Matthews Stars in Birmingham's Game 5 Loss to Biloxi
July 30, 2023 - Southern League (SL)
Birmingham Barons News Release
The Birmingham Barons fall to the Biloxi Shuckers by a score of 9-4 for a fifth straight time in their six-game series. The Barons are now riding an eight-game skid as they are 8-17 in the second half. Birmingham looked to be turning things around as they were 8-10 just over a week ago.
The Barons on the offensive side of the ball were carried by Jason Matthews as he exploded in just his third Double-A game. Matthews finished the night 2-4 from the plate with two runs, three RBI and two home runs. The only other Baron to secure an RBI on the night was Taylor Snyder on a double, his only hit on the night.
The duo was all that the Barons could muster up on offense, which was not enough to tackle the Shuckers. Biloxi kicked off the scoring in the game early as they scored one run in the first and two in the second.
Birmingham started their scoring in the top of the third. Matthews blasted his first over the outfield wall in the third inning with a two-run shot that scored Andy Atwood in the process. The shortstop cut the deficit to four, however, that was not going to be enough for the Shuckers to back down.
Biloxi tacked on another run in the fourth inning to bring the game to 7-2. The Shuckers scored all of their runs off of Barons newcomer Ky Bush, his first start as a part of the Chicago White Sox organization. Bush finished his 3.1 IP with 12 hits, seven earned runs, one walk, two home runs and zero strikeouts.
After Bush's time on the mound, RHP Yoelvin Silven was the first Baron to come out of the bullpen. Silven pitched 1.2 innings with zero hits, zero runs, one walk and one strikeout. The right-hander tried his best from the bump to give the bats some needed energy, but the offense could only collect one run in the sixth.
In the sixth Matthews smacked his second home run of the game, this time a solo shot to lead off the inning. The 26-year-old came into the game with zero hits in Double-A and now raised his slugging to 1.143.
Even with the efforts from Matthews, the Barons were not able to keep the Shuckers off the board as they tallied two more runs in the seventh. In the seventh, Birmingham tossed out another newcomer in RHP Chase Plymell.
Plymell in his first action in Double-A was efficient as he secured the first two out of his first inning in two batters. However, a throwing error by Snyder extended the inning and a batter later the Shuckers tacked on two more runs to their total.
Birmingham added one more run in the ballgame as Snyder smacked his RBI double that scored Edgar Quero. The Barons offense could tack on anymore, even with LHP Gil Luna dealing from the mound.
Luna finished his lone inning of work with zero hits, zero runs and two strikeouts as he closed out the Barons hurlers time on the mound.
The Barons could not get anything else in the ballgame to mount a comeback as they fell to Biloxi for the fifth straight game. Birmingham now has only one more chance to snag a game against the Shuckers.
Southern League Stories from July 30, 2023
- Shuckers Break Out the Offense and the Brooms in Rain-Shortened Series Finale - Biloxi Shuckers
- Trash Pandas Blast Past Smokies to Win Finale 11-2 - Rocket City Trash Pandas
- M-Braves Bats Explode in 10-5 Win over Pensacola - Mississippi Braves
- Lookouts Falter Late in 7-5 Loss - Chattanooga Lookouts
- Berry Homers, But Blue Wahoos Fall to Braves in Finale - Pensacola Blue Wahoos
- Biscuits Take Series over Lookouts, 7-5 - Montgomery Biscuits
- Matthews Stars in Birmingham's Game 5 Loss to Biloxi - Birmingham Barons
- Sonny DiChiara Swinging Big in Second Half - Rocket City Trash Pandas
- Despite Fast Start Birmingham Drops Fourth Straight to Biloxi - Birmingham Barons
- Shuckers LHP Russell Smith Reinstated from 7-Day IL - Biloxi Shuckers
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