Thursday, June 5, 2008
For Immediate
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Contact: Jim Tocco
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323-0363 |
Richard, Barons take out Biscuits in opener, 3-1
Birmingham starter misses shutout by one out
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HOOVER – Birmingham Barons starter Clayton Richard (6-6) came within one out of throwing his second consecutive complete-game shutout at Regions Park Thursday night. Though he and the first-place Birmingham Barons (36-25) missed both the shutout and the complete game, they did earn a 3-1 series-opening win against their second-place pursuers, the Montgomery Biscuits (29-32).
Richard retired nine in a row to bring the Biscuits to their final out, but when Rhyne Hughes worked a walk, Richard reached 112 pitches, and Birmingham manager Carlos Subero was forced to remove him.
Closer Jon Link came on to walk Chris Nowak, and Gaby Martinez followed with an RBI single, but Link fanned pinch hitter John Jaso to end the game with the tying runs on base.
Richard allowed just three hits and walked three while tying a season high with six strikeouts.
The Barons managed two runs with three consecutive extra-base hits against Mike Prochaska in the third inning. Robert Valido and Miguel Negron led off the inning with back-to-back triples and Victor Mercedes followed with a run-scoring double.
Prochaska allowed no more runs, lasting six inning while allowing six hits and two walks, striking out two.
Birmingham plated one more run against reliever Roger Deago in the seventh.
The Barons' first-half magic number dropped to three. They can assure themselves at least a share or the divisional championship with a win on Friday night, as righty Kyle McCulloch faces Montgomery lefty Jake McGee at 7:05.
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