Shuckers Tear Open Record Books for 10th Straight Win

*BIRMINGHAM, AL *– Behind a franchise record 18 runs and 22 hits, the Biloxi Shuckers (70-58, 36-23) also tied the franchise record with their 10^th straight win, exploding for an 18-1 victory over the Birmingham Barons (46-83, 21-39) at Regions Field on Thursday night. The win clinched at least a series split with the Barons and keeps Biloxi a half-game behind the Montgomery Biscuits for the final playoff spot in the South Division with nine games remaining in the regular season.

The Shuckers started the scoring in the second with an RBI single from Ethan Murray, his second straight night with a second-inning RBI single. In the fourth, Biloxi tacked on two more with a solo home run from Zavier Warren and an RBI single from Lamar Sparks, extending the lead to 3-0. They extended the lead to five on Warren’s second RBI of the night, a single to right, and an RBI fielder’s choice from Carlos Rodriguez.

The sixth inning saw three more runs and history for the Shuckers. With no outs and runners on the corners, Jackson Chourio stole second for his 40^th stolen base of the year. His 40^th steal made him the first player in Double-A since at least 2005 to record at least 20 homers and 40 stolen bases in a season. Later in the at-bat, Wes Clarke launched his 23^rd home run of the year, tying Rece Hinds for the Southern League lead and extending Biloxi’s lead to 8-0. In the bottom of the inning, Birmingham got their only run of the night with a solo home run to right from Wilfred Veras. Despite the solo shot, Shuckers’ starter Carlos Rodriguez finished the night with six innings, his second straight start of at least six.

In the seventh, the Shuckers exploded with a two-out RBI double from Ernesto Martinez that made it 9-1. Two more scored on a throwing error that ended in a collision between Jeferson Quero and Barons’ first-baseman Tim Elko. Quero, however, stayed in the game and later scored on an RBI double from Carlos Rodriguez. The Shuckers scored their sixth and final run of the inning with an RBI single from Ethan Murray, making it 14-1.

Jason Lopez tied the single-game runs record with a two-RBI double in the eighth, and the Shuckers tacked on two more in the ninth with RBI singles from Isaac Collins and Felix Valerio. A trio of Luis Amaya, Ryan Brady and Russell Smith pitched three scoreless relief innings for Biloxi, securing the Shuckers’ 10^th straight win. All 11 players that appeared for Biloxi tallied a hit while Ethan Murray and Carlos Rodriguez both tallied four-hit nights. The win was also Biloxi’s 70^th win, the first time they’ve reached the mark in a year since 2019.

Rodriguez (9-5) earned the win for Biloxi while Barons’ starter Josimar Cousin (0-1) took the loss in his Double-A debut. The Shuckers will look for their 11^th straight win with righty Christian Mejias on the mound against righty Mason Adams on Friday at Regions Field. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

The game can be heard on Cruisin’ WGCM 1240 AM, 100.9 FM with coverage beginning at 6:50 p.m. with the Biloxi Shuckers Pregame Show featuring the Mississippi Army National Guard Pregame Interview. The game can also be seen live on MiLB.tv.

Individual tickets, group outings, Shuck Nation memberships and Flex Plans for the 2023 Biloxi Shuckers season are available now by calling (228) 233-3465 or visiting biloxishuckers.com.

ABOUT THE BILOXI SHUCKERS:

The Biloxi Shuckers are the Double-A Affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. The Shuckers are members of the Southern League and play at MGM Park in Biloxi, Mississippi. For more information please visit biloxishuckers.com and follow us on Twitter @biloxishuckers and at facebook.com/biloxishuckers.

ABOUT SHUCKERS BASEBALL, LLC:

Shuckers Baseball, LLC is a MS entity owned and operated by John Tracy. Shuckers Baseball operates the Biloxi Shuckers baseball franchise, including operating MGM Park for Biloxi Shuckers minor league baseball games and other entertainment and recreational events.