Mobile BayBears Double Up the Bumbling Birmingham Barons 4-2
Thursday, May 1, 2008 at 04:24PM MLN Newswire - www.mlntherawfeed.com – HOOVER, Ala. - Early run support and poor defense by the Birmingham Barons led to the BayBears collecting a 4-2 victory at Regions Park.
Brooks Brown (2-3) worked 5.1 innings and struck out six batters while surrendering just two runs on four hits. Brown was given the advantage in the second inning as Rusty Ryal singled to start the frame and took second after Frank Curreri was hit by a pitch. After a fly out pushed Ryal to third, Orlando Mercado's sac fly scored Ryal, while Curreri took second on an overthrow by left fielder Stefan Gartrell. Curreri later scored on a base hit by Chris Rahl to make it 2-0 BayBears (13-13).
In the fifth, Rahl doubled past a diving David Cook in right-center and scored on an error by third baseman Javier Castillo. Virtually the same thing happened in the sixth as Ryal tripled past a diving Cook and scored on a hit by Curreri to give the BayBears a 4-0 lead.
ADVERTISEMENT Birmingham (14-12) made it close by scoring twice in the sixth, but the BayBears' bullpen was up to the challenge of preserving the lead as A.J. Shappi and Reid Mahon (S, 6) combined to get the final 11 outs without giving up another tally.
Tony Barnette (1-3, 6.38) works for the BayBears on Thursday night at 7:05 p.m. as the BayBears look to get into a first-place tie with the Barons. The BayBears return home on Saturday, May 10, when they host the Jacksonville Suns at 7:05 p.m. at Hank Aaron Stadium.
BEAR CLAWS
Former BayBear Max Scherzer made his MLB debut for the Diamondbacks on Tuesday night and worked 4.1 innings while striking out seven and not allowing a base hit.
This was the first game that the BayBears have scored with Brown on the mound since April 9.
The BayBears improved to 5-2 against left-handed starters as Clayton Richard (2-4) suffered the loss.
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