Almost watching the Biscuits play ball

Went over to Montgomery last night to watch the ball game.

How'd that go you ask?

No really, go ahead and ask.

Ah, since you asked. Not too good.

As you can see by the picture, the view of game wasn't the best.

You see, we didn't get there late. We just got there after all the tickets were sold.

Only, in Montgomery, they'll still sell you a ticket, even though they're sold out. They'll let you sit on the grass.

So, we sat way down the third base line, barely able to see anything.



And, though we got there before the game started, by the time we made it through the ticket line, then worked our way to a place to sit, the Mississippi Braves were leading the Montgomery Biscuits, 1-0.

I took my grandson to get a hot dog, and while we were doing that, Mississippi scored three more runs, to take a 4-0 lead.

We were getting ice cream -- actually, Dippin' Dots -- the Biscuits managed their first hit of the game. A 5th inning double by 2B Josh Asanovich drove in LF J. T. Hall, who had walked, closing the gap to 4-1.

A trip to the gift shop allowed us to miss Mississippi scoring another run, to take a 5-1 lead.

However, we made it back to our seats in time to watch Mississippi score on solo home runs in the 7th and 8th innings.

Our obstructed view almost let us see Southern League All-star C John Jaso hit a 3-run homer, closing the gap to 7-4.



In the bottom of the 9th, we almost saw Asanovich score on SS Ronnie Merrill's 2-out single.



And, though the Biscuits fell short in their comeback, the grandchildren got to see the fireworks afterwards.

That view was unobstructed, at least.

Baseball logo contest

I'm not running a baseball logo contest. But CNBC is.

Darren Rovell of CNBC announced a contest where folks like you and me can vote on which logos we like best.

It's laid out pretty much like the NCAA basketball tournament. There are four brackets of 16, and the teams in each bracket are seeded 1 to 16. Rovell picked the teams and seeded them in the brackets.

Teams I've been following ... like the Columbus Catfish and the Montgomery Biscuits ... are in the field of 64.

Voting actually began earlier this week, and one bracket is done. And it's the bracket that included the Catfish and Biscuits.

The Catfish easily won their face-off with the Tri-City Valley Cats, but the Biscuits fell in a close one to the Casper Ghosts.

If you're a baseball fan, you might want to check out the logos of some of the teams. Rovell picked from 160 affiliated teams (Minor League Baseball) and 63 independent teams. So, not every team is in the running. But in fairness, he did pick some good ones.

I'm going to keep voting, and hope that in their final year, the Columbus Catfish can go out a winner.

Former Catfish leads Biscuits to title

A year ago, he was a South Atlantic League all-star for the Columbus Catfish. This year, he's the hero of game five of the Southern League championship series.

Sergio Pedroza belted a 3-run homer in the top of the 9th inning to lead the Montgomery Biscuits to a 4-3 win in the deciding game of the SL championship against the Huntsville Stars (Brewers).

The Biscuits got on the board first, scoring in the first inning, when Reid Brignac hit a 2-out double and Chris Nowak followed with an RBI single to left, putting the Biscuits up 1-0.

Huntsville struck back in the 5th, scoring 3 runs on a double, a walk, an error, and a single, to take a 3-1 lead that held up until the 9th.

The Biscuits had runners on base in the 4th, 6th, 7th, and 8th, but couldn't convert. But the 9th was a different story.

Nowak singled to start the inning. With 1 out, Gabriel Martinez singled, putting runners on the corner. That's when Pedroza hit his 3-run shot to left field, putting the Biscuits up 4-3.

Huntsville put a pair of runners on base in the bottom of the 9th, but a 6-3 double play saved the day for the Biscuits, giving them back-to-back Southern League titles. Last year, the Biscuits beat Huntsville in 4 games to win the league championship.

The Wife and I weren't able to stick around Huntsville for the game. We saw the Biscuits 4-1 loss Saturday night in game four, and wanted to stay for Sunday's game five, but the distance and our work schedule prevented that.

But, we're happy for the Biscuits ... and happy that a former Catfish favorite contributed to the win. We've come to be familiar with some of the Biscuits players because of our attending games in Montgomery over the last couple of years. But it's really special when a former Catfish player takes the field.

