Category Archives: Game Preview

by | June 18, 2013 · 12:18 am

Smokies finish first half with 2-1 win over Mississippi

By: Adam Kline

KODAK, Tenn. – Behind quality pitching and a two-run fifth inning, the Tennessee Smokies defeated the Mississippi Braves, 2-1, Monday night at Smokies Park. With the win, in front of 3,093, the Smokies finish the first half with a record of 34-35. Mississippi fell to 38-32.

Smokies starter Eric Jokisch kept the M-Braves’ offense off the scoreboard until the fifth inning when he gave up a RBI-single to Phil Gosselin scoring Mycal Jones from second base to give Mississippi a 2-1 lead.

Jokisch (5-6) worked in and out of trouble all night, but only surrendered the one run in his six innings of work. He gave up three hits, walked three and struck out three on 86 pitches (53 strikes).

The Smokies were also held scoreless in the early innings, until the sixth inning when Pin-Chieh Chen hit an RBI-infield single to first base scoring Anthony Giansanti and Chad Noble came around to score on the same play on an error by Mississippi starter Aaron Northcraft. Giansanti singled earlier in the inning and advanced to third on a throwing error on Noble’s bunt.

Relievers Trey McNutt and Tony Zych combined to throw two scoreless innings before handing the ball over to closer Frank Batista.

Batista put the M-Braves away in the ninth inning, preserving the Smokies 2-1 lead and notching his ninth save of the season.

The Smokies collected 12 total hits in the game with eight of the nine starters notching at least one hit. Jonathan Mota, Giansanti and Chad Noble each went 2-4 with two singles apiece.

Following an off day Tuesday, the Smokies will start the second half of the season with a five-game set against the Chattanooga Lookouts starting Wednesday, June 19 at AT&T Field in Chattanooga, Tenn.

AUDIO RECAP  SMOKIES  2  Braves  1

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by | June 16, 2013 · 11:12 am

Game Preview: 6-16 v. Mississippi

A.J. Morris makes his third start of the season for the Smokies tonight. (Photo Courtesy: Roger C. Hoover)

A.J. Morris makes his third start of the season for the Smokies tonight. (Photo Courtesy: Roger C. Hoover)

Fresh off snapping their four-game losing streak, the Tennessee Smokies (33-34) will look to even up their series with the Mississippi Braves (37-31) and get back to .500 in Game 4 of their five-game series.  First pitch is scheduled for 5:00 PM from Smokies Park.

WHAT’S AT STAKE: The Smokies remain a half game behind Chattanooga in third place in the South Division.  The loss last night for the Mississippi Braves may prove to be back breaking as they now sit 1.5 games back of Mobile with an elimination number of just two.

TONIGHT’S STARTERS:

Mississippi: Gus Schlosser (5-2, 2.51 ERA): Schlosser has been red hot as of late and has not allowed an earned run in each of his last two starts.  Overall, Schlosser has allowed two runs or less in each of his last ten starts.  In his last start, Schlosser allowed one unearned run in six innings on June 10 against Pensacaola.  Schlosser faced the Smokies on May 4 and had his best and longest start of the year.  He not only tossed seven scoreless innings, but Schlosser helped himself out by smacking a two-run double. 

Tennessee: A.J. Morris (2-0, 4.60 ERA): Morris has been excellent since moving into the rotation for Tennessee.  In two starts, Morris has allowed just two runs on four hits in 9.2 innings.  His last start in Mobile on June 10 was his longest outing of the season going 5.1 innings allowing one run.  In one appearance out of the bullpen this season against Mississippi, Morris had trouble allowing two runs on two hits in a third of an inning.

LAST TIME OUT: Behind Southern League Pitcher of the Week Kyle Hendricks, the Smokies halted their four-game losing streak with a 5-2 victory over the Braves.  Hendricks dazzled throwing seven strong innings of one run ball for his sixth straight win.  Jonathan Mota put the Smokies in front with a two-run home run in the 2nd inning, and the Smokies scored three times in the 8th inning to add some insurance highlighted by Arismendy Alcantara’s two-run double.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: 

Jaime Pedroza: Pedroza was 2-for-4 last night and now has hits in each of his last four starts.  Overall, Pedroza is 6 for his last 14 at the plate.

Braeden Schlehuber: If there was one player on the Braves who needed a good night at the plate last night it was Schlehuber.  Prior to his two hits last night, Schlehuber was 0-for-15 in his previous five games. 

Jonathan Mota: With two more hits last night, Mota has bumped his average up to .247.  He was hitting .195 on June 4.  Mota has multi-hit games in three of his last four and has hit safely in nine of his past ten.

Arismendy Alcantara: Alcantara also registered two hits last night for Tennessee and now has his average up to .290, sixth best in the Southern League.  Both of Alcantara’s hits were doubles marking the fourth time this season that he’s had two doubles in a game.

KEY TO THE GAME: Despite being good in his lone home start of the season, Morris has struggled at Smokies Park in 2013.  In his six overall games, Morris has an 8.68 ERA in 9.1 innings at home.

