SL Knoxville Smokies

Smokies Bake Biscuits 5-3 for Back-To-Back Wins

Published on April 17, 2022 under Southern League (SL)
Knoxville Smokies News Release


MONTGOMERY, AL - After a two-and-a-half-hour weather delay before first pitch, the Tennessee Smokies (5-3) used timely hitting and another strong bullpen outing for a 5-3 win over the Montgomery Biscuits (4-4). The Smokies have now won back-to-back games for the second time this season and clinched at least a split in the six-game series.

Christopher Morel and Luis Vazquez, the first two hitters in Tennessee's order, combined for four of the Smokies' seven hits - three of which went for extra bases.

Tennessee starting pitcher Riley Thompson kept the Biscuits at bay over his three innings of work. He allowed one run on one hit and tied his career high with eight strikeouts. Peyton Remy (1-0) entered next and got the win with three and two-thirds innings in relief. Remy retired nine of the first 10 batters he faced and cruised into the seventh inning before allowing two runs. Remy tied his season high with five strikeouts.

Kyle Johnson, who was activated today, made his return to affiliated baseball after a four-year hiatus and earned the save in his 2022 debut. Johnson fired the final two and one-third scoreless innings to secure the win.

It took the Smokies two batters to jump on the board in the first inning. After a leadoff double from Morel, Vazquez smoked Tennessee's first triple of the year and gave the Smokies an early 1-0 cushion.

Montgomery's Curtis Mead tied the game with a solo home run in the bottom of the first, and the 1-1 tie held until the fourth inning. With a runner on second, the Smokies' Yonathan Perlaza hammered an RBI double and pushed Tennessee back in front, 2-1.

Morel continued his strong day in the seventh inning with his first home run of the year. He crushed a two-run home run over the wall in left and made it a 4-1 Tennessee lead.

In the bottom of the frame, the Biscuits cut the lead to one, 4-3, on a two-out, two-RBI double. However, Tennessee re-upped its lead with an insurance run in the eighth. Harrison Wenson drew a bases-loaded, four-pitch walk and picked up the RBI to make it a 5-3 game.

Tennessee has now claimed three of the five games in the series and goes for the series win tomorrow. The finale between the Smokies and Biscuits is slated for Sunday afternoon at 4:33 p.m. ET. Tennessee's Javier Assad (0-0, 1.59 ERA) makes his second start of the series and faces Montgomery's Michael Mercado (0-1, 9.82 ERA). Fans can hear all Smokies games by going to https://www.milb.com/tennessee/fans/audio-listen-live .

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Southern League Stories from April 17, 2022


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