BIRMINGHAM, Ala -- Caleb Bonemer hit a three-run home run to lead the Birmingham Barons to a 7-1 win over the Chattanooga Lookouts before 4,220 at Regions Field on Thursday night. The Barons pounded out 12 hits, with Grant McGill and Boston Smith getting three hits in the home win.
Chicago White Sox RHP Drew Thorpe, on an MLB rehab stint with the Barons, pitched four solid innings, only giving up a hit with five strikeouts. Thorpe played for the Barons back in 2024, going 7-1 with a 1.35 ERA in 11 starts. He helped the Barons to a Southern League Championship that year. Pierce George (2-1, 9.45) gets the win in relief as he goes two innings, giving up only a hit and getting four strikeouts. Jared Kelley pitched one inning, giving up a hit and an earned run. Carson Jacobs pitched one inning, giving up one hit and one walk with a strikeout. Nick Altermatt pitched the ninth inning and got his only three batters out with a strikeout.
Birmingham (13-17, 39-60) scored first in the game with six runs in the bottom of the third inning. McGill led off with a triple off the right field fence. Samuel Zavala's RBI single to right scored McGill, and the Barons took the early 1-0 lead. Smith doubled on a line drive to right field. Bonemer then followed with his three-run home run off the scoreboard in left field. The Barons led 4-0.
A batter later, Anthony DePino walked, and Colby Shelton hit a two-run home run, his 12th of the season, and the Barons led 6-0.
Chattanooga (11-19, 48-51) scored in the top of the seventh inning. A Cam Collier sacrifice fly scored Leo Balcazar, and the Barons led 6-1.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, MaGill doubled to right field, and Zavala's ground out moved MaGill to third base. A wild pitch scored MaGill, and the Barons led 7-1.
Altermatt got Ruben Ibarra to ground out to end the game, and the Barons have now won three games in a row and are 12-11 in the month of July after three losing months.
For the Barons, Magill had a triple, a double, a single, and two runs scored. Smith had three hits and a run scored. Bonemer had the three-run home run, and Shelton had the two-run home run. The Barons are third in the Southern League with 129 home runs, while Montgomery leads with 132.
Up next for the Barons is Game 4 of the six-game series. RHP Juan Carela (0-1, 2.08) will take the mound for the Barons while LHP Ben Wereski (2-1, 3.79) will take the mound for the Lookouts. First pitch is at 7:00 pm.