Short game, shorts series: Knoxville Smokies lose both to Biscuits

The Montgomery Biscuits came into Covenant Health Park for the second game of the evening May 23 and delivered a knockout blow to the Smokies, claiming the series with a 2-1 seven-inning victory on Grateful Dead Night in downtown Knoxville. The series, like the second game, was shortened due to weather. A May 23 doubleheader already was scheduled for Saturday to account for the Savannah Bananas being at the stadium Thursday night.

But with an early rainout pushing the finish of Friday's game to the following day, the Smokies still played two games Saturday but had to push the second half of the prescheduled doubleheader to a later date in Montgomery. The Smokies recorded eight hits in the home loss and struggled with runners on base after defeating the Biscuits 2-1 earlier in the evening . With a Sunday afternoon game still to play, the Biscuits lead the series 3-1 − enough to secure a series win in the shortened five-game set.

Alex Ramirez went 3-for-3 at the plate, a strong follow to his 3-for-4 performance in the first half of the doubleheader. Montgomery and Knoxville posted three combined runs in the first inning, starting with a Jadher Areinamo single that put the Biscuits ahead 2-0. Andy Garriola responded with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the frame to score Carter Trice and cut Knoxville's deficit in half.

Smokies starter Tyler Schlaffer allowed five Biscuits to reach base across the first two innings of the game. But as the pitcher dialed in, the Smokies' bats simmerer. Over the final three innings pitched, Schlaffer only allowed one baserunner on a two-out single in the fourth, which he erased with a strikeout.