Barons Fall 3-0 in Pitching Battle

In a complete 180-degree turn from last night's 17-run slugfest, The Birmingham Barons (53-53) were eventually out-dueled on the mound in a low-scoring affair as a three-run eighth inning lifted the Mississippi Braves (49-58) to a 3-0 win on Monday night at Trustmark Park.

• Moments That Mattered: Dylan Cease continued his tear through the Southern League, giving another demonstration on the art of pitching in his sixth start for Birmingham. Although he wouldn't earn a decision after leaving the game in a scoreless tie after six complete innings, he worked his way out of a tight spot in the sixth after consecutive singles and a stolen base put runners on second and third with no outs. Cease then retired the next three M-braves to keep Mississippi out of the run column.
• By the Numbers: Following his 12-strikeout night his last time out on July 25, Cease notched his second straight quality start and his third since his promotion on June 21. He finished the night with no runs against on five hits, fanning seven and walking two. Since joining the Barons' rotation, Cease has struck out no less than seven batters in all six starts.
• Turning Point: After a seven-and-a-half inning scoreless stalemate, the M-Braves eventually hung the loss on Birmingham reliever Brandon Brennan  (L, 4-3), breaking the game open with three runs on four hits. Starting with an RBI single from Tyler Neslony for the go-ahead run, Alejandro Salzar maneuvered his way through a pickle between third and home, sneaking past Alfredo González  to cross the plate for a 2-0 M-Braves' lead. A single from Sal Giardina two batters later capped the night's scoring at a final 3-0.

• Facts and Figures: The Barons ended Enderson Franco's bid for a no-hitter in the seventh as Danny Mendick  broke up the hitless outing with a bunt single. Trey Michalczewski  reached on an infield grounder in the eighth to record Birmingham's only other hit. Despite a stingy effort from Mississippi's pitchers, the Barons weren't short of base runners as four Barons reached after wearing pitches from Franco and Corbin Closue. Mendick and Gonzalez also reached on walks in the final two innings.
• Up Next: The two sides continue the series on Tuesday night with first pitch set for 7:00 pm. Southpaw Kodi Medeiros (7-5, 3.14) looks to get his first start as a Baron, toeing the rubber against fellow lefty Ricardo Sánchez (1-4, 5.85). Curt Bloom will have the call on 960 WERC News Radio and the iHeart Radio app.