Biscuits Beat Braves In First Homestand

There is a lot to cover, and I have a thousand pictures to edit. Literally, over a thousand shots all told. I took a ton more photos than usual since I have a new lens and want to learn it quickly, plus I occasionally toss a few shots to other places where they get appreciated. I went from zero to a thousand in just five days, so I will have to spend a few days sifting through them all to see what we have!

Enough about me, lets have Biscuits!

The Skitz came home to a nice crowd, happy to see the new squad after getting a taste of the postseason last fall. Optimism is always high on opening night and this was no exception. A slow start in the first away series seemed miles away when the home team took the field at Riverwalk.

And indeed, a new season at home began with a great series vs the Braves.

GAME ONE
After the pregame festivities and introductions, the Biscuits went to work.

Hu on the hill

ChiWei Hu pitched the home opener and was basically brilliant for his four innings. He pitched in traffic, allowing lots of baserunners on five hits and walking one, but struck out eight.

The Biscuit offense was opened in the third courtesy of a Jake Hager triple that drove home a pair.

In the fourth frame Montgomery struck again, pounding four runs across the plate, capped by a Jake Hager double for two more RBI.

Hager over Albies

The Biscuit Bullpen was handed a six run lead and had little problems holding the Braves down to a dull roar.

Jared Mortensen and his knuckleball picked up the win and had hitters mystified. Steve Ascher gave up the pair of runs on three hits in one inning, Parker Markel tossed a clean ninth to end the game.



GAME TWO
Day game. Not usually my fave but I took it in and was glad I did. Jacob Faria led the Biscuits in a lunchtime tilt in front of four thousand schoolkids.

I noted in the blog that Faria had not started a day game in over a year and had only a handful of them in his pro career. Jacob probably would take a day game start every time out, pitching a solid seven innings with seven strikeouts and allowed just one run to score.

The Biscuit offense was started by a JuneQ sac fly in the second inning.

Field warms up the throwing arm

Play of the game, maybe the series was when RF Johnny Field hit the cutoff man and Tommy Coyle's strong relay throw was on the mark at third base to end the fourth inning. A run scored to tie the game but the defensive fundamentals kept the Biscuits from giving up the lead.

Kean Wong drove in Marjama in the sixth inning to put the Biscuits back on top. In the eighth inning the Braves tied the game on a Jordy Lara solo homer.

It looked like we might be headed to extra innings until the bottom of the ninth when the Biscuits loaded the bases with two singles and a walk. Braxton Lee then took four straight balls to walk off with a walk.


GAME THREE

Taylor Guerrieri

Starter Taylor Guerrieri looked smooth in five innings, striking out three Braves and allowing just a pair of runs in the first frame.

The Braves prospect pitcher Sean Newcombe was tough as advertised, allowing just one run and striking out four.

The Biscuits offense was started with a Mike Marjama RBI single in the second inning, and it looked like a pitchers duel was on.


However once the bullpens took over, the Biscuits were on the better end of things. Marshall, Kolarek and Schreiber combined for four innings, one hit, one run and five K's. Adam Kolarek pitched around a walk by striking out three.

The game changed in the sixth, Willy Adames decided it was time to hit his first homer of the year, which tied the game.

Granden Goetzman

Later in the inning Granden Goetzman doubled in a pair of runs.
Not content with that, GG then scored himself by stealing third base and jogging home when the throw went into left field, putting the Skitz up 5-2. Each team would add another run but the Biscuits put the W in their basket.


GAME FOUR
Mississippi said "Enough is enough" and let out their frustration by hammering the Biscuits.

No matter who the Skitz sent to the hill, the Braves hitters were relentless. Stanek started, followed by Buddy Borden and Steve Ascher but it could have been Jesus-Moses-Mohammed - they would have given up runs.

The Biscuits got RBIs from Kean Wong and Jake Bauers when Montgomery scored twice in the 6th.

It wasn't enough. The Braves won 9-2.


GAME FIVE
 Chris Kirsch makes every start like Kirschmas and this time we got five great innings from the Lackawanna Lefty. One walk and six hits kept Chris pitching in traffic but he worked out of it with little damage.

Field prepares to launch grand slam

Jake Bauers homerun tied the game in the fourth inning. The Biscuits delivered the knockout punch in the 7th inning with a Johnny Field grand slam.

Jared Mortensen used a knuckler-fastball combo to earn his second victory of the series and the season. Markel was on top of the ninth to shut the door and the Biscuits claimed another W.



BACK ON THE BISCUIT BUS

Now its off to face the Cubs affiliate Smokies. Back to Tennessee!
I usually have more on the road matchups, but I have a TON of pics to edit, so I will try to post again in the middle of the series.