fall to 17-17 on the second half and now sit two games back of first place in the West Division. The BayBears and Barons will pick up their series Monday night at Hank Aaron Stadium at 7:05.
Southern League Stories from July 27, 2003
- Barons Rally to Beat BayBears, 7-6 - Birmingham Barons
- BayBears lose lead in ninth to Barons - Mobile BayBears
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- Rays Win Second Straight Over Smokies - Knoxville Smokies
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