New Minor League Extra-Inning Rule Fail Biscuits Tuesday Night
The Biscuits (3-9) dropped the second game of their series to the Tennessee Smokies (5-6) on Tuesday night, losing the first two games of the five-game set to their North Division rivals by a score of 6-1 in 10 innings at Riverwalk Stadium.Zach Lee was making his third start of the year, and the righty looked sharp early, holding the Smokies to one hit through the first three innings. Lee got some offensive assistance in the bottom of the second when Mac James hit a two-out single that scored Nathan Lukes from second after the right fielder doubled earlier in the inning to put Montgomery up 1-0 in the second against Duncan Robinson.
The lead would not last long, however, as Yasiel Balaguert hit a line-drive double into right center field to knock in Charcer Burks from first to tie the game at one in the top of the fourth.
Lee would end up going seven innings-the longest any Biscuits starter has gone this season-of one-run ball, surrendering just five hits, no walks, and five strikeouts in a no-decision.
The game remained tied at one sending the Biscuits and Smokies into the 10th inning and debuting the new extra inning rule to the Butter and Blue faithful. The rule states that both teams would start off every extra inning with a runner on second base.
In the top of 10th, Tennessee started the inning with catcher Ian Rice, the final out of the pervious inning, on second. With one out in the inning second basemen Trent Giambrone drilled a double off the base of the left field wall scoring Rice from second to give the Smokies their first lead of the game, 2-1.
The Biscuits bullpen would follow that up by walking three straight batters, including a wild pitch in that sequence that would allow Giambrone to score from third pushing the Smokies lead to 3-1. With two outs and the bases still loaded, third baseman Jason Vosler was hit by a pitch bringing in another run making it 4-1 Tennessee. Balaguert then delivered the knockout punch in the subsequent at-bat shooting a two-run double into the gap in right center field putting the Smokies on top, 6-1, as the Biscuits could not scratch across a run in the bottom of the inning.
The Biscuits will try to rebound on Wednesday night when J.D Martin (0-2) battles with Thomas Hatch (0-0) at 6:35 PM.
