After winning three of six games versus the Montgomery Biscuits across their most recent homestand, the Birmingham Barons hit the road on August 31 for a seven-game series with the Chattanooga Lookouts. The Barons have had the Lookouts’ number for the majority of the 2021 MiLB season. Between the dates of July 20 and August 15, Birmingham and Chattanooga faced off eleven times, with the Barons emerging victorious in nine of these eleven matchups.
Birmingham entered this series with a three-game lead over Chattanooga for the top seed in the Double-A South North Division. However, with the regular season winding down and the playoffs right around the corner, the Lookouts stepped up and stunned the Barons by stealing five of seven contests to come within striking distance of the top seed in the North Division.
DIFFICULT WEEK
It was a tough week for the Barons on offense, as the squad would only score 23 total runs across seven games. However, strong performances from Carlos Perez and Lenyn Sosa helped keep the Barons afloat.
Perez batted 11-for-28 across seven appearances, and his best performance of the series came in game five on September 4. The 24-year-old catcher would finish 4-for-4 at the plate with one home run and two RBIs. Lenyn Sosa had a strong series as well, batting 8-for-24 while recording multiple hits in three of seven games.
Tyler Neslony also returned from injury on September 1 and provided an offensive boost for the Barons. The 27-year-old left fielder finished 4-for-13 at the plate across five games, while accumulating three walks and a home run along the way.
Although Birmingham lost five of seven games versus Chattanooga, this series was still very competitive. Of course, the Barons only scored 23 total runs, but it must be mentioned that the Lookouts only scored 24. Strong performances from the Barons’ bullpen gave the team a chance to win nearly every game, but the offense simply failed to capitalize.
SOLID PITCHING, LESS OFFENSE
On three different nights, the Barons would allow only three runs. However, they would go on to lose each of these three games. In the opening game of the series, Ofreidy Gomez pitched two innings and allowed three earned runs, but relievers Andrew Perez and Declan Cronin went on to shut down Chattanooga for the remainder of the contest. Despite this, Birmingham would lose by a score of 3-2.
The next day, Birmingham would fall again, this time by a score of 3-1. Blake Battenfield took the loss on the mound for the Barons, allowing three earned runs across five innings. Relievers Caleb Freeman and Zach Muckenhirn would shut out the Lookouts across the final three innings, but to no avail, as Birmingham would inevitably lose again.
Missed opportunities on offense plagued the Barons this series, as the team would lose three separate contests by a single run. Johan Dominguez took the loss on the mound for Birmingham in the final game of the series, despite allowing only two earned runs across six innings, and Jason Bilous also took a tough loss on the mound in game four. The final scores of these games were 3-2 and 4-3, respectively.
Moving on to Birmingham’s winning pitchers, starter Davis Martin would throw a gem in the fifth game of this series. The 24-year old left hander pitched five innings and allowed only one hit, which helped the Barons cruise to a 6-0 victory. Alec Hansen would close the game for Birmingham, striking out four batters and allowing only one hit across two innings.
In game six, reliever Jake Elliott would earn the win on the mound for Birmingham despite allowing two earned runs. Reliever Brian Glowicki would record the hold, and Zach Muckenhirn would earn the save. Birmingham would go on to win 6-4.
POSITIVES
It was a tough week for the Barons on offense, but at least there are a few positive takeaways. The defense kept Chattanooga’s offense at bay, the bullpen looked sharp, and minor league veterans like Carlos Perez and Tyler Neslony are doing what they can to give this team a fighting chance, night after night.
Despite losing this series, Birmingham is still tied for the top spot in the competitive Double-A South North Division. The Barons are certainly fighting an uphill battle, as many of their top performers throughout the season such as Romy Gonzalez, Kade McClure, and John Parke have been moved up to the Chicago White Sox and Triple-A Charlotte Knights.
Regardless, this team continues to fight, and thanks to their 56-52 record, they still have a real shot at securing the best record in their division. If the offense starts showing up and the defense continues keeping games close, the Barons winning the Double-A South North Division is a real possibility.
On September 7, the Barons return home for a six-game series versus the Rocket City Trash Pandas, who are currently tied with Birmingham at the top of the standings. This is, without a doubt, the Barons’ most important series of the season.
Game one will be on September 7 at 7:05 PM CT at Regions Field.
Photo credit: Caleb Probst/FutureSox
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