Oh, one other thing.

Now that baseball season is over (since the Braves are all but eliminated), football may now commence. Just when does football season begin, anyway?

Squandered opportunities cost Biscuits game four

We're in Huntsville for a Biscuits game. And the Montgomery Biscuits had plenty of opportunities tonight, but couldn't close the deal, falling to the Huntsville Stars (Brewers) 4-1 in game 4 of the Southern League finals.

The loss evens the series at 2 games apiece. The decisive game 5 will be tomorrow night, but we won't be able to make that game.

Tonight, though, the Biscuits jumped out to an early lead. Fernando Perez started the game with a walk, and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Josh Asanovich. Reid Brignac walked, and Perez moved to third on a wild ball four pitch. Chris Nowak walked to load the bases. John Jaso grounded into a force out at second that scored Perez and put the Biscuits up 1-0. Though they had the lead, a bases-loaded, 1-out situation ended up netting but the one run.

In the second, a scoring opportunity was wasted. The Biscuits had runners on first and third with no one out, but couldn't convert, but still had the 1-0 lead.

The lead held until the 3rd. A walk, sacrifice bunt, and a single put runners on the corner for Huntsville with 1 out. Starter Mike Prochaska coaxed a grounder to third out of Alcides Escobar for what looked like a 5-4-3 double play, but Escobar beat the relay allowing Steve Moss to score. Steven Sollmann followed with a homer over the Yellow Pages sign in left, putting Huntsville up 3-1.

In the 4th, the Biscuits loaded the bases, but stranded all three runners. And, in the 5th, a triple and a hit batsman put runners on the corners with 1 out, and again, the Biscuits couldn't convert. A runner in the 6th was also left stranded by the Biscuits.

Huntsville put up another run in the 8th, to extend their lead. The Biscuits managed a base runner in the 9th, but again, could do nothing, and the game ended with Huntsville up 4-1.

The Southern League championship series ends Sunday night. The best-of-five series is tied at two games each. The series is a rematch of last year's Southern League championship series, which the Biscuits won, 3 games to 1. It's also the second Devil Rays vs Brewers matchups in Minor League Baseball. The Columbus Catfish swept the West Virginia Power (Brewers) in 3 games in the Class A South Atlantic League earlier this week.

We're working Monday morning, and have decided we won't try to hang around for the Sunday night game.

The good news is, we got a chance to meet c.a.Marks (Alabama Improper), the Gent, and the rest of the family for supper and a ballgame. Though the game didn't end up like we would have liked, we couldn't have asked for better company. Thanks, y'all!

How would you do it in large bills?

We're in Huntsville for the Southern League finals between the Montgomery Biscuits and the Huntsville Stars (Brewers).

And they have a sign up concerning parking.

They want four dollars ... "in small bills."

I'm wondering what kind of money they're using. Or what the exchange rate is here on American money.

I mean, they have a problem with people carrying four dollars in LARGE bills?

Money must be a concern here, for sure.

I mentioned earlier that we had a hard time finding a hotel close to the ballpark. Didn't in fact. But we found a boat-load of banks.

I assume all those banks have money in them. If not, there must be about 400 empty bank vaults. So, I assume there's some serious money in this town.

But if it they can potentially have four dollars in large bills ... then I'm not sure if they have as much money as they think they do.

Oh, I considered stopping by one of those many banks and changing four dollars in bills for coins. But they might not have seen the humor in the situation.

Catfish, Biscuit players named players of the week

Earlier this week, we mentioned that Columbus Catfish 1B Matt Fields had broken out of a 5-for-50 slump in a big way. Well, it seems that the South Atlantic League noticed, too. The SAL named him player of the week:

The 21-year-old first baseman has homered in each of the past three ballgames, and four of his past five. On Friday, Fields went 3-for-4 with a homer, double, four RBIs and four runs scored as the Catfish routed Savannah, 11-1.

And, up at Double-A, Montgomery Biscuits 3B Evan Longoria picked up Southern League honors:

Longoria currently leads the league in both home runs (17) and RBIs (57). On Tuesday, the 21-year-old's homer lifted the Biscuits to a 1-0 win over Mobile. He had three hits and three RBIs in Montgomery's 7-0 triumph over Mississippi on Sunday.