TUNE IN: The broadcast will be available on our flagship station, The Sports Animal WNML AM 990 and on FM 99.1 in Knoxville beginning at 4:45 ET with the Pilot & Oscar Mayer Pregame Show. You can also listen to the broadcast in its entirety on smokiesbaseball.com as well as the Smokies mobile app. 

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by | June 15, 2013 · 11:40 am

Game Preview: 6-15 v. Mississippi

Kyle Hendricks is the reigning Southern League Pitcher of the Week. Photo Courtesy: Matthew Shalbrack

Kyle Hendricks is the reigning Southern League Pitcher of the Week. Photo Courtesy: Matthew Shalbrack

After their fourth consecutive one-run loss, the Tennessee Smokies (32-34) look to snap their losing streak and play spoiler in Game 3 of their five-game series against the Mississippi Braves (37-30).  First pitch is scheduled for 6:15 PM from Smokies Park.

WHAT’S AT STAKE: With last night’s loss, the Smokies dropped into third place behind Chattanooga.  It marks the first time Tennessee hasn’t been in first or second place since April 15.  For Mississippi, they did all they could last night by winning, but they still remain a half game behind Mobile for first place in the South Division.

TONIGHT’S STARTERS:

Mississippi: Michael Lee (3-4, 4.83 ERA): Lee makes his 13th appearance and 8th start of the season tonight for the Braves.  The righty hasn’t had much success over the last month.  His last win was against the Smokies on May 1 when he threw a rain-shortened, five-inning complete game shutout.  Lee has allowed four-plus runs in three of his last four starts and has allowed at least six hits in each of his last five.  He received a no-decision in his last start on June 9 against Pensacola allowing four runs on eight hits in four innings. 

Tennessee: Kyle Hendricks (6-2, 2.14 ERA): The reigning Southern League Pitcher of the Week takes the mound tonight at Smokies Park where he has been lights out.  Hendricks is 3-0 with a 0.27 ERA at home this season with the lone earned run scoring way back on April 23 against Montgomery.  Hendricks did not factor in the decision in his last start yielding one run on four hits in six innings in Mobile on June 8.  His last loss was against these Braves on May 5 in Pearl when he allowed five runs, two earned, on nine hits in five innings. His 2.14 ERA is third best in the Southern League.

LAST TIME OUT: The Smokies lost another close ballgame last night losing 4-3 to the Braves.  Mississippi scored the game-winning run on a passed ball by catcher Rafael Lopez in the 6th inning.  Tennessee outhit Mississippi 13 to 7 but left 15 runners on base in the game.  Ronald Torreyes, Rubi Silva, and Jonathan Mota each had three hits for the Smokies in a losing effort.  Edward Salcedo had the only two RBIs for the Braves on a two-out, two-run double in the top of the 1st.

ONE RUN SHORT…AGAIN: The Smokies fell in another one-run game last night against Mississippi.  The last five losses for the Smokies have been one-run losses with two of them coming in extra innings.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: 

Mycal Jones: He’s only hitting .196 on the season, but Mycal Jones has enjoyed success against Smokies pitching.  After his 1-for-3 performance last night, Jones is 6-for-18 with four walks against Tennessee this season.

Philip Gosselin: The Braves leadoff man was 1-for-3 with a walk and scored twice last night.  It was the first time he’s scored two runs in a game since June 1 against Montgomery. 

Ronald Torreyes: Torreyes collected three hits last night for the third time this season and first time since June 3 against Jackson.  He’s currently riding a four-game hitting streak and has hits in 11 of his last 13 games.

Rafael Lopez: It’s been a tough start for Lopez in this series.  He had two passed balls last night and is 0-for-8 at the plate in two games.  Overall, Lopez is hitless in his last nine at bats.

KEY TO THE GAME: Michael Lee has had a tough time in the early stages of games this season.  He has an ERA of 11.74 in the first inning, 4.50 in the second, and 7.00 in the third.  Tennessee needs to get to him early in the contest when he is most vulnerable.

TUNE IN: The broadcast will be available on our flagship station, The Sports Animal WNML AM 990 and on FM 99.1 in Knoxville beginning at 6:00 ET with the Pilot & Oscar Mayer Pregame Show. You can also listen to the broadcast in its entirety on smokiesbaseball.com as well as the Smokies mobile app. 

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by | June 13, 2013 · 12:17 pm

Game Preview: 6-13 v. Mississippi

Smokies infielder Jonathan Mota is riding a season-high seven-game hitting streak. Photo Courtesy: Roger C. Hoover

Smokies infielder Jonathan Mota is riding a season-high seven-game hitting streak. Photo Courtesy: Roger C. Hoover

The Tennessee Smokies (32-32) begin their final homestand of the first half as they get set to take on the Mississippi Braves (35-30) in Game 1 of a five-game series.  First pitch is scheduled for 7:15 PM from Smokies Park.

