Birmingham attack falls flat while cookies take series opener, 2-1

Montgomery Biscuits 2, Birmingham Barons 1
The Birmingham Barons reached the Southern League championship in back-to-back seasons and organized the opener of a three-game set against the Montgomery cookies, the Tampa Bay Rays Double-a affiliate. The cookies ended the season 78-60, capturing the Southern League South Division with four games with a +38 Run differential, but still three behind Birmingham for the general competition.

Righthander Connor McCullough had the start after a solid season where he placed a 3.43 ERA in 42 innings (13 starts). Although he hit three in his three frames, he allowed two points to three hits and ended with the loss. All problems for McCullough then took the cookies an early lead at the top of the second: a leadoff triple turned into two points of an RBI ground and a base hit the middle.

Losing Gladney, 4-out-13 with a triple and three RBIs in the opening playoff series, is a serious blow. Remember that a year ago it was his single backup from the middle who gave the barons a walk-off Southern League title.

The bullpen was sharp for the remaining six innings and only allowed one hit, ran three and threw three. Andrew Dalquist was the first from the pen and threw in 1/3 innings, good for two of the three walks and one of the strikeouts. LEFTHANDER Jake Palisch was tagged for a hit, but also hit one in his two frames and everyone else could close Montgomery. But hitting the barons was at his best incoherent and set only one point.

Birmingham hit 0-out-5 with runners in a score position and left behind as a team. In fact, the barons never sent more than four batters to the plate in a collection, allergic allergic to bringing more than one hit together. William Bergolla accused 60% of the hits while struck 3-out-4 with a stolen base, and Rikuu Nishida hit once in the fifth. The only run for the barons was scored in the sixth on a solo bomb by Ryan Galanie to cut the lead in half, 2-1.

Although they were in Magic City, the Barons could not evoke magic on Sunday. They will have to extend the best-of-three series on Tuesday with a victory at Montgomery.