Tennessee Clobbers Lookouts Monday, 13-3.

The Chattanooga Lookouts led 3-2 heading into the fourth inning, but the Tennessee Smokies scored 11 unanswered runs en route to a 13-3 victory Monday night before a large crowd of over 5,300 at AT&T Field. 

With the victory, the Smokies improve their record to 28-23 on the season. Chattanooga's loss drops them to 29-20 on the 2015 campaign. Tennessee's win pulls them to within two games of the Lookouts for first place in the Southern League North Division. The Lookouts have lost four out of their last five games - all at home.

Already down two runs entering the bottom of the first inning, top prospect Miguel Sano blasted a shot over the scoreboard for his 10th homer of the year.

The home run brought home Byron Buxton who led off with a single. 

Tied at two Chattanooga took the lead in the third. The inning began on a Heiker Meneses single. Meneses advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored later in the inning on Jeffry Antigua's (W, 3-2) second wild pitch of the inning. 

Leading by a run entering the seventh, the Smokies' bats exploded for nine runs, bringing 18 batters to the plate, on just six hits, as Tennessee captured the first game of a crucial three-game series in Chattanooga.  

Tennessee rallied back to regain the advantage in the top of the fourth. Ryan Dent walked and Stephen Bruno reached on a bunt single to start the inning. After Dent moved to third on a fly out,  Anthony Giansanti knotted the game up at three on a RBI single to short. Following a sacrifice bunt by Soto and a walk to Almora Jr., Kyle Schwarber gave the Smokies the lead without taking the bat off his shoulder. The former first-round pick walked on five pitches, allowing Bruno to score, as Tennessee jumped in front, 4-3.

The score remained that way until the seventh inning when the Smokies' bats incinerated the Lookouts pitching. Contreras started the onslaught by reaching on an error and moved to third on a double off the bat of McKinney. After Dent was plunked with a pitch to load the bases, Bruno walked to force home another run, making it 5-3, Smokies. 

Immediately following Jacob Hannemann's sacrifice fly to center, which stretched the lead to 6-3, Chattanooga's defense failed them. Giansanti lofted a fly ball to right, which should have ended the frame, but the ball was dropped. Dent scurried around to score, as Giansanti and Bruno moved up to second and third, making it 7-3, Tennessee. The Smokies were not done, as Soto walked to re-load the bases and Bruno crossed the plate on a wild pitch, making it 8-3. When it was all said and done, the Smokies brought nine to the plate and put across four runs on just one hit and two errors.

The Smokies continued the offensive attack against the Lookouts in the top of the eighth. Schwarber and Contreras ignited the next spark with a pair of singles and McKinney followed suit with a walk. With the bases full, Dent roped a RBI single to center to extend the advantage to 9-3. Bruno then put the game out of reach, as the former Virginia Cavalier cranked a double down the left field line. Contreras and McKinney came across to score, as the two-run, two-bagger made it 11-3, Smokies. 

Tennessee would push the lead to a cool ten, at 13-3, in the frame on a RBI single by Giansanti and a run-scoring fielder's choice off the bat of Soto. In the eighth, the Smokies tallied five runs on five hits, brining nine men to the plate, yet again.

Lost in the shuffle was a fantastic effort by Tennessee starter Jeffry Antigua. The Dominican southpaw punched out a season-high seven batters and collected his third victory of the season.

Winning pitcher, Jeffry Antigua.

Tennessee's bullpen was also spectacular. Despite allowing six Lookouts to reach base, the trio of Stephen Perakslis, Starling Peralta and Michael Wagner  combined to shutout the vaunted Chattanooga offense over the game's final 3.2 innings.

Chattanooga's David Hurlbut did not fair well in his second Southern League start. The southpaw was battered for four runs on four hits and issued five walks. In all, Chattanooga's pitching staff yielded 11 free passes to Tennessee batters, including two with the bases loaded.

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Game two of the three-game series is set for Tuesday at 7:15 p.m with gates opening at 6:00 p.m.

RHP Alex Wimmers (2-0, 5.54) will look to claim his third win of the year and will start against RHP Frank Batista (5-1, 1.51).