It's great when players I see on a regular ... or semi-regular ... basis are recognized for their play.

Biscuits Swept By Jacksonville

Former Columbus Catfish helped do in the current Catfish Double-A partner, the Montgomery Biscuits this afternoon as the Jacksonville Suns (Dodgers) beat the Biscuits, 5-4. It was the Biscuits 6th loss in a row, a season high, and the first time they've been swept this year.

The Biscuits got on the board first, scoring a run in the 2nd inning. With 1 out, 1B Gabriel Martinez reached on an error, moved to second on a single by RF Shaun Cumberland, and scored on a single by DH Patrick Breen.

In the 4th, 3B Evan Longoria led off with a single. C John Jaso homered to right, putting the Biscuits up 3-0.

The 5th inning saw Jacksonville tie the game and drive starter James Houser from the game. Juan Gonzalez singled to start the Jacksonville 5th. Former South Georgia Wave (the 2003 Columbus Catfish) A. J. Ellis doubled, scoring Gonzalez. With 1 out, former Catfish Xavier Paul sacrificed Ellis to third. Former Catfish Chin-Lung Hu then tripled to center scoring Ellis. Cory Dunlap walked, then Marshall McDougall singled, scoring Hu, tying the game, and driving Houser from the game.

In the 8th, Jacksonville put 2 more runs on the board. In the bottom of the 8th, the Biscuits closed the gap. 3B Brooks Badeaux singled to lead off the inning. SS Reid Brignac singled right, moving Badeaux to third. Longoria drove in Badeaux on a sacrifice fly to center, making it 5-4.

That's as close as the Biscuits could get.

Former Catfish Joey Norrito pitched 6-2/3 innings, allowing 3 runs, 2 earned, on 7 hits, striking out 3 Biscuits. Reliever (and former Catfish) Wesley Wright went an inning and a third, allowing a run on 2 hits, with a strike out, and picked up his 4th win. Former Catfish Jon Meloan pitched a perfect 9th, striking out the side, to grab his 12th save of the year.

Hu was 3-for-4, a homer short of the cycle, with a walk, a run scored, and an RBI.

For the Biscuits, Badeaux led batters by going 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored.

The Biscuits conclude the first half 35-35, 7 games behind first half champ Mississippi. Jacksonville finished the first half 41-29, a game off the pace. The second half begins tomorrow night for the Biscuits, as they host Mobile in the first of 5 games.

Biscuits Beat Birmingham Again

I didn't make it over to the Biscuits game Sunday. I wish I had.

It was another outstanding pitching performance from the Biscuits staff.

A day after Chris Mason allowed two runs over seven innings, James Houser, Jr., pitched five shutout frames to send the Montgomery Biscuits (24-20) to a 5-1 victory over visiting Birmingham (19-25).

The win clinched the series for Montgomery, which has won its last four series after losing four in a row.

Houser (3-0) was reached only for Chris Kelly's single in the second and Jeremy West's leadoff double in the fourth. In the process, he lowered his ERA to 2.48 and brought the Biscuits four games above .500 for the first time since the squad was 4-0 at the start of the season.

Since coming off the disabled list on May 15, the Florida native has given up only four hits in 11 1/3 scoreless innings. He has not lost a decision since May 12, 2006, a span of 25 starts.

The Biscuits conclude the series with Birmingham tonight. I'll be at the Catfish game, of course. The Catfish open an 8-game home stand tonight.

Biscuits Beat Birmingham

My first Biscuits game in a couple of weeks was fun. The Wife and I went to Montgomery to catch some baseball, some ballpark food, and some fireworks. We ended up with 1 of 3. But that weren't bad.

My inability to read a schedule meant we missed the fireworks by a night. We'll have to catch some later.

We missed out on the ballpark food, and we both regretted it ... and were thankful for it. We ate earlier in the day, and decided not to push it.

The one thing in the plans that went off as planned was the ballgame itself. And it was fun, especially since the Biscuits beat the Birmingham Barons (White Sox) 6-2.

As it turned out, the most impressive performance of the evening ... offensively at least ... was by Birmingham's Cory Aldridge, who had 3 of the Barons' 4 hits ... including 2 homers.

