Biscuits snap skid, best Smokies 3-1
KODAK, Tenn. (biscuitsbaseball.com) – Granden Goetzman’s RBI-single in the eighth inning broke a 1-1 tie as the Biscuits snapped out of their five-game losing skid on Friday night with a 3-1 victory over Tennessee at Smokies Stadium.
Chase Whitley was making his second rehab start for Montgomery, and the right-hander got some help from Smokies third baseman Daniel Lockhart whose throwing error in the first inning allowed Goetzman to score all the way from first to make it 1-0 Biscuits early. Whitley got into a bit of trouble in the second, loading the bases with nobody out, but would escape allowing only a sac fly to Lockhart to tie the game at one.
The game remained knotted at one as Whitely tossed four inning of shutout ball and Taylor Guerrieri followed him out of the bullpen for the first time this season with four brilliant innings of his own, allowing just one hit and retiring the last 11 batters he faced.
Tennessee turned to reliever R.J. Alvarez in the eighth, and after mustering just one hit through the first seven innings off Smokies starter Tyler Skulina, the Biscuits came through with three more against the righty including Goetzman’s go-ahead single that brought home Jake DePew from third. An Alvarez wild pitch would tack on another Biscuits run later in the frame. Goetzman has now knocked in eight runs in 13 games against the Smokies this season.
Jaye Chapman entered for Guerrieri in the ninth and shut the door on the Smokies for his third Biscuits save in four tries to seal the 3-1 victory. The Biscuits will try to make it two in a row on Saturday when Chih-Wei Hu (3-8) battles Jen-Ho Tseng (5-4) at 7:05 PM
