MONTGOMERY, AL - A combination of dominating pitching and a five-hit night from Roberto Caro led the Tennessee Smokies (27-26) to a 6-3 win over the Montgomery Biscuits (32-23) at Riverwalk Stadium in Montgomery on Sunday night. For the sixth straight game, the opposing team scored first. It was Montgomery's Jermaine Palacios
MONTGOMERY, AL - A combination of dominating pitching and a five-hit night from Roberto Caro led the Tennessee Smokies (27-26) to a 6-3 win over the Montgomery Biscuits (32-23) at Riverwalk Stadium in Montgomery on Sunday night.
For the sixth straight game, the opposing team scored first. It was Montgomery's Jermaine Palacios doubling in the bottom of the second to give the Biscuits a 1-0 lead. Jesús Sánchez then blasted a no-doubt solo home run to right centerfield, doubling Montgomery's lead to 2-0 in the third.
Gioskar Amaya got the Smokies offense churning with a leadoff double in the top of the fourth off RHP Brian Shaffer (L, 1-1). Next, Connor Myers ended the Smokies scoring drought after he doubled to left field to score Amaya. Caro then tripled to bring home two more runs and give the Smokies a 3-2 lead.
RHP Oscar De La Cruz (W, 3-2) took control on the mound after allowing two early runs. He started a sequence of zeroes being hung on the board by retiring nine straight batters to finish his six-inning performance of two runs on three hits. The Smokies bullpen would extend the trend, retiring 16 straight Biscuits spanning 4.2 innings.
The Smokies bats were not done. In the fifth, Charcer Burks singled and then moved to scoring position by stealing second. Two batters later, Hodges sent the fourth Smokies run home with a double down the left field line.
A sacrifice fly from Vimael Machin scored Myers to tack on an insurance run in the sixth bringing the lead to 5-2. In the final frame, Myers tied his season high with his third hit, which scored Clayton Daniel to build the lead up to 6-2. A two-out RBI single by Brett Sullivan got the Biscuits within three, but Robbie Tenerowicz lined out to end the game. RHP Jake Stinnett and LHP Jordan Minch kept Montgomery off the board in the final three frames out of the pen.
Every Smoky contributed to the six runs as all nine batters safely reached base. Caro had his best game of the season going 5-for-6 with 2 RBIs. He is the first Smoky to record five hits in a game since Albert Almora Jr. did so in April of 2015.
Game two of the series is set for Monday night at 7:35 EDT. RHP Tyson Miller (3-2, 2.06) gets the ball for the Smokies, while Montgomery will use an opener before turning to RHP Riley O'Brien.
