Biscuits walk over Barons late, 6-2
August 1, 2007 - Southern League (SL1)
Montgomery Biscuits News Release
HOOVER, Ala. -- Fernando Perez and Reid Brignac drew bases-loaded walks in a four-run eighth inning to help the Montgomery Biscuits (23-16; 58-51) come back to defeat the host Birmingham Barons (16-23; 48-61), 6-2, in the fourth game of a five-game series at Regions Park.
With the victory and Jacksonville's 5-2 loss to Carolina, the Biscuits pulled to within three games of first place in the South Division and squared the series with the Barons at two wins apiece.
After Gio Gonzalez held Montgomery to merely three hits and one run through seven innings, the fateful eighth saw the Barons use four different relievers in order to record three outs.
Protecting a slim 2-1 lead, Fernando Hernandez, Jr. (0-2) began the frame by serving up a leadoff double to Erold Andrus and a single to Patrick Breen. Josh Asanovich dropped down a sacrifice bunt that was recovered quickly by Hernandez, who caught Andrus halfway to home plate. No Baron covered third base, however, and the Biscuits' rightfielder retreated to third to load the bases with none out. Perez followed by working a game-tying free pass from Hernandez, knocking him out of the game.
New reliever Carlos Torres struck out Brooks Badeaux but walked Brignac to give the Biscuits the 3-2 lead and was quickly pulled for Tim Bittner. Gaby Martinez followed with an RBI single to score Asanovich, though Perez was tagged out in a rundown. Bittner walked John Jaso to reload the bases, causing Birmingham manager Rafael Santana to give him the hook
Out of the bullpen came Josh Fields, who was greeted by Josh Arhart RBI single before setting down Andrus on a flyout to finally end the inning.
Montgomery added an insurance run an inning later against Fields to increase its lead to four runs, knocking Fields from the game in favor of Oneli Perez, Birmingham's sixth pitcher.
The six relievers combined to record six outs, allowing five runs on four hits and five walks in the process.
The Biscuits bullpen, on the other hand, pitched five scoreless innings in relief of starter Jeremy Flanagan, with Nick DeBarr (3-3) picking up the win with perfect seventh and eighth innings of work.
Flanagan and Montgomery trailed 2-0 just three hitters into the bottom of the first inning. Sean Smith led off with a single, stole second, tagged and went to third on Victor Mercedes' flyout and scored on a wild pitch. Thomas Collaro then crushed his nineteenth home run of the season to deep left field.
The only run allowed by Birmingham starter Gonzalez was also via roundtripper, with Reid Brignac launching his fourteenth homer of the season with one out in the seventh inning, ending a string of 15 consecutive Biscuits retired by the southpaw.
The rubber match of the five-game series will be played at 7:05 p.m. on Wednesday night, with the pitching matchup see Biscuits lefthander Jon Barratt (2-8, 5.00) oppose Barons lefty Corwin Malone (0-5, 4.43).
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