WHAT’S AT STAKE: The Smokies want to remain in second place in the North Division and enter tonight’s action only a half game ahead of Chattanooga.  For the Braves, they have everything to play for as they trail the first-place Mobile BayBears by a half game in the South Division.  With only five games left in the first half, the Braves need to have a productive series and hope for help from the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, who host Mobile.

TONIGHT’S STARTERS:

Mississippi: Cody Martin (3-3, 2.97 ERA): After starting the season out of the bullpen, Martin will make his 11th start of the season for the Braves.  Martin has been sharp this season despite not lasting long in games.  He hasn’t pitched more than six innings in a game so far this season.  In the Smokies series at Trustmark Park at the beginning of May, Martin pitched two scoreless innings out of the bullpen on May 4, his last appearance in relief.  In his last start on June 7 against Pensacola, Martin earned the victory allowing one run on seven hits in five innings.

Tennessee: Alberto Cabrera (5-3, 4.08 ERA): After originally being slated to start the final game in Mobile, Cabrera will start the series opener against the Braves.  Cabrera has not been as effective at home this season going 1-3 with a 6.61 ERA in six starts.  He did pitch well in his only start against Mississippi on May 3 tossing six scoreless innings allowing just two hits.  In his last start, Cabrera struggled against the Jackson Generals on June 6 surrendering five runs on ten hits in five innings and took the loss.  Cabrera’s 68 strikeouts this season are good for fourth in the Southern League.

LAST TIME OUT: The Smokies had a series of heartbreak in Mobile against the BayBears.  Tennessee dropped four of five in the series including two walk-off losses in extra innings and a one-run loss where the game ended with the tying run being thrown out at home plate.  Overall, the Smokies have dropped six of their last seven.

Mississippi ended up taking three out of five games at home against Pensacola including a walk-off win on June 10.  However, the loss in their series finale dropped them out of first place and the Braves now do not control their own destiny for first place in the South Division.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: 

Jose Martinez: Martinez ranks second in the Southern League with a .311 batting average trailing only Julio Morban of Jackson.  Martinez has multiple hits in his last two games and has hit safely in eight of his last nine.

Kyle Russell: Russell was a thorn in the side of Tennessee in their previous series in Pearl.  He was a series-best 7-for-18 (.389) and drove in two runs.  The Smokies might be catching Russell at the right time though as he is in the midst of a 2-for-13 skid.

Jonathan Mota: Mota is on a tear right now and is riding a season-high seven-game hitting streak.  In his last five games, Mota is 9-for-20 with two home runs.

Tony Zych: While the bullpen has had their problems as of late, Tony Zych has excelled for the Smokies.  Zych has had six straight scoreless appearances with four of the six being over an inning.  His ERA is now down to 3.33, almost a full run lower then when this scoreless streak began.

KEY TO THE GAME: The theme for Alberto Cabrera so far this season has been if he can survive the first couple innings, he will have a quality start.  Cabrera has posted a 4.50 ERA in the first inning and a 6.00 ERA in the second inning in his 12 starts this season.  If he is able to avoid a rocky start against Mississippi, the Smokies have a strong chance at getting back over .500.

TUNE IN: The broadcast will be available on our flagship station, The Sports Animal WNML AM 990 and on FM 99.1 in Knoxville beginning at 7:00 ET with the Pilot & Oscar Mayer Pregame Show. You can also listen to the broadcast in its entirety on smokiesbaseball.com as well as the Smokies mobile app. 

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by | June 11, 2013 · 10:49 am

Game Preview: 6-11 @ Mobile

Alberto Cabrera looks to remain perfect away from Smokies Park this season. Photo Courtesy: Roger C. Hoover

Alberto Cabrera looks to remain perfect away from Smokies Park this season. Photo Courtesy: Roger C. Hoover

The Tennessee Smokies (32-31) will play their final road game of the first half as they finish up their series against the Mobile BayBears (34-29) in Game 5 of their five-game series.  First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 PM from Hank Aaron Stadium.

WHAT’S AT STAKE: The Smokies chances at a first-half division title are officially extinguished but there is still plenty to play for.  With a 17-17 record on the road, today’s game will decide whether the Smokies end over or under .500 on the road in the first half.  Also, the Smokies are 1.5 games ahead of Chattanooga for second place in the North Division.  Mobile begins the day a half game out of first place and needs a victory to try and keep pace with the Mississippi Braves.

TODAY’S STARTERS:

Tennessee: Alberto Cabrera (5-3, 4.08 ERA): Cabrera is back out on the road where he has had great success this season.  He is a perfect 4-0 with a 1.89 ERA in six road starts.  In his last start, Cabrera struggled at home against the Jackson Generals on June 6 surrendering five runs on ten hits in five innings and took the loss.  Cabrera is third in the league with 68 strikeouts, but he’s also allowed the most hits in the league with 74. 