This isn't to say the Biscuits were slack at the plate. No, not at all.

The7 managed 2 runs in the 1st inning. With 1 out, LF Brooks Badeaux doubled, and moved to third on a ground out. After 3B Evan Longoria walked, putting runners on the corner, C John Jaso doubled to right, scoring Badeaux and Longoria.

Aldridge hit his first solo home run of the night in the 2nd inning, making it 2-1 Biscuits.

In the 2nd inning, with 2 outs, CF Jason Pridie singled and moved to second on a balk. Badeaux singled to center, scoring Pridie.

In the 6th, DH Patrick Breen singled, then 2B Josh Asanovich walked. Jason Pridie doubled, scoring Breen and Asanovich, and moved to third on a throw to the plate. Pride then scored on a sac fly by Badeaux, putting the Biscuits up 6-1.

Aldridge's second solo homer of the night, this one in the 7th, made it 6-2.

Aldridge's performance was all the more impressive when you consider that only one other Birmingham player managed a hit. Starter Chris Mason was masterful in his performance. And had a small fan club present.

A couple of blondes were showing their ... support ... for Mason. Her blonde hair is almost as white as Mason's.

He's easy to spot on the mound, just by his hair. Of course, his pitching performance is another clue to when he's on the mound. He's been a tremendous asset for the Biscuits this year. He'll be missed when he makes the jump to Triple-A, whenever that happens.

But those weren't the only one's who caught anyone's eye.

The Wife noticed a fan who came in late and had her hair done in a familiar style.

I didn't say anything, but the Wife noticed. Of course, once you saw her from the front, there was no doubt who it wasn't.

But then again, I didn't need her to turn around to know who it wasn't.

After all, the ex- doesn't go to ballgames.

There was another person at the game that I don't particularly like running into.

And he caused a delay in the game.

He ran out onto the field between innings, and the umpires had to delay the start of the next inning while they waited on him to be escorted from the field.

It was my nemesis ... Spongebob Squarepants.

Yes, it appears they'll let anybody into a ballgame in Montgomery.

All in all though, a fun night at the ballpark. I'm going to try to talk the Wife to going to the game this afternoon, but I suspect that's a no-go.

Oh, well.

Anyway, the Catfish will be back in town Monday night for 8 games in 8 days.

It's good to get back into the swing of going to ballgames.

Life is good.

Catching up on the Biscuits

I haven't caught up on the Biscuits since my last visit to Montgomery two weeks ago.

In that time frame, they've played 13 games, and won 8 of them.

Back on the 6th, they took the rubber game of the series with Mississippi, beating the Braves 9-6.

Evan Longoria went 4-for-4 with his sixth home run of the season, helping the Montgomery Biscuits (15-15) earn a series win over the first place Mississippi Braves (20-10) with a 9-6 victory on Sunday afternoon at Riverwalk Stadium.

The next day, they opened a series at home against the Tennessee Smokies (Cubs). In the opener, the Biscuits won a nail-biter.

Chris Seddon brought a shutout into the ninth inning and Dale Thayer struck out Matt Craig with the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position, saving a tense 2-1 victory for the host Montgomery Biscuits (16-15) over the Tennessee Smokies (15-14) in the first game of a five-game series.

The win was the fourth in a row for Montgomery, thriving since a four-game losing streak brought the team to its worst record since 2005.

The next game wasn't nearly as close, with the Biscuits winning 12-1.

Chris Nowak and John Jaso keyed a five-run fifth inning with back-to-back two-run doubles, leading the Montgomery Biscuits (17-15) to a 12-1 rout over the Tennessee Smokies (15-15) before a crowd of 7,115 at the final Grand Slam School Day of the season at Riverwalk Stadium.

The Biscuits have now won a season-high five in a row following a season-high four-game losing streak.

Every member of the Montgomery lineup scored a run in the rout. More impressively, for the second straight day Biscuits pitching limited the Southern League's top hitting team to just a lone run.

Tennessee bounced back and blanked the Biscuits on May 9, by a 9-0 score.

The loss ended the Biscuits' five-game winning streak, though one streak for the home team did indeed continue. Third baseman Evan Longoria reached on an infield single in the ninth, setting a new Biscuits team record with his 26th game reaching base.

