Matt Scalzo
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - The Knoxville Smokies closed the gap on the division-leading and in-state foe Chattanooga Lookouts to half a game, taking four of the six games, including the last three. It was the first series win for the Smokies since they won five of six against the Birmingham Barons from May 4th to the 10th. This bunches three teams up at the top of the North Division standings, separating Chattanooga, Knoxville and Rocket City all by one game. Following a blowout loss in the first game of the week, the next five games were decided by two runs or less. The Smokies are 15-9 in games decided by that margin.
Game 1: Balcazar helps Lookouts blitz Smokies to open the series
Game one saw Chattanooga ambush Knoxville early, using four run scoring extra-base hits including three home runs through the first four innings to take control with a 9-0 lead. Leo Balcazar was the standout, going 3-for-5 with five runs batted in and a pair of wall scrapers.
The Lookouts wasted no time with a pair of wall scrapers in the bottom of the first as No. 16 prospect Carlos Jorge led off with a single, before No. 15 prospect Balcazar went deep to left. Then, two batters later Ryan McCrystal hammered his first Double-A home run to left center, 3-0. Combined with a strong start from Jose Acuna, who had four strikeouts through four and didn’t allow his first hit until the fourth inning on a base hit from Andy Garriola, the Lookouts were cruising.
The same can’t be said for Smokies starter, Yenrri Rojas, who was coming in after tying his longest start of the year against the Biscuits last week. After surrendering three runs on four hits in the first, Rojas bounced back with a pair of 1-2-3 innings, before the wheels came off in a six-run fourth for Chattanooga.
A double, walk and hit batter against the first three batters loaded the bases for a bases-clearing double from Zavier Warren, aided by a throwing error from Alex Madera, 7-0. After a base hit from Jorge, Balcazar left the yard for the second time, expanding the lead to nine on his seventh home run of the season. Rojas was promptly pulled for Frankie Scalzo Jr., who retired the first three he faced to end the frame.
Both offenses were dormant in the fifth and sixth as Acuna continued to deal and Scalzo closed out his evening allowing two hits with a trio of strikeouts across three innings.
In the seventh, the Smokies got on the board to break up the shutout on a solo home run from Jefferson Rojas, his fifth on the season and just the second hit of the game for Knoxville. After a walk by Ariel Armas, Acuna was relieved following 6.2 innings, striking out seven, allowing one run on two hits. This was his longest start of the year and his second-most strikeouts in a game. The Smokies tacked on one more with a single from Alex Madera to score Armas, 9-2.
The Lookouts responded with three more in the bottom half of the seventh against Jackson Kirkpatrick. Back-to-back singles put runners on the corners, before a wild pitch dragged Ruben Ibarra across. Later, Balcazar raked in his fifth RBI of the contest on a single to center, scoring Shane Sasaki, before a bases-loaded walk to McCrystal pushed the advantage to double digits, 12-2, chasing Kirkpatrick for Tyler Santana.
In his fifth appearance with Knoxville, Santana continues to display his wipeout stuff, striking out the side in the eighth giving him his second straight scoreless outing and fourth straight performance with three or more strikeouts. So far with the Smokies, he has struck out 17 and walked just a pair.
Andy Garriola began the final frame with his team-leading ninth big fly of the season, 12-3, but there was nothing further from Knoxville. Jared Lyons closed the book on game one for Chattanooga, going the final 2.1 innings, striking out two for the nine-run victory.
Game 2: Knoxville pitching fan 16, as Trice delivers game-winner in extras
The second contest of the slate was a flip of the script from the first meeting. Despite the Lookouts coming back to tie the game on three separate occasions, the Smokies never trailed after taking an early advantage, and a clutch hit in the 10th from Carter Trice helped even the series.
After a scoreless first inning, with both starters, Chattanooga’s Kevin Abel using a double play to end a threat, and a pair of strikeouts for Knoxville’s Grant Kipp, escaping trouble, the Smokies drew first blood. A leadoff home run from Carter Trice broke the ice, 1-0. His seventh home run of the season and first long ball in eight games, after launching six through the first 11 games in May.
