Adames’ pinch-hit, walk-off homer extinguishes Suns 11-10
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (biscuitsbaseball.com) – Willy Adames’ pinch-hit walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth won the game, and the series, over the Jacksonville Suns, 11-10 in a crazy, come-from-behind victory on Tuesday afternoon at Riverwalk Stadium.
The Biscuits sent Jared Mortensen (2-1) to the mound for the second time in five games as Chris Kirsch was scratched from the start after tweaking something in his back before the game. Mortensen pitched well, too, in just 3.2 innings of work, allowing one run on two hits, while tallying seven strikeouts, including four in one inning.
Montgomery went down early 1-0, but rebounded off Jacksonville starter Tim Berry (0-2) who didn’t have it, surrendering four runs on six hits in just 1.2 innings as the Biscuits sprang out to a 6-1 lead.
That five-run advantage would evaporate in the seventh, however, as the Suns came all the way back to tie the game on a solo home run by Matt Juengel. In the bottom half of the same inning, the Biscuits would retake the lead at on a Jake Bauers RBI-double, and then added to it with a Kean Wong groundout.
But that’s when the Suns fought back again, scoring four runs in the top half of the eighth to take a 10-8 lead. That was before Mike Marjama delivered a game-tying two-run double with two outs in the bottom of the eighth to make it 10-10.
Reliever Jose Jose would come on to face the Biscuits in the bottom of the ninth, when Jacksonville left the bases loaded in the top half of the inning, and after striking out the first two batters he faced, Adames was pinch hit for Tommy Coyle, and the shortstop crushed a walk-off solo blast just inside the foul pole to send the home crowd into a frenzy. It was Adames’ third game-winning hit of the season.
Lost amid the chaos was Jake Hager’s incredible 5-for-5 performance at the plate. Each of his quintet of base knocks was a single, and the shortstop finished the game with two RBIs.
The Biscuits will be off on Wednesday, but will then head to Chattanooga to open up a five-game series with the Lookouts on Thursday, with Chih-Wei Hu (0-0) doing battle with Jason Wheeler (1-1) at 6:15 PM CT.
