Barons Fight Back, Win 5-4 in Opener
Birmingham bullpen pitches four scoreless frames to seal victory over Chattanooga
Brandon Brennan earned his first save of the season on Opening Night.
(Michael Wade)
The Birmingham Barons (1-0) battled back time and time again to defeat the Chattanooga Lookouts (0-1) on Opening Night at AT&T Field on Thursday. Down one run on three different occasions, Birmingham rallied to tie the game before taking and holding a late lead behind a strong performance from the
The Birmingham Barons (1-0) battled back time and time again to defeat the Chattanooga Lookouts (0-1) on Opening Night at AT&T Field on Thursday. Down one run on three different occasions, Birmingham rallied to tie the game before taking and holding a late lead behind a strong performance from the bullpen.
- Turning Point: In the top of the fifth, the Barons' patience paid off. Chattanooga starter Zack Little was pulled after giving up a double to
Danny Mendick , who advanced to third on a fly out.Ryan Eades came in and provided little relief for the home team, walkingJameson Fisher ,Zack Collins ,Seby Zavala , andKeon Barnum to tie the game 3-3. - Moment That Mattered: Making his Birmingham debut, Fisher came through with the clutch hit his team needed. His RBI double to left in the top of the eighth, his first Double-A hit, scored
Tito Polo all the way from first base with the eventual winning run. - Facts And Figures: 12 Outs. After starter
Spencer Adams gave up four runs in 5.0 innings, relieversJorge Rondon ,Colton Turner (W, 1-0), andBrandon Brennan (S,1) combined to pitch the final 4.0 innings without giving up a run to preserve the win. - By The Numbers: 10 Walks. The Barons showed a good eye at the plate on Thursday, drawing 10 walks off Chattanooga pitchers, including three walks with the bases loaded to earn the come-from-behind victory. Collins led the way by taking three free passes while Zavala drew a pair of walks in his Barons debut.
- Up Next: The Barons and Lookouts will play the second game of their five-game series at AT&T Park on Friday night at 6:15 p.m. Right-hander
Jordan Stephens will make his season debut for the Barons against Chattanooga southpawStephen Gonsalves . Curt Bloom will have the call on 960 WERC News Radio and the iHeart Radio app.