Following the solo shot, both Abel and Kipp continued to dissect the opposing orders, combining for 14 strikeouts. Kipp exited for Knoxville after five innings, allowing one run on four hits with eight punchouts and no walks, his fourth consecutive start with five or more strikeouts. His lone blemish was the game-tying double from Dominic Pitelli, 1-1.
An inning later, the Smokies reclaimed the lead as Jefferson Rojas, the Cubs’ top prospect, led off with a single and then swiped second base. After Rojas moved to third on a groundout, he scored on a base hit from Cameron Sisneros, who was playing in just his second game since his call-up and recorded his first Double-A hit and RBI. A single from Ariel Armas put two on before Devin Ortiz delivered the third straight base knock, driving in Sisneros, 3-1.
The two runs chased Abel, who finished with six strikeouts in six innings, giving up three runs on seven hits. However, the Lookouts snapped back with two in the bottom of the sixth, thanks to a two-run wall scraper from the Reds’ No. 6 prospect, Cam Collier, 3-3, his sixth home run of the season.
The seventh followed an identical tune to the sixth as Knoxville jumped back in front on its second home run of the night. Owen Ayers, the Cubs No. 10 prospect, went deep to right center field for his sixth long ball of the year, 4-3. It marked the second straight series with a home run for the catcher.
Once again, the lead was short-lived for the Smokies as Chattanooga answered back and tied the game for the third time. Jay Allen II left the yard for the fourth time in 2026, and third time in the last six games, 4-4. All three runs in the sixth and seventh for the Lookouts came against Jace Beck, who surrendered six hits across two innings.
Scoreless innings in the final two frames sent the contest to the 10th, just the second time this year the Smokies have gone to extras. Just like he did in the second, Carter Trice delivered a marquee hit with a single to left field, driving in Andy Garriola putting Knoxville in front, 5-4.
This time it did not relinquish the lead with Marino Santy picking up the save as he retired Chattanooga in order, including two strikeouts, to even the series. Vince Reilly recorded the win with two scoreless innings in the eighth and ninth, striking out four of the seven that he faced. Overall as a staff, the Smokies struck out 16 batters and walked no one,
Game 3: Low-scoring affair ends in favor of Chattanooga
Thursday’s contest featured early fireworks with both sides striking for two runs in the first inning. It started for the Smokies with a lead off double from Alex Ramírez, before he came into score thanks to an error from Cam Collier, who tossed wide of second base as Jefferson Rojas advanced to second after his base hit. Then, Andy Garriola struck out and Rojas instigated more chaos by swiping third on a delayed steal and scored on an errant throw, 2-0.
In the bottom of the first, the Lookouts tied the game in more conventional fashion. Carlos Jorge and Jay Allen II both singled to put early pressure on the bases, before Collier avenged his error with a two-run double, 2-2, his team-leading thirteenth two-bagger.
Following the adventurous first frame, both starters, Knoxville’s Connor Schultz and Chattanooga’s Nestor Lorant, found their groove as the score remained unchanged until the sixth inning.
Schultz’s night came to a close after dealing five innings allowing the two runs on five hits and struck out eight with no walks. It was his first start with the Smokies since April 10th after he suffered an injury and was reminiscent of the outings he had to end 2025.
As for Lorant, Thursday was his first Double-A start after the jump from the Daytona Tortugas in Single-A. He exited following six innings, where he gave up two unearned runs on three hits with eight strikeouts and a walk. It marked his sixth consecutive start with seven or more punchouts.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Lookouts brought in the game-winning run against Nick Dean who stepped onto the mound. Two straight one-out singles from Ryan McCrystal and Collier got two on, with a wild pitch taking McCrystal to third. Then back-to-back walks spelled trouble for Dean as Shane Sasaki’s free pass scored McCrystal, 3-2.
The Smokies looked to tie the game in the eighth as Alex Madera and Ramírez led off with singles. A fielder’s choice put runners on the corners, with a catcher's interference allowing Rojas to get on and load the bases. However, Nate Peterson induced Garriola to ground into an inning-ending double play.
Again in the ninth, Knoxville had the tying and go-ahead run in scoring position. After two outs, including Ethan Hearn getting thrown out trying to stretch a single to a double, Cameron Sisneros started a two-out rally with a base hit, with Ed Howard and Madera working consecutive walks to make the bases juiced, but Johnathan Lavallee escaped the jam with a Ramírez pop out and give Chattanooga an edge in the series.
