Smokies cruise to 9-2 win in all-around offensive outburst

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.  – The Tennessee Smokies (35-21, 69-56) scored at least one run in six separate innings en route to a 9-2 win over the Birmingham Barons (27-30, 71-56) Monday night at Regions Field. Six Smokies’ hitters notched a multi-hit game and every starter tallied a base knock as Tennessee cranked out 17 hits.

For the second straight night, Tennessee plated the game’s first run. Justin Bour extended his hitting streak to nine games with a double to right field to start the second stanza. The first basemen moved to third base on a fly out. Outfielder Rubi Silva ripped a ball over the center fielder’s head to score Bour as Silva sprinted to third base with his eighth triple of the season.

The Smokies were at it again in the top of the third inning. After the first two men were retired, Matt Szczur singled on a swinging bunt up the third base line. Arismendy Alcantara doubled to the gap in right field. With Szczur trying to score, first basemen Dan Black sailed a ball over the catcher’s head and into the Tennessee dugout that allowed Alcantara to cross the plate and extend the lead to 3-0.

Three consecutive singles by Silva, John Andreoli and Brett Jackson in the top of the fourth plated two more runs for the Smokies as the visiting team surged to a 5-0 advantage.

In the home half of the fourth inning, Barons’ outfielder Trayce Thompson launched a 2-2 offering from Smokies’ starter Dae-Eun Rhee well over the fence in left center field to put Birmingham on the board cutting the Tennessee lead to four.

Tennessee scored for the fourth time in as many innings in the top of the fifth. With two outs, Christian Villanueva singled to right. Silva followed with his third hit of the night, a double, to bring home the Smokies’ sixth run of the night.

Szczur smacked a two-out, two-bagger with two men down in the sixth inning and came home to score on a wild pitch. Alcantara followed with his first home run since July 10 to extend the lead to 8-1.

Birmingham scored its second run of the game in the sixth on an RBI single from Black to make the score 8-2.

The Smokies tacked on another run in the ninth inning as Rafael Lopez extended his consecutive on-base streak to 20 games with an RBI single that scored Silva.

Rhee (5-1, 3.49) worked a season-high seven innings allowing two earned runs on three hits, one walk, and three strikeouts.

Silva and Javier Baez tallied three hits, while Szczur, Alcantara, Bour and Andreoli notched a pair of base knocks.

Tennessee will look to make it five straight wins against its North Division rival tomorrow evening at 8:05 p.m. EST. Right-hander Nick Struck (0-1, 5.91) will make his third straight for the Smokies this season opposing Barons’ southpaw Jarrett Casey (0-0, 9.82).

AUDIO RECAP  SMOKIES  9  Barons  2

To stay current with all the latest news, follow Smokies on Radio on Twitter and like the Smokies on Radio Facebook page. Michael Wottreng is a Broadcast and Multimedia Assistant for the Smokies Radio Network. You can follow Michael on Twitter here: @MWottreng