That was the extent of the highlights that the Biscuits could glean from the third game in the five-game series. Montgomery committed four errors (two by Longoria) and watched its best pitcher, Chris Mason, suffer through his poorest showing of the year.

A 2-out error in the bottom of the 9th allowed the Biscuits to beat Tennessee on May 10, 4-3.

Jason Pridie and Evan Longoria each homered in the game for the Biscuits. For Longoria, it was his seventh home run of the season and extended his team-record on-base streak to 28 consecutive games.

Pridie's blast, a solo shot off Tennessee reliever James Henderson to right field that carried completely out of the stadium, tied the score at 3 in the bottom of the eighth.

After Montgomery closer Dale Thayer (2-0) worked a scoreless top of the ninth, the Biscuits mounted the winning rally against Henderson (2-1) in the bottom of the frame.

The series with Tennessee ended on a down note, with the Biscuits being shut out 3-0.

Montgomery starter Jon Barratt (0-1) allowed hits to the first three batters he faced in the game, the last a Jake Fox RBI double that put the visitors on the scoreboard. Barratt then walked Matt Craig to load the bases with none out, but retired the side on a flyout and a double play ground ball to escape the frame without any more damage.

That was all the offense that Tennessee would get off of the Biscuits southpaw, who gave up only one more hit and no more runs during the next five innings.

The West Tenn Diamond Jaxx hosted the Biscuits for 5 games starting on the 12th, and took game 1 of the series.

The Diamond Jaxx got to Montgomery starter Chris Seddon (3-2) in the fourth, as Chris Minaker and Prentice Redman began the inning with hits and scored on a groundout and a sacrifice fly. When Seddon departed after the sixth, he was on the hook for the loss, having allowed five hits and two walks.

The Biscuits took Seddon off the hook in the eighth against the Jaxx's bullpen. Juan Sandoval gave up a single to Jason Pridie before leaving the baserunner for Craig James. Pridie scored on a Reid Brignac sacrifice fly. Greg Norton walked, setting up Longoria's home run. It was his eighth. He also doubled in the game, extending his on-base streak to 30 games.

The Biscuits bounced back on the 13th, winning an 11-8 slugfest.

Every Biscuits starter but one had at least two hits. Jason Pridie and Brooks Badeaux had three apiece.

Aside from the offense's consistent hitting, the Biscuits' bullpen was to credit for the win. The relievers threw 5 2/3 innings of scoreless relief before allowing two meaningless runs in the ninth.

The Biscuits hits double-digits on the scoreboard the next day, taking a 12-4 decision.

Evan Longoria started off the scoring for the Biscuits in the first inning with a three-run homer. It was his third straight game in which he homered. He also singled twice and walked, marking his 32nd consecutive game reaching base.

From there, the gap only widened. Brooks Badeaux cleared the bases with a double in the fourth inning and Longoria plated him with a groundout. That made 10 RBIs in the series for Longoria, who now leads the league in home runs and RBIs. That inning spelled the end for West Tenn starter Robert Rohrbaugh (3-4), who lost his second game to the Biscuits by allowing eight hits and seven runs.

The Biscuits won their 3rd in a row on the 15th, blanking West Tenn, 4-0.

James Houser and two relievers threw a two-hit shutout and set down 20 in a row as the Montgomery Biscuits (21-18) won their third straight over the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx (17-21), 4-0, at Pringles Park Tuesday night.

Houser, who had missed three straight starts with a strained olique muscle, allowed a hit in the first inning, another in the second and a walk in the third, then set down the last 12 he faced. The 22-year-old struck out seven in his 6 1/3-inning start, moving to 2-0. He has won each of his last 13 starts, dating back to last May.

The series ended as it began, with West Tenn taking the contest, this time by a 2-0 score.

West Tenn starting pitcher Joe Woerman (1-1) handcuffed the Biscuits through seven innings, walking four, striking out five and serving up only a double each by Jason Pridie and John Jaso to earn the victory.

Mumba Rivera and Craig James held off Montgomery in the eighth and ninth innings, with James recording the final two outs with the tying runs on base to pick up his sixth save of the season.