Game 4: A pair of late home runs help Smokies take game one of doubleheader
Following Friday’s rainout, the two sides kicked off a Saturday doubleheader. A go-ahead two-run homer from Edgar Alvarez proved to be the difference in the sixth, with Jefferson Rojas adding insurance on his solo shot in the seventh. The Knoxville offense totaled 10 hits to even the series.
Striking early in the contest has been a growing theme between the two Volunteer State rivals and it was no different in the first of two on Saturday. After a 1-2-3 top of the first, Carlos Jorge singled, stole second and came into score on a single from Leo Balcazar for Chattanooga to break the ice, 1-0, against Jake Knapp.
The Smokies would respond in the second, as Ethan Hearn launched his third home run of the season out to right center, 1-1. His first home run and RBI since May 14th against Columbus.
An inning later in the second, Knoxville posted a crooked number with three more runs. A leadoff single from Hayden Cantrelle set up the first double of the season from Alex Madera, extending his hitting streak to four games and putting the Smokies in front. Owen Ayers joined the party with a two-run long ball two batters later, 4-1. It was Ayers’ homer in the last three games and seventh overall.
However, in the fourth, Chattanooga sparked a two-out rally to level the contest. Shane Sasaki reached on a double, before the two-out magic began, a walk and an infield single loaded the bases, as Balcazar worked a walk. Then, Jay Allen II shot a single through the left side to score a pair, 4-4.
Knoxville went back to the bullpen with Dawson Netz in place of Evan Taylor, who struggled after relieving Knapp. The two pitchers combined for 3.2 innings, allowing four runs on seven hits with three walks and three strikeouts.
Following a scoreless fifth, the Smokies broke the deadlock in the sixth. A Carter Trice walk led to a pitching change for the Lookouts, as they replaced starter Johnathan Harmon after 5.1 innings of work with Brody Jessee. After Trice stole second, Edgar Alvarez changed the game with his fifth home run of the year, a two-run blast to put Knoxville in front, 6-4. This contest was Alvarez’s first appearance of the week after coming off the restricted list.
Chattanooga drew one run closer in the bottom of the sixth on the fifth long ball of the season from Carlos Jorge. The Smokies meanwhile had another answer in the chamber in the seventh, as the top prospect in the Cubs system went deep for the sixth time in 2026 and second time this week, pushing the advantage back to a pair, 7-5.
Netz recorded the final three outs with an unconventional 1-2-3 frame in the seventh thanks to a double play, shortened to fix both of Saturday’s games. He picked up the win tossing 3.1 innings of two-hit ball, with the one run allowed and a pair of strikeouts.
Game 5: Knoxville uses seven unanswered runs surge to sweep Saturday’s twin bill
Following the victory in the first half of the doubleheader, the Smokies used seven straight runs from the second to the sixth to take the lead in the series and win both contests on Saturday, 7-5. Knoxville picked up RBIs from five different players, tallying double digit hits for the second straight game and third time this week.
Just as they did in game one on Saturday, the Lookouts took an early lead to strike first. A Leo Balcazar walk and Jay Allen II single put two in scoring position for an RBI groundout from Cam Collier, 1-0. It extended the streak to three straight games with runs in the first inning for Chattanooga.
The Smokies wasted no time answering the bell and knotting the score up as Carter leadoff the second with a solo blast for the second time in the series. It was his eighth home run of the season, all of them coming in the month of May. They added another run to take the lead after singles from Cameron Sisneros and Hayden Cantrelle put runners on the corners for a sacrifice fly from Ed Howard, 2-1.
Both sides were scoreless across the next two innings, with Tyler Schlaffer’s start for Knoxville coming to an end after four innings. Schlaffer fanned six for the second straight contest, while walking three and allowing one run on two hits. Chattanooga’s Javi Rivera responded well to the two spot in the second, but as he stretched into the fifth the Smokies bats came back to life.
