Seven-Run First Not Enough For Shuckers in Birmingham

After jumping out to a 7-0 lead in the top of the first, the Biloxi Shuckers (15-10) were held off the board as they fell to the Birmingham Barons (12-13) 11-7 on Monday afternoon at Regions Field.  
The day started perfectly for the Shuckers, as Corey Ray singled and Troy Stokes Jr. walked, setting up Jake Hager, who cracked his league-leading 10th double of the season to left, plating Ray to give Biloxi a 1-0 lead. Stokes broke for home on a bouncing ball from Lucas Erceg to first, and was thrown out between third and home for the first out of the inning. During the next at bat, Barons starter LHP Ian Clarkin (W, 3-2) uncorked a wild pitch, letting Hager score from third and moving Erceg to second. Dylan Moore singled to left to plate Erceg, giving Biloxi a 3-0 lead. The Shuckers loaded the bases with a single from Clint Coulter and a walk to Dustin Houle, and Wendell Rijo capped the scoring in grand fashion, smacking his first home run of the season over the left field fence, a grand slam that made it 7-0.
Birmingham found an immediate response with five singles in the bottom of the first against Shuckers starter RHP Adrian Houser, plating two runs but leaving the bases loaded. The Barons drew closer in the bottom of the third as Seby Zavala doubled and scored on a home run by Matt Rose, his fourth of the season, bringing the Barons within three runs at 7-4. Houser would allow single to Trey Michalczewski before he was lifted from the game. Reliever Brad Kuntz worked around the base runner with a strikeout and double play. Houser tossed 2.0 innings and allowed four runs on nine hits while not walking a batter and striking out two.
A six-run bottom of the fourth put the Barons in front for good. Making his second rehab appearance with the Shuckers, LHP Boone Logan (BS, 1) walked the first two batters he faced and surrendered a single to Zack Collins before he was removed for LHP Kodi Medeiros (L, 2-1). Medeiros induced a flyout from Eloy Jiménez, but walked Zavala to force in a run, cutting the Shuckers lead to 7-5. Rose gave the Barons the lead on a grand slam of his own in the ensuing at bat, putting Birmingham in front 9-7. The Barons used three more hits in their next four batters to plate another run, extending their lead to 10-7.
Biloxi put runners on base with two outs in the top of the fifth, but stranded both runners on a fly out. The Shuckers would put another rally together in the top of the seventh with a pair of two-out singles by Erceg and Moore, but another fly out kept Biloxi off the board.
The Shuckers best chance to even the game came in the top of the eighth. Coulter doubled to start the inning and moved to third on a passed ball. The next two batters struck out and flied out, but Ray drew a walk, putting runners on the corners. Stokes stepped to the plate representing the tying run and hit a hard two hopper to third, but Rose handled it cleanly and retired Ray at second for the force, ending the Shuckers threat.
Biloxi will have a day off Tuesday before starting a five-game series against the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp at MGM Park on Wednesday night at 6:35 pm. The Shuckers are slated to send RHP Thomas Jankins (4-0) to the mound while the Jumbo Shrimp have not named a starter. It's another All-You-Can-Eat-Wednesday, where a $20 ticket gets fans into the Shuckers buffet in the Community Bank Terrace.
Single game tickets for the Biloxi Shuckers 2018 season are on sale now and can be purchased at the MGM Park box office or over the phone through Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Season tickets, flex plans and group outings are also available and can be reserved by calling 228-233-3465 or visiting www.biloxishuckers.com.
ABOUT THE BILOXI SHUCKERS:
The Biloxi Shuckers are the Double-A Affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. The Shuckers 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.com.