On the 17th, the Biscuits returned to Montgomery to host the Birmingham Barons. Game one went to the Biscuits, 7-4.

Facing a full count with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning, Brooks Badeaux ripped a tie-breaking three-run double into the left field corner to lift the Montgomery Biscuits (22-19) to a 7-4 victory over the Birmingham Barons (18-23) in the opener of a five-game series at Riverwalk Stadium.

The second game, Friday night, went to Birmingham, 5-2.

After Cory Aldridge drew a one-out walk from Mike Prochaska (1-4) in the top of the second, Biscuits shortstop Reid Brignac booted Lucy's potential inning-ending double play ball grounder. Catcher John Jaso's passed ball sent both runners into scoring position. They each scored on an miscue by second baseman Josh Asanovich, giving Birmingham a 2-0 lead.

That sets the stage for tonight's game. And I'll be there. The Wife and I are heading to Montgomery to catch the game, and watch the fireworks. It'll be fun.

Biscuits Win Again

Saturday's game between the Montgomery Biscuits and the Mississippi Braves had lots of things go right. One of the best, we'll cover a little bit later: meeting Two Dogs and Bean from Mean Ol' Meany.

For now, the game.

Despite being outhit by Mississippi, the Biscuits had the higher total where it counted: in the runs column.

Mississippi pitcher Dan Smith kept the Biscuits off the basepaths for the first 3 innings, but the home team finally solved him in the 4th. After a walk by LF Brooks Badeaux and a double by SS Reid Brignac, 3B Evan Longoria brought them home, giving the Biscuits a 2-0 lead.

With 1 out in the 5th and the bases loaded, Mississippi nearly got out of a jam, but CF Jason Pridie broke up a double play, allowing RF Shaun Cumberland to score.

The Biscuits added a final run in the 8th. With 2 outs, Longoria doubled home Badeaux, putting the Biscuits up 4-0.

Longoria was the only Biscuits player with multiple hits. He drove in 3 of the Biscuits runs on his 2 hits. 6 other Biscuits got hits, and the hits came in a timely manner, totaling 4 runs. Good, heads-up defense kept Mississippi off the board, despite their outhitting the Biscuits. Mississippi stranded 9 base runners, 4 in scoring position.

Mike Prochaska went 6 innings on the mound, allowing 4 hits and striking out 3, and picked up his first win. Richard De Los Santos went 2 innings in relief, allowing 4 hits. Brian Henderson pitched the 9th, striking out 3 -- but not the side -- to secure the win.

The win evens the series with Mississippi at two games apiece. The deciding game is this afternoon.

Biscuits Bounce Back, Beat Braves

After losing 4 in a row, the Montgomery Biscuits seemed poised for a horrible series against the Mississippi Braves. But they broke out of the slump, behind the pitching of Chris Mason, winning 7-4 on Friday night.

Mason (4-0) allowed three runs on six hits and a pair of walks over five innings. He has given up only four earned runs in his last four starts, all wins. The 22-year-old right-hander ranks fifth in the Southern League with a 1.87 ERA.

Dale Thayer tossed a scoreless ninth for his fifth save.

Jason Pridie went 3-for-5 with three runs scored and Greg Norton delivered a two-run double for the Biscuits (14-15). Reid Brignac doubled in a run and scored to help Montgomery (14-15) snap a four-game losing streak.

I'll be at the game in Montgomery tonight, along with a visitor from Mississippi. Perhaps one of us will be the 1,000,000th fan to attend a Biscuits game.

Biscuits Lose 4th Straight

It's been a long week for the Montgomery Biscuits. They lost their 4th straight game Thursday, falling to the Mississippi Braves, 7-4.

For the second straight day, each member of the Mississippi starting lineup reached base. The Braves tallied twice in the first (on Matt Esquivel's league-leading eighth home run of the season), twice in the second, once in the third and once in the fourth off Feldkamp on their way to victory.

That offense came in support of Mississippi starter Jo-Jo Reyes (2-1), who gave up four runs on five hits in five innings.

Three Braves relievers combined to shut out Montgomery on one hit over the final four innings. The last was closer Joey Devine, who pitched around a one-out single and a walk to earn his seventh save of the season.