Mobile: David Holmberg (2-3, 2.57 ERA): Holmberg will be looking for his first victory of the season at Hank Aaron Stadium.  In six home starts, Holmberg is 0-2 with a 3.74 ERA compared to a 2-1 mark with a 1.58 ERA away from home.  Holmberg was marvelous in his last start tossing seven scoreless innings for the win on June 5 in Jacksonville.  His 2.57 ERA is good for 9th in the Southern League and Holmberg has 73.2 innings this season, second most in the league.

LAST TIME OUT: For the second time in the series, the Mobile BayBears walked off with a victory last night as Jon Griffin hit a game-winning RBI single to plate Dustin Martin and give Mobile a 4-3 win.  Kevin Rhoderick took the loss for the second time in the series as well.  The Smokies jumped on top 3-0 behind a strong start from A.J. Morris, but Justin Greene tied the game with one swing of the bat in the bottom of the 6th with a three-run home run.  Offensively, the Smokies were paced by Arismendy Alcantara, Christian Villanueva, and Rafael Lopez, who each had two hits.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: 

Rafael Lopez: After his 2-for-4 performance last night, Lopez has his average up to .271.  This is just the second time he’s had his average over the .270 plateau with the other coming on May 20 when he checked in at .275.

Jonathan Mota: Mota’s RBI single in the second inning of last night’s game extended his hitting streak to six games.  Mota is 9-for-22 (.409) during his six-game hitting streak with two home runs and three RBIs.

Justin Greene: Greene’s three-run home run last night was his first of the season and first since August 18 of last season when he was playing for the Chicago White Sox Triple-A affiliate, the Charlotte Knights.  Despite his lack of power, Greene is still hitting the ball very well with hits in nine of his last ten games.

Jon Griffin: Griffin’s walk-off, RBI single was his only hit last night against the Smokies but far from his only hit in the series.  Griffin has hits in every game in this series so far against Tennessee and has driven in three RBIs.

KEY TO THE GAME: The theme for Alberto Cabrera so far this season has been if he can survive the first couple innings, he will have a quality start.  Cabrera has posted a 4.50 ERA in the first inning and a 6.00 ERA in the second inning in his 12 starts this season.  If he is able to avoid a rocky start in Mobile, the Smokies have a strong chance at finishing the first half with a road record above .500.

TUNE IN: The broadcast will be available on ESPN Radio 106.53 WPFT, WJFC 1480-AM and 102.9 FM radio beginning at 12:45 PM ET with the Pilot & Oscar Mayer Pregame Show. You can also listen to the broadcast in its entirety on smokiesbaseball.com as well as the Smokies mobile app. 

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by | June 10, 2013 · 11:04 am

Game Preview: 6-10 @ Mobile

Jonathan Mota's 11th inning home run was the game-winner for the Smokies last night. Photo Courtesy: Matthew Shalbrack/Tennessee Smokies

Jonathan Mota’s 11th inning home run was the game-winner for the Smokies last night. Photo Courtesy: Matthew Shalbrack/Tennessee Smokies

The Tennessee Smokies (32-30) snapped their four-game losing streak last night and now will look to even up their series against the Mobile BayBears (33-29) in Game 4 of their five-game set.  First pitch is scheduled for 8:05 PM from Hank Aaron Stadium.

WHAT’S AT STAKE: Last night’s win kept the Smokies faint hopes of a first-half title alive.  With Birmingham finishing up their suspended game at 11:30 AM, the Smokies’ fate might already be sealed by first pitch.  Mobile meanwhile is still in a dog fight in the South Division.  Last night’s loss dropped them into a tie for first place.  Mississippi and Jacksonville will finish up suspended games from last night in addition to playing their regularly scheduled games today.

TONIGHT’S STARTERS:

Tennessee: A.J. Morris (2-0, 5.19 ERA): Morris makes his second straight spot start for the Smokies.  Morris pitched well in his start on June 3 against Jackson allowing one run on two hits in 4.2 innings.  On the road this season out of the bullpen, Morris has been sharp.  In nine appearances away from home, Morris has a 3.24 ERA in 16.2 innings compared to an 8.68 ERA at home in 9.1 innings. 

Mobile: Archie Bradley (5-1, 1.13 ERA): Beginning the season as the Diamondbacks #2 prospect according to Baseball America, Bradley has been sensational in 2013 for the BayBears.  After dominating High-A Visalia in five starts with a 2-0 record and a 1.26 ERA, Bradley has put up even better numbers with Mobile.  He has allowed just five runs in 40.2 innings spanning seven starts.  The lone start where he allowed multiple runs was his last start on June 3 in Jacksonville when he surrendered two runs on three hits in six innings and received the win.

LAST TIME OUT: The Smokies were able to bounce back after blowing their late lead as they defeated Mobile 5-3 in 11 innings.  Jonathan Mota hit a go-ahead solo home run in the top of the 11th and Ty Wright followed later in the inning with an RBI double.  Wright entered the game in the later innings on a double switch and was 2-for-2, the only player to collect multiple hits for Tennessee.  Frank Batista (2-2) earned the win pitching a season-high 3.2 innings allowing one run.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: 

Ty Wright: Wright delivered last night for Tennessee after entering the game late on.  In addition to making a start on Saturday, Wright has subbed in as a pinch hitter or in a double switch twice already in the series and in those contests has gone 3-for-3 at the plate.

