Smokies Smoke Barons

A 7-run 3rd inning helped pave the way for the Tennessee Smokies (Diamondbacks) to blast the Birmingham Barons (White Sox) 15-2 in Southern League contest that was the biggest blowout in the minors Friday night.

Down 1-0 in the bottom of the second, Tennessee tied the game on a hit batsman and back-to-back singles. The Smokes took the lead in the 3rd and never looked back.

With one out, SS Alberto Gonzalez singled, then RF Jesus Cota singled, moving Gonzalez to third. 1B James D'Antona singled to right, scoring Gonzalez and moving Cota to second. 3B Agustin Murillo was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Cota scored on a passed ball by Baron's C Gustavo Molina. LF Mark Reynolds drove in D'Antona and Murillo with a single to to left. C Phil Avlas singled, moving Reynolds to second. DH Alex Frazier then hit his 6th home run, making the score 8-1.

In the 4th, Cota hit a 2-run homer, and Alex Frazier singled in Agustin Murillo to make it 11-1.

Barons 3B Micah Schnurstein hit a solo home run to make it 8-2, but that's as close as they would get.

A Mark Reynolds home run and Alberto Gonzalez's bases-loaded single scored Phil Avlas and CF Steve Garrabrants in the 6th made it 14-2. In the 7th, Mark Reynolds singled, then scored on an error by Barons RF Thomas Collaro, making it 15-2.

The Smokies pounded out 20 hits en route to the victory. Jesus Cota had 5 of the hits in 6 at-bats, including a double and a home run. Mark Reynolds was 3-for-3 with a homer and 3 RBIs. Also with three hits were Alberto Gonzalez, Phil Avlas, and Alex Frazier.

[wrapup: Smokies, MiLB]