Brian Kice
BIRMINGHAM, AL - After the Knoxville Smokies won three of six games at home from the Chattanooga Lookouts, they look to carry a full bus of momentum into Birmingham. That momentum comes thanks to a win on Saturday night that officially locks the Smokies into the postseason playoff picture, as winners of the Southern League North first half.
For the Barons, they look to start the second half of the minor league season better than they ended the first, where they finished 11.5 games behind the Smokies. With a lot left to play for, Birmingham and manager Pat Leyland will look to make a surprising run towards the playoffs, starting with Tuesday's contest.
First pitch for the series is set for 8:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday night.
Knoxville won the North on the backs of their pitching, which dazzled in the series against the Lookouts. In six games, the team pitched to a 3.50 ERA, striking out 64 batters and limiting free passes to just 22 walks. The pitching staff has now jumped to second in the Southern League in ERA, as they continue to set the benchmark in the Southern League with 713 punchouts to lead all teams. Three saves in three opportunities, and a shutout in game four on Friday certainly didn’t hurt the pitchers’ confidence either. With a struggling Birmingham squad, the Smokies will look to continue to climb those ranks at Regions Field.
On the other side of the baseball, the Knoxville offense took a bit of a dip from its blazing start to June. collecting just 31 hits and only scoring 18 runs, it was enough to power past the Lookouts. A .174 team batting average wasn’t the prettiest stat on the sheet this series; however, the Smokies played with the biggest parts of Covenant Health Park, collecting six doubles and mashing another five bombs, tying them for third in the Southern League with 75 home runs.
In that same time frame (6/16-6/21), the Barons' pitching staff has not been as effective. The team's Achilles' heel, the hurlers have an ERA of 7.97 and have surrendered 35 earned runs to just 30 strikeouts. They have also struggled with command in the past week, with 22 walks and three hit by pitches. This is not dissimilar to Birmingham's season as a whole, as they have the league-worst staff ERA at 5.85 and lead the league in walks (320), earned runs allowed (377), and hit-by-pitches (42). They also struggle with strikeout rates, with the fewest strikeouts in the league at just 551.
These numbers are inviting for a Smokies lineup that has several players looking to continue scorching-hot stretches from June.
Players to Watch
Owen Ayers took the baseball world by storm in June. Since the first of the month, Ayers has climbed into the top ten prospects in the organization at number nine after sporting a .437/.524/.803 slashline, good for a 1.327 OPS. 11 doubles, five jacks, and 18 RBI pad the absurd slashline for the catcher, who is certainly getting used to professional baseball in 2026, bringing his season batting average to a sweet .298 clip.
Alex Ramirez has also been seeing the baseball well in June, hitting .254 with four home runs and 13 RBI of his own. He has shown good discipline at the plate, working the ball to all fields, and as a result, has reached base to steal nine bases in June, bringing his total to 24 on the campaign. Half of his home runs this season have come in the past 18 games, and he is ready to keep hitting in the upcoming series.
For Birmingham, Anthony Depino owns the best statistical hitting numbers for a Baron currently on assignment. A .282 average, paired with seven homers and 26 RBI. He has been a centerpiece in a lineup that owns .234 team average, which ranks them seventh in the league.
Probable Pitching Matchups
6/23 Tuesday, 7:00 PM ET
LHP Jake Palisch (1-5, 5.19 ERA) vs RHP Connor Schultz (0-3, 5.12 ERA)
6/24 Wednesday, 7:00 PM ET
RHP Gabe Davis (0-2, 6.60 ERA) vs RHP Nick Dean (4-2, 4.72 ERA)
6/25 Thursday, 7:00 PM ET
LHP Lucas Gordon (3-3, 5.45 ERA) vs RHP Dawson Netz (4-1, 2.80 ERA)
6/26 Friday, 7:00 PM ET
RHP Connor McCullough (0-4, 4.30 ERA) vs RHP Jace Beck (5-2, 3.15 ERA)
6/27 Saturday, 7:00 PM ET
RHP Dylan Cumming (1-5, 6.34 ERA) vs RHP Grant Kipp (1-4, 4.03 ERA)
6/28 Sunday, 2:00 PM ET
LHP Jake Palisch (Gm 1) vs TBD
Wrap
With the playoffs in the palms of their paws, the Smokies will need not get complacent in the second half of baseball. With three months separating them from the playoffs, they will need to stay focused and continue to play well on both sides of the baseball, starting in Birmingham on Tuesday. With six games at Regions Field, the team will look to take their third series of the month and their second versus the Barons, starting the month with a series win.
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