Hunter Cervenka: After a rough first two outings since his promotion from High-A Daytona, Cervenka has settled in nicely on the mound.  The lefty has not allowed a hit or a run in his last three outings spanning 5.0 innings.

Nick Ahmed: Despite hitting under .200 on the season at .169, Ahmed has been the best hitter for the BayBears in this series.  Ahmed is 5-for-11 with two walks and two doubles against Smokies pitching.

Mike Freeman: Freeman tied the game with an RBI single in the 8th inning last night and went 2-for-5 overall.  Those two hits were his first hits of the series after going 0-for-7 in the first two games.

KEY TO THE GAME: It took them eleven innings to do so, but the Smokies got over the three-run plateau in a game for the first time since their 8-6 win over Jackson on June 4.  While the pitching has been strong, even through the four-game losing streak, the offense has been lacking and in turn, adding pressure on the pitching staff to put up scoreless frames.  The Smokies need to score runs in the early innings in this game, something they haven’t done in this series so far.  Tennessee hasn’t scored a run in the first three innings so far in the series.

TUNE IN: The broadcast will be available on our flagship station, The Sports Animal WNML AM 990 and on FM 99.1 in Knoxville beginning at 7:45 ET with the Pilot & Oscar Mayer Pregame Show. You can also listen to the broadcast in its entirety on smokiesbaseball.com as well as the Smokies mobile app.

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by | June 9, 2013 · 12:11 pm

Game Preview: 6-9 @ Mobile

Rafael Lopez connected with his fourth home run of the season last night. Photo Courtesy: Shari Sommerfeld/MiLB.com

Rafael Lopez connected with his fourth home run of the season last night. Photo Courtesy: Shari Sommerfeld/MiLB.com

After falling in extra innings last night, the Tennessee Smokies (31-30) will look to snap their four-game losing streak against the first-place Mobile BayBears (33-28) in the middle game of their five-game series.  First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 PM from Hank Aaron Stadium.

WHAT’S AT STAKE: The Smokies face the brink of elimination in the first half race in the North Division.  With Birmingham’s magic number sitting at just one, a Barons win or a Smokies loss would clinch the first half title for Birmingham.  For the BayBears, they now sit in first place by a half game in the South Division.  Four teams are separated by just one game for first place in a heated division race.

TONIGHT’S STARTERS:

Tennessee: Yeiper Castillo (0-1, 6.32 ERA): Castillo makes his fourth start for the Smokies and second away from home.  After a strong debut allowing just one run, Castillo has struggled in his last two outings.  On June 4 against Jackson, Castillo allowed six runs on six hits in six innings of work and did not factor in the decision.  It was Castillo’s lone road start with the Smokies where he took his loss.  He surrendered four earned runs in 3.2 innings back on May 29 in Birmingham against the Barons. 

Mobile: Andrew Chafin (2-4, 2.63 ERA): Chafin began the season with the High-A Visalia Rawhide posting a 3-1 record with a 4.65 ERA in six starts.  He was promoted to Mobile at the beginning of May and hasn’t looked back since putting up far better numbers.  Chafin has allowed one run in four of his six starts with the BayBears and has gone at least six innings in every one of his starts.  Chafin had his longest outing in his last start pitching 7.2 innings for the win in Jacksonville on June 2nd yielding one run on five hits with four strikeouts.

LAST TIME OUT: The Smokies were involved in a pitcher’s duel last night that required extra innings.  In the bottom of the 10th, Justin Greene was hit by a Kevin Rhoderick pitch with the bases loaded to force in the game-winning run as the BayBears snuck by the Smokies 3-2.   After a Rafael Lopez two-run homer put Tennessee in front in the top of the 7th, Greene tied the game in the bottom of the 8th with an RBI single that plated Ender Inciarte.  Kyle Hendricks received the no decision but pitched well allowing one run on four hits in six innings of work.

WEARY TRAVELERS DOWN SOUTH: Dating back to the series in Mississippi at the beginning of May, the Smokies have lost five straight road games to teams in the South Division.  Overall, Tennessee is 8-13 against teams in the South Division this season including a 3-9 clip on the road.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: 

Zach Rosscup: For the first time since May 14, Zach Rosscup allowed an earned run last night in the Smokies 3-2 defeat.  The run was just the fourth earned run that Rosscup has allowed on the season.  The last two runs that Rosscup has allowed have resulted in blown save opportunities.

Christian Villanueva: Villanueva was 2-for-4 last night including his league-leading 19th double of the season.  The Smokies third baseman is also tied for first in the Southern League with 26 extra-base hits on the year.

Justin Greene: After tying the game in the 8th inning last night and winning it in the 10th with a hit by pitch, it’s hard not to talk about the play of Justin Greene.  His hitting streak now stands at eight games and he has multi-hit contests in five of them.