On the other side, the Biscuits bullpen combined to allow just one run over five innings, though they handed out seven walks in the process.

Perhaps this is all leading up to a big recovery on Saturday, when I make my next Biscuits game in person. Of course, that'd ruin the game for another blogger who's taking in Saturday's game as part of a larger visit to the Montgomery area.

Somebody's going to be unhappy Saturday. And if things don't turn around, it'll be me and 7,000 other Biscuits fans.

Biscuits Beat Badly By Braves

A return to home didn't improve things for the Montgomery Biscuits. After dropping 3-of-5 to Jacksonville, the Biscuits opened a home series with a lopsided 9-1 loss to the Mississippi Braves Wednesday night.

Matt Harrsion (4-0, 2.14 ERA) tossed 8 scoreless innings before being chased by back-to-back hits to start the 9th. He gave up one-run and scattered 7 hits with 1 walk and 4 strikeouts to stay perfect on the year. The Braves (19-7) pushed their lead to 5 games in the South Division over the Suns and Barons. The Braves ERA dropped to 2.57 and they remain in first in the Southern League ahead of Birmingham - 2.72 ERA.

The Biscuits (12-14) finally solved Matt Harrison in the 9th inning as Reid Brignac led off with a double and Evan Longoria followed with an RBI single to chase Harrison from the game. Charlie Morton induced a 6-4-3 double play on the first pitch before getting Gabriel Martinez to ground out to Hernandez to end the game on just 4 pitches. Biscuits starter Chris Seddon (2-2, 5.29 ERA) struggled to find the strike zone as he allowed 3 walks and gave up 6 runs in his four innings of work. The Biscuits ran through 4 relievers after that with Evan Meek the only Biscuit to prevent the Braves from picking up a hit.

More: Mississippi Braves, Montgomery Biscuits

Four more games are on tap between Mississippi and the Biscuits. I'm planning on being at the game Saturday night. If all goes well, I'll be catching the game with a blogger and others who'll be in Montgomery this weekend.

Biscuits Fall To Jacksonville, Again

The Montgomery Biscuits had a day game, too. In Jacksonville. And, like the Class A Catfish, the Double-A Biscuits had a bad outcome to their game. Jacksonville beat the Biscuits, 6-4.

(John) Lindsey's three-run two-bagger increased his RBI total to 20, tied with Montgomery's Reid Brignac for the most in the Southern League. Xavier Paul, who has hit safely in 11 straight games, blasted a two-run homer in the sixth inning. The designated hitter has gone yard against the Biscuits (12-13) in each of the last two ballgames.

William Juarez (3-1) got the win after allowing three runs -- one earned -- on six hits over five innings. Matt Riley was touched for a run in two innings, while Zachary Hammes tossed two scoreless innings in his first appearance of the season for the Suns (14-11). The 22-year-old missed the month of April due to a strained back.

[more: Jacksonville Suns]

The Biscuits head home to open a series with the Mississippi Braves. As it stands now, I'll be meeting up with Two Dogs (Mean Ole Meany) for the Saturday match-up. Should be fun.

Biscuits Drop Game To Jacksonville

A rough night in Jacksonville for the Montgomery Biscuits tonight. And some former Columbus Catfish helped.

Anthony Ragliani and Xavier Paul hit home runs as the Jacksonville Suns defeated the visiting Montgomery Biscuits, 9-6, on Monday afternoon.

Ragliani's two-run shot in the second inning put the Suns (13-11) on the board, while Paul's three-run blast capped Jacksonville's four-run seventh frame. John Lindsey contributed a three-run double in the third.

Michael Megrew (2-1) earned the win, allowing two runs on six hits and three walks, fanning five over 5 1/3 innings. Wesley Wright yielded four runs -- three earned -- over 1 2/3 frames, while Brian Akin struck out four over two shutout innings to pick up his first save.

Paul, Wright, and Akin played for the Catfish when they were at Class A ... and when the Catfish were part of the Dodgers organization.

The two teams play a day game Tuesday to end the series. I won't be there. I'll be at the Catfish game in Columbus.

Biscuits Blast Jacksonville

Two multi-run blasts by Reid Brignac and John Jaso proved the difference in the Montgomery Biscuits 7-2 win over the Jacksonville Suns (