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Smokies at Barons, Saturday (Game 5 of Series)

June 29, 2024 - Southern League (SL)
Birmingham Barons News Release

TENNESSEE SMOKIES 1-3 (41-31) AT BIRMINGHAM BARONS 3-1 (44-29)

Upcoming Starters in Series

DATE TIME OPPONENT BARONS STARTERS OPPONENT STARTER

Sun, June 30 4:00 pm vs Tennessee LHP Ky Bush (5-2, 2.14) vs RHP Chris Kachmar (2-1, 3.99)

Mon, July 1 7:00 pm vs Rocket City RHP Jairo Iriarte (3-5, 4.32) vsTBA

Tue, July 2 7:00 pm vs Rocket City LHP Tyler Schweitzer (2-0, 1.89) vs TBA

Wed, July 3 6:00 pm vs Rocket City LHP Jake Eder (2-5, 4.93) vs TBA

Thu, July 4 6:30 pm at Rocket City RHP Mason Adams (6-3, 2.13) vs TBA

Fri, July 5 6:30 pm at Rocket City LHP Ky Bush (5-2, 2.14) vs TBA

Sat, July 6 6:30 pm at Rocket City LHP Noah Schultz (0-1, 1.83) vs TBA

LAST TIME OUT: Jacob Gonzalez hit a grand slam to lead the Birmingham Barons to a 6-1 win over the Tennessee Smokies in a rain-shortened game before 4,501 at Regions Field on Friday night. Third baseman Jason Matthews hit a two-run home run, and RHP Mason Adams pitched 5.0, giving up six hits, one earned run, and two walks with three strikeouts. The Smokies (1-3, 41-31) scored first in the game. Christian Franklin singled, James Triantos singled, and Yohendrick Pinango singled, scoring Franklin. Tennessee led 1-0 early in the game. In the bottom of the second inning, Wilfred Veras walked, Alsander Womack walked. Veras and Womack stole bases. Matt Hogan walked to load the bases. Next batter, Gonzalez went deep to right field for his second home run of the season. With the grand slam, the Barons led 4-1. In the bottom of the fourth inning, Veras had a soft ground ball single to third base. Veras steals second, then steals third. Matthews comes up and hits a 435' home run to left field, scoring Veras, and the Barons lead 6-1. In the bottom of the fifth inning, with two outs, rain came and halted the game. The umpires called the game after a one-hour and eight-minute delay. Next, the Barons will play game five of the six-game series with the Smokies. LHP Noah Schultz (0-1, 1.83) will take the mound for the Barons.

SOUTHERN LEAGUE PLAYER OF THE MONTH: First baseman Tim Elko batted .337/.382/.535 and led the league in average (.337), hits (34) and total bases (54), while finishing second in RBI (19), slugging percentage (.535) and OPS (.917). He was tied for third in triples (one) and was fourth in home runs (four) and fifth in runs (16). He recorded 11 multi-hit games and hit safely in 22 of 25 games. He began the month with a six-game hitting streak before going on a 14-game streak from May 11-28. Elko, 25, was selected by Chicago (AL) in the 10th round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of the University of Mississippi.

SOUTHERN LEAGUE PITCHER OF THE WEEK: LHP Ky Bush (5-2, 1.78) pitched 7.0 innings giving up only two hits, no earned runs, and no walks with three strikeouts in the Week of June 10-16. For June, Bush is 2-0 with a 1.35 ERA with 13 strikeouts in three starts.

BARONS STARTING PITCHERS: LHP Noah Schultz (0-1, 1.83) was drafted in the 1st round of the 2022 draft. The White Sox ended a 21-year span of not taking prep pitchers in the first round by selecting him 26th overall and signed him away from a Vanderbilt commitment for $2.8 million.

LEAGUE LEADERS: Brooks Baldwin leads the Southern League with a .340 average and is second in OBP with a .405 mark. Also, he is first in hits with 91. Edgar Quero is tied for second with 12 home runs and first in RBIs with 50. Tim Elko is third in average at .310, is third in hits with 80, and third in total basis with 119. Wilfred Veras is tied for fifth in home runs with ten and is tied for seventh in total bases with 107. Mason Adams is tied for fifth in the league with 79 strikeouts and fourth in ERA with a 2.14. Jairo Iriarte is fourth in strikeouts with 81, while Ky Bush (5-2, 2.14) is fourth in ERA and seventh in strikeouts with 74 in the Southern League.

PROSPECT RANKINGS: The Barons current active roster features 12 of the White Sox's Top 30 prospects (according to MLB.com): LHP Noah Shultz (No. 2), RHP Drew Thorpe (No. 3), catcher Edgar Quero (No. 4), infielder Jacob Gonzalez (No. 7), RHP Jairo Iriarte (No. 9), LHP Jake Eder (No. 10), LHP Ky Bush (No. 17), RHP Mason Adams (No. 19), infielder Brooks Baldwin (No. 24), outfielder Wilfred Veras (No. 25), RHP Anthony Hoopii-Tuionetoa (No. 28), and outfielder Jacob Burke (No.30).

SOUTHERN LEAGUE STANDINGS:

North | 1st Birmingham 3-1 (---) | 1st Rocket City 3-1 (---) | 3rd Tennessee 1-3 (2.0) | 3rd Chattanooga 1-3 (2.0)

South | 1st Mississippi 3-1 (---) | 1st Biloxi 3-1 (---) | 3rd Pensacola 1-3 (2.0) | 4th Montgomery 1-3 (2.0)

Check out the Birmingham Barons Statistics

Southern League Stories from June 29, 2024

They Did It Again - Rocket City Trash Pandas
Trash Pandas Rally to Defeat Lookouts, 7-6 - Chattanooga Lookouts
Biscuits Use Dominant Wilcox Start, Massive Third Inning to Top M-Braves 9-1 - Montgomery Biscuits
Shuckers Fall to Pensacola on Late Home Run - Biloxi Shuckers
Berry's Dramatic Homer Lifts Wahoos to 4-2 Win - Pensacola Blue Wahoos
Gulf Coast VA Honored with a Donation from the Heart of a Shucker Community Fund - Biloxi Shuckers
Smokies at Barons, Saturday (Game 5 of Series) - Birmingham Barons
Game Info: Saturday, June 29 vs. Montgomery Biscuits: 6:05 PM: Trustmark Park - Mississippi Braves

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Smokies at Barons, Saturday (Game 5 of Series)

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