Rivera surrendered back-to-back extra base hits to start the fifth, headlined by the lead off home run from Alex Ramírez, his fourth wall scraper of the year and first since May 14th. Then a double by Andy Garriola chased Rivera for Bryce Hubbart, who was rocky out of the pen. Owen Ayers worked a walk and then Jefferson Rojas loaded the bases via catcher's interference. The pressure xstarted to seep in as Trice lifted a sacrifice fly to score Garriola, then a wild pitch allowed Ayers to come across and the Smokies’ third sacrifice fly, this time from Sisneros, ballooned the lead to five, 6-1.
Knoxville tacked on its final run in the sixth with two outs against Easton Sikorski. Ramírez got the ball rolling with his second extra-base hit, a double to left, and then a base hit from Garriola brought him in, 7-1. It concluded an impressive Saturday from Garriola as he went 5-for-8 across the twin bill.
The Lookouts battled back against Jackson Kirkpatrick, striking for four in the seventh. Back-to-back walks put the first two on as Allen II bounced a ball up the middle to score Carlos Jorge. Then a single from Ruben Ibarra drove in two more, forcing Lance Rymel to dip back into the bullpen after a third of an inning, going to Marino Santy for the final two outs. One more run scored on a groundout from Pablo Aliendo, 7-5, but the run was charged against Kirkpatrick, as Santy posted his second save of the series.
It’s the second time this year that the Smokies have swept a doubleheader, they did so on May 8th against Birmingham Barons with 8-1 and 3-2 victories.
Game 6: Rojas and late-game magic propel Smokies to series win on the road
The Smokies entered Sunday with a chance to win its first series since early May when they took five of six against the Birmingham Barons. They did exactly that platting four runs in the final four innings to overcome a slow start. Jefferson Rojas built upon his hot run of form, driving in two runs, including the game-winning run in the 4-2 victory. The Cubs No. 1 prospect has hits in 13 of his last 15, and bookended the trip to The Scenic City with multi-hit games.
It was another quick start for the Lookouts as they scored in the first inning for the fourth consecutive game. Carlos Jorge produced a lead off base hit and moved to second after a balk from Knoxville starter Brooks Caple. A single to left from Jay Allen II delivered the game's first run, 1-0.
After the first inning Caple settled down and departed after five innings, fanning seven, while surrendering one run on four hits. His start was massive to match opposing pitcher Jose Acuna in the series finale, who was lethal against the Smokies. Despite allowing three base runners through the first two innings, Acuna found his groove facing the minimum from the third to the fifth. The right-hander did not allow his first hit until the sixth inning, when Knoxville drew even.
Alex Ramírez kickstarted the inning with a base hit to break-up the no-hitter. Following a wild pitch, Ramírez stood on second as Rojas delivered the game-tying hit with a single to center field, 1-1.
Acuna bounced back in the seventh with a 1-2-3 frame as his day came to a close. The 23-year-old tallied his second double digit strikeout performance of the month with 11, giving up two hits. The two starters, Caple and Acuna, combined for 18 strikeouts to three walks.
Behind a pair of no-hit innings in relief from Jace Beck, the Smokies claimed momentum and the lead with a trio of runs in the eighth. It started with Ramírez working a one-out walk, and courtesy of another wild pitch it was déjà vu for Rojas stepping up to the plate. Following an Andy Garriola free pass, Rojas once again came through on a base hit and drove in Ramírez to give Knoxville the lead on his first multi-RBI game since May 5th. More runs followed after a Carter Trice base knock scored Garriola and an RBI single through the right side for Edgar Alvarez pushed the cushion to three, 4-1.
The Lookouts cut the deficit down to two in the bottom of the eighth on a solo home run from Cade Hunter, his third of the season, 4-2. They applied more pressure against Vince Reilly in the ninth, getting the tying run on base working back-to-back walks. Reilly slammed the door, striking out Hunter for his fourth save of the season and third straight win for the Smokies.
Wrap Up:
Following a split and a loss in their last two series, the Smokies answered back taking the last three contests against the North Division leaders. It’s their first series win since Birmingham during the week of May 11th. It more importantly draws them closer to the top spot in the division. Jefferson Rojas stayed hot .350 across the week driving in four with a pair of home runs, reaching base at a .435 clip, with Alex Ramírez pacing the team with eight hits.
Knoxville now sits half a game back of the top spot in the North as they return home for a six-game set against the last-place Birmingham Barons. So far this season, the Smokies are 6-3 against the Barons and won the final four of their series at the start of May.
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