Behind Dominant Pitching, Smokies Snap Skid
Published on May 25, 2012 under Southern League (SL1)
Knoxville Smokies News Release
MOBILE, Ala. - The Tennessee Smokies used dominant pitching and a pair of early home runs to defeat the Mobile BayBears, 4-3, on Friday night at Hank Aaron Stadium, snapping a four-game losing streak.
Fresh off a promotion from High-A Daytona, Tennessee's Eric Jokisch (1-0) picked up the victory in his first Double-A start of the season, allowing two runs on just one hit with a walk and three strikeouts over five innings of work.
Tennessee opened the scoring when the first batter of the game, Jae-Hoon Ha, lifted his second home run in his last seven at-bats. In the second, the Smokies extended their lead to 2-0 when Luis Flores ripped a two-out double off the left field wall and scored on an RBI single by Jim Adduci.
Mobile would strike back and tie it up in the bottom of the second thanks to a two-run homer off the bat of Alfredo Marte, who pulled even with teammate Matt Davidson atop the Southern League leaderboard with his 10th blast of the season. However, Jokisch would retire the next 12 batters in succession and the BayBears would muster just one hit the rest of the contest.
In the top of the fourth, Flores hammered his first home run of the season to give Tennessee a 3-2 edge. The Smokies picked up an insurance run in the sixth inning without the aid of a hit when the first two batters of the frame walked and were sacrificed to third before pinch hitter Rebel Ridling lifted a sacrifice fly to left to make it a 3-2 contest.
Kevin Rhoderick followed Jokisch to the mound and chipped in two scoreless innings. Alberto Cabrera entered in the eighth and retired the BayBears side in order before running into trouble in the ninth. With Mobile down by two, Evan Frey stroked a leadoff triple to straightaway center field. With two outs, Frey scampered home on a wild pitch to pull Mobile within one at 4-3, but Cabrera got BayBears cleanup batter Marc Krauss to fly out to the warning track in right center field to secure the victory and notch his fourth save of the season.
Journeyman Gaby Hernandez (0-1) suffered the loss despite striking out seven batters and allowing three runs in five innings in his first start of the season for Mobile.
The Smokies stranded 12 men on base and finished 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position but still managed to outhit Mobile, 4-3.
The Smokies and BayBears conclude their five-game series on Saturday night at 8:05 p.m. ET when Tennessee sends right-hander Trey McNutt (2-3, 2.67 ERA) to the mound against Mobile southpaw Tyler Skaggs (2-3, 3.12 ERA) at Hank Aaron Stadium.
GAME NOTES: The victory snapped Tennessee's five-game skid at Hank Aaron Stadium dating back to last season... Following Jae-Hoon Ha's leadoff home run in the first inning, the Smokies first batter of the game has scored in three of four contests this series... The Smokies tied a season high with three stolen bases... Mobile had just two baserunners over the game's final seven innings.
Southern League Stories from May 25, 2012
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