Tennessee Smoked Birmingham 8-0, Burying Them in 3rd Place
July 6, 2022 - Southern League (SL)
Birmingham Barons News Release
Although the second half just began, Birmingham's recent drought has them falling in the standings rapidly. Of course, there's plenty of time for a comeback, but Birmingham entered Wednesday night riding a two-game skid, their first since the beginning of June. However, before these consecutive losses, the Barons enjoyed their best stretch of ball all season, winning 15 of their last 21 games. Hoping to add to that impressive run, Magic City sent 25-year-old Emilio Vargas to the hill. On the other hand, Tennessee started Riley Thompson for game two of the series.
Wednesday night's action arrived slowly, while the pace swiftly covered the first third of the ballgame. In the top of the third, though, Emilio Vargas fell into some trouble after Tennessee put two on with one down. Then, Yonathan Perlaza roped a hard liner off the base of the wall to give the Smokies the first run of the game. Immediately afterward, they scored a second run via a sacrifice fly, despite a strong effort from Yoelqui Cespedes to gun him down at the plate.
Conversely, Birmingham's league-leading offense remained relatively silent all night. In fact, their first hit did not come until the bottom of the third. Then, their only other base knock through six complete innings came thanks to Craig Dedelow's hustle triple. However, even so, Birmingham failed to cash in the runner. Similarly, besides the few scratches in the third, Vargas settled into his own and controlled the remainder of his outing quite well. Birmingham's right-handed pitcher finished with 7.0 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, and 5 strikeouts.
Compared to his other starts in Birmingham this year, seven innings matches his season-high, and eight hits allowed set a new high in 2022. Nevertheless, Wednesday night certainly stood out as one of, if not his best start since returning to the red and black. In comparison, Tennessee's starter, Thompson, lasted just three innings, but when added with his primary reliever, the two combined for a phenomenal night. Together, Thompson and Samuel Reyes shoved a line of 6 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, and 6 punchouts.
All things considered, neither side truly dominated the game. Birmingham's low hit total suggests otherwise, but Tennessee's additional baserunners were swiftly erased via double-play. Specifically, the Barons' defense created three double-plays, setting a season-high. That said, Barons' reliever Theo Denlinger did not fall into such luck. With two down in the eighth, Denlinger simply couldn't finish the frame off. Finally, Justin Jirschele made the call after Denlinger allowed four runs on three hits and two walks. To make matters worse, Tennessee added two more in the ninth on a towering two-run long ball.
The 8-0 lead in the final two innings became too much to overcome, as Birmingham dropped their third straight game and fell to 4-4 in the second half. Overall, the Barons' record sits at 35-42. Nonetheless, baseball continues, as both sides are back at it again tomorrow; same time, same place, but a new day.
• Discuss this story on the Southern League message board...
Southern League Stories from July 6, 2022
- Early Lead Evaporates in Shuckers' Defeat - Biloxi Shuckers
- Trash Pandas' Winning Streak at Five with 7-4 Victory - Rocket City Trash Pandas
- Smokies Shut Out Barons in Game Two, 8-0 - Knoxville Smokies
- Biscuits Come Back, Top Shuckers, 8-4 - Montgomery Biscuits
- Shuster Rolls in M-Braves 5-1 Win over Blue Wahoos - Mississippi Braves
- Tennessee Smoked Birmingham 8-0, Burying Them in 3rd Place - Birmingham Barons
- Ladwig Solid, But Blue Wahoos Silenced in Mississippi - Pensacola Blue Wahoos
- Ky Bush Named to All-Star Futures Game - Rocket City Trash Pandas
- Ole Miss Night on Thursday to Feature College World Series Championship Trophy - Mississippi Braves
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
