Barons Score Early And Often To Win 8-1

The Birmingham Barons (42-44) jumped out to an early lead and never looked back in an 8-1 win over the Mississippi Braves (37-51) on Monday night at Regions Field. The victory evens the four-game series at one game each.

• Turning Point: After a first-inning run proved to be the difference in Sunday's loss, the Barons reversed the script to take a quick lead on Monday. Joel Booker, Luis Alexander Basabe, Zack Collins, and Trey Michalczewski all singled to start the game, plating two runs against M-Braves starter Ricardo Sánchez (L, 1-3). Danny Mendick's ground out plated another run, giving the Barons a 3-0 lead after one.
• Moments That Mattered: The M-Braves were able to scratch out a run against Barons starter Jimmy Lambert (W, 2-1) in the third. But a diving stop by Mendick led to a force out at second, preventing the M-Braves from scoring multiple runs. In the bottom half of the frame, Birmingham got the run back on a double to left from Michalczewski that scored Basabe to restore the three-run lead.
• By The Numbers: The Birmingham offense broke out of a slump in a big way on Monday. After not scoring more than three runs for nine straight games, the Barons erupted for eight runs on 10 hits. Michalczewski led the way by going 3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs while Basabe was 1-for-3 with two walks and three runs. Matt Rose also added a double and an RBI.
• Facts And Figures: Making his third Double-A start, Lambert shined on the mound for Birmingham. He was at his best late, striking out the side in the final two innings he pitched to strand runners on base. Over 7.0 innings, Lambert gave up just one run on seven hits while walking none and striking out nine to earn his second Double-A win. Jake Johansen and Zach Thompson each pitched scoreless innings to finish the win.
• Up Next: The two sides meet in game three of the series on Tuesday night at 7:05 p.m. In a battle of southpaws, Bernardo Flores (2-1, 1.35) is set to start for the Barons against the Mississippi's Bruce Zimmerman (1-0, 1.46). Curt Bloom will have the call on 960 WERC News Radio and the iHeart Radio app.