Shannon Wilkerson was perfect at the plate going 3-for-3.
photo by Tim Evearitt
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Lookouts and pitching duo of Jason Wheeler and Nick Burdi shut out the Barons Friday night at Regions Field as Chattanooga rolled Birmingham 5-0 to open the five-game series.
Wheeler (4-2, 3.83 ERA) allowed just two hits over 6.1 innings of work, and 2.2 innings of no-hit relief from Burdi secured the win and the right-hander's second save of the season. The two-hitter ties the Barons' season-low since their two-hit performance May 25 against Biloxi.
The Lookouts' two third-inning runs came on a couple of timely singles from their second baseman and left fielder.
Jorge Polanco singled through the hole at second to score Heiker Meneses, and the Southern League's most-consistent bat, belonging to Max Kepler, plated Shannon Wilkerson.
Leading 2-0, Chattanooga knocked Birmingham starter Tyler Danish (8-11, 4.53 ERA) out of the game after 5.1 innings. The right-hander gave up both runs on seven hits. Kyle Hansen pitched the Barons out of a two-on, one-out situation in the sixth, but the seventh saw the Lookouts plate two more runs.
Reliever Nolan Sanburn fell victim to Polanco and Kepler, as well, immediately following the stretch. Polanco sent an RBI single to center and Kepler popped a sacrifice fly to Jacob May to plate Wilkerson once more. Chattanooga tacked on one final run in the eighth against Sanburn, scoring on a Stuart Turner RBI single.
Just two Barons managed hits Thursday. Tim Anderson was 1-for-4 with a single and first baseman Danny Hayes bounced a ground-rule double into the Birmingham bullpen to lead off the seventh. In addition to the two hits, the Barons boarded nine base runners via five walks and two hit by pitch, but eight were left stranded and Anderson was erased with a double play.
Wilkerson led the Chattanooga offense with a 3-for-3 night, and Kepler 1-for-4 to keep his average at .330 on top in the Southern League.