Ender Inciarte: The BayBears leadoff man reached base three times in four plate appearances last night including two hits.  So far in the series, Inciarte is 3-for-7 with a walk and two runs scored.

KEY TO THE GAME: The biggest positive for the Smokies last night was that they got into Mobile’s bullpen early due to Bo Schultz’s spot start.  The BayBears used six pitchers in last night’s extra-inning affair and could be shorthanded for tonight’s game.  It will be important for the Smokies to take pitches and work counts against starter Andrew Chafin to make him work as much as possible in the early stages of the game.

TUNE IN: The broadcast will be available on our flagship station, The Sports Animal WNML AM 990 and on FM 99.1 in Knoxville beginning at 5:45 ET with the Pilot & Oscar Mayer Pregame Show. You can also listen to the broadcast in its entirety on smokiesbaseball.com as well as the Smokies mobile app.

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by | June 8, 2013 · 1:45 pm

Game Preview: 6-8 @ Mobile

Kyle Hendricks puts his five-game winning streak on the line tonight in Mobile. Photo Courtesy: Matthew Shalbrack

Kyle Hendricks puts his five-game winning streak on the line tonight in Mobile. Photo Courtesy: Matthew Shalbrack

Looking to snap a three-game losing streak, the Tennessee Smokies (31-29) will take on the Mobile BayBears (32-28) in Game 2 of their five-game series.  First pitch is scheduled for 8:05 PM from Hank Aaron Stadium.

WHAT’S AT STAKE: The Smokies didn’t lose any ground in the North Division last night, but their loss moved Birmingham’s magic number to four.  With nine games to go in the first half, the Smokies need everything to go their way the rest of the first half and that still might not be enough for them to overtake the Barons.  For the BayBears, their win helped them keep pace in the South Division and they remain a half game behind the Mississippi Braves for first place in the South Division.

TONIGHT’S STARTERS:

Tennessee: Kyle Hendricks (6-2, 2.20 ERA): Arguably the hottest pitcher in the Southern League, Kyle Hendricks will look to play stopper tonight for the Smokies.  Hendricks has won his last five starts and was named the Cubs Minor League Pitcher of the Month for May.  In his last start, Hendricks fired a seven-inning, complete game shutout over the Jackson Generals on June 3.  Hendricks has gone at least six innings in each of his last five starts and his 2.20 ERA is third best in the Southern League.  He also ranks fifth in WHIP (1.09), first in lowest walks per nine innings (1.93), and fourth in fewest baserunners per nine innings (9.92). 

Mobile: Bo Schultz (1-0, 0.00 ERA): Schultz will be making his first start of the season for Mobile after four relief appearances in April.  After those appearances, Schultz was promoted to Triple-A Reno where he made 17 relief appearances and was 0-2 with a 5.49 ERA.  This start will the Schultz’s first since he was a member of the Arizona League Athletics in 2008.

LAST TIME OUT: The Smokies were put behind the eight ball right away last night as the BayBears scored three times off Austin Kirk in the first inning en route to a 6-1 victory.  Bradin Hagens (7-3) tossed six innings of one-run baseball for his seventh win of the season while Austin Kirk (0-1) lost his Smokies debut in 2013 allowing six runs in six innings.  Nick Evans hit his team-best 8th home run of the season for Mobile while the Smokies lone run was courtesy of Jonathan Mota’s third home run of the year.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: 

Jonathan Mota: After seeing his average fall below .200, Mota has pulled himself out of his slump and has hit safely in three straight games.  Before that streak, Mota had gone hitless in the previous four games and six of the previous seven.

Ronald Torreyes: Torreyes was 1-for-4 in last night’s defeat and has hits in seven of his last eight games.  The Smokies second baseman is 8 for his last 18 (.444) in his last five and along with leadoff man Matt Szczur, has been all over the base paths as of late.

Justin Greene: Greene was 2-for-3 last night to continue his red-hot tear.  Greene has hit safely in seven straight games and his hitting an eye-popping .522 (12-for-23) in his last five games.

Raywilly Gomez: The BayBears backstop was another player who had a multi-hit game last night going 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs.  Gomez has had a very solid year behind the plate for Mobile hitting .296 and has a four-game hitting streak.

KEY TO THE GAME: With Schultz making his first start of the season, odds are he won’t be pitching deep into the game.  The earlier the Smokies get to Schultz, the earlier the BayBears will have to get into their bullpen, which could have an effect on the rest of the series.  During Kyle Hendricks’ five-game winning streak, the Smokies have not needed to provide much run support with five runs being the most they have scored in a game during that time span.  If they can get to four runs tonight, they have a good chance of emerging victorious.

TUNE IN: The broadcast will be available on our flagship station, The Sports Animal WNML AM 990 and on FM 99.1 in Knoxville beginning at 7:45 ET with the Pilot & Oscar Mayer Pregame Show. You can also listen to the broadcast in its entirety on smokiesbaseball.com as well as the Smokies mobile app.

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by | June 6, 2013 · 9:47 am

Game Preview: 6-6 Doubleheader v. Jackson

Alberto Cabrera ranks third in the Southern League with 66 strikeouts. Photo Courtesy: Roger C. Hoover

Alberto Cabrera ranks third in the Southern League with 66 strikeouts. Photo Courtesy: Roger C. Hoover

Riding a three-game winning streak, The Tennessee Smokies (31-26) will play their second doubleheader of the series as they finish up against the Jackson Generals (23-31). First pitch for Game 1 is slated for 12:00 PM ET from Smokies Park.

WHAT’S AT STAKE: The Smokies finally got to five games over .500 after failing in their seven previous attempts.  They also gained a game on first-place Birmingham Tuesday night and now are 5.5 games back with 12 to play in the Southern League’s North Division.  The hill is steep to climb, but the Smokies are still not out of the first-half race.

TODAY’S STARTERS:

GAME 1 

Jackson: Anthony Fernandez (2-1, 6.83 ERA): The Generals lefty is making his seventh start of the season and second against the Smokies.  On May 16 against Tennessee, Fernandez was tagged for four runs on five hits including two home runs but did not factor in the decision.  Fernandez was touched up in his last start as well against Huntsville on May 29 allowing four runs on five hits in 4.2 innings for the loss.

Tennessee: Alberto Cabrera (5-2, 3.70 ERA): Cabrera got back in the win column in his last start on May 30 in Birmingham yielding one run on six hits in six innings.  The Smokies righty has been dominant on the road this season going 4-0 with a 1.89 ERA, but he has struggled at Smokies Park.  In five starts at home in 2013, Cabrera is 1-2 with a 6.18 ERA.  Cabrera pitched well in his lone start against the Generals on May 14 allowing one run on five hits with seven strikeouts in seven innings but did not factor in the decision.  His 66 strikeouts are third most in the Southern League.

GAME 2 

Jackson: Roenis Elias (2-5, 3.21 ERA): Like most pitchers on the Jackson staff, Elias has good numbers this season despite a losing record.  He is winless in his last four starts (0-3) despite allowing just nine earned runs in 25 total innings (3.24 ERA).  One of those starts was against the Smokies on May 12 when he allowed two earned runs (five total runs) on nine hits in seven innings of work and took the loss.  

Tennessee: Eric Jokisch (4-4, 4.05 ERA): Today’s start will be the third doubleheader that Jokisch has taken part in this season.  On April 29, Jokisch took the loss against Pensacola allowing three runs in five innings.  He also started Game 2 of a doubleheader in Chattanooga on May 20 earning a no decision despite firing six scoreless innings.  In his lone start against the Generals this season, Jokisch also did not factor in the decision has he allowed two earned runs on seven hits over 6.2 innings.  In day starts this season, Jokisch has fared well with a 2-1 record and a 2.70 ERA in four starts. 

LAST TIME OUT: Tennessee held on to win a back-and-forth affair Tuesday night over Jackson 8-6 to move within 5.5 games of first place.  The Smokies scored four times in the second inning to move ahead 4-1, but fell behind 6-4 after four innings when James Jones hit a three-run home run in the top of the 4th.  After Ty Wright brought Tennessee within a run in the 5th with a solo shot, the Smokies regained the lead for good with three runs in the bottom of the 7th inning.  Chad Noble collected the first four hit of his career and Matt Szczur went 3-for-5 with three RBIs.  Frank Batista recorded the final four outs for his team-best 8th save of the season.

JACKSON HAILS SZCZUR: After three more hits Tuesday night, Matt Szczur’s mastery of Generals pitching continued.  Szczur is 14-for-34 (.412) in the eight games played against Jackson including four runs and six RBIs.

RAIN, RAIN, GO AWAY: The Jackson Generals have not been able to avoid rain clouds this past week.  Dating back to last Friday, the Generals have had two postponed games and two cancelled games due to inclement weather.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: 

Ty Wright: Wright pounded out two hits in Tuesday night’s victory including a solo home run, his third of the season.  All three of Wright’s home runs have come against the Jackson Generals.  The other two came in one game on May 16.

Arismendy Alcantara: The Smokies shortstop went 3-for-5 Tuesday night to extend his hitting streak to four games.  Overall, Alcantara has hits in 12 of his last 13 games and 17 of his last 20.

James Jones: Jones’ one hit Tuesday night was a three-run home run, his third of the season.  He has put together a solid season so far but has struggled against Tennessee.  In eight games, Jones is hitting just .192 (5-for-26) against the Smokies.

Steven Proscia: No hitter in the Jackson Generals lineup has struggled more against Tennessee Smokies’ pitching than Steven Proscia.  Proscia has hits in his last two games, but is still just 2-for-23 with ten strikeouts against the Smokies in 2013.

KEY TO THE GAME: 

GAME 1: The Smokies have been excellent this season against Jackson at scoring first and getting out to early leads.  Generals’ starter Anthony Fernandez has had his greatest struggles this season in the first inning.  He has allowed seven earned runs including two home runs and sports a 10.80 ERA in the first innings of his starts this season.

GAME 2: Jokisch has had his problems against left-handed batters this season.  Lefties are hitting .333 against Jokisch with two home runs in 2013 and Jackson has a few left-handed batters that could cause him problems in Julio Morban, James Jones and Leon Landry.  Jokisch will need to have a sharp curveball to keep Jackson’s left-handed hitters off balance.

TUNE IN: The broadcast will be available on ESPN Radio 106.53 WPFT, WJFC 1480-AM and 102.9 FM radio beginning at 11:30 AM ET with the Pilot & Oscar Mayer Pregame Show. You can also listen to the broadcast in its entirety on smokiesbaseball.com as well as the Smokies mobile app. 

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by | June 5, 2013 · 11:53 am

Game Preview: 6-5 v. Jackson

Chad Noble collected four hits last night for the first time in his minor league career. Photo Courtesy: Matthew Shalbrack/Tennessee Smokies

Chad Noble collected four hits last night for the first time in his minor league career. Photo Courtesy: Matthew Shalbrack/Tennessee Smokies

Riding a three-game winning streak, The Tennessee Smokies (31-26) will look to make it four in a row tonight as they play the fourth game of their five-game series against the Jackson Generals (23-31). First pitch for is slated for 7:15 PM ET from Smokies Park.

WHAT’S AT STAKE: The Smokies finally got to five games over .500 after failing in their seven previous attempts.  They also gained a game on first-place Birmingham last night and now are 5.5 games back with 12 to play in the Southern League’s North Division.  The hill is steep to climb, but the Smokies are still not out of the first-half race.

TONIGHT’S STARTERS:

Jackson: Anthony Fernandez (2-1, 6.83 ERA): The Generals lefty is making his seventh start of the season and second against the Smokies.  On May 16 against Tennessee, Fernandez was tagged for four runs on five hits including two home runs but did not factor in the decision.  Fernandez was touched up in his last start as well against Huntsville on May 29 allowing four runs on five hits in 4.2 innings for the loss.

Tennessee: Alberto Cabrera (5-2, 3.70 ERA): Cabrera got back in the win column in his last start on May 30 in Birmingham yielding one run on six hits in six innings.  The Smokies righty has been dominant on the road this season going 4-0 with a 1.89 ERA, but he has struggled at Smokies Park.  In five starts at home in 2013, Cabrera is 1-2 with a 6.18 ERA.  Cabrera pitched well in his lone start against the Generals on May 14 allowing one run on five hits with seven strikeouts in seven innings but did not factor in the decision.  His 66 strikeouts are third most in the Southern League.

LAST TIME OUT: Tennessee held on to win a back-and-forth affair last night over Jackson 8-6 to move within 5.5 games of first place.  The Smokies scored four times in the second inning to move ahead 4-1, but fell behind 6-4 after four innings when James Jones hit a three-run home run in the top of the 4th.  After Ty Wright brought Tennessee within a run in the 5th with a solo shot, the Smokies regained the lead for good with three runs in the bottom of the 7th inning.  Chad Noble collected the first four hit of his career and Matt Szczur went 3-for-5 with three RBIs.  Frank Batista recorded the final four outs for his team-best 8th save of the season.

JACKSON HAILS SZCZUR: After three more hits last night, Matt Szczur’s mastery of Generals pitching continued.  Szczur is 14-for-34 (.412) in the eight games played against Jackson including four runs and six RBIs.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: 

Ty Wright: Wright pounded out two hits in last night’s victory including a solo home run, his third of the season.  All three of Wright’s home runs have come against the Jackson Generals.  The other two came in one game on May 16.

Arismendy Alcantara: The Smokies shortstop went 3-for-5 last night to extend his hitting streak to four games.  Overall, Alcantara has hits in 12 of his last 13 games and 17 of his last 20.

James Jones: Jones’ one hit last night was a three-run home run, his third of the season.  He has put together a solid season so far but has struggled against Tennessee.  In eight games, Jones is hitting just .192 (5-for-26) against the Smokies.

Steven Proscia: No hitter in the Jackson Generals lineup has struggled more against Tennessee Smokies’ pitching than Steven Proscia.  Proscia has hits in his last two games, but is still just 2-for-23 with ten strikeouts against the Smokies in 2013.

KEY TO THE GAME: The Smokies have been excellent this season against Jackson at scoring first and getting out to early leads.  Generals’ starter Anthony Fernandez has had his greatest struggles this season in the first inning.  He has allowed seven earned runs including two home runs and sports a 10.80 ERA in the first innings of his starts this season.

TUNE IN: The broadcast will be available on our flagship station, The Sports Animal WNML AM 990 and on FM 99.1 in Knoxville beginning at 7:00 ET with the Pilot & Oscar Mayer Pregame Show. You can also listen to the broadcast in its entirety on smokiesbaseball.com as well as the Smokies mobile app. 

To stay current with all the latest news, follow Smokies on Radio on Twitter and like the Smokies on Radio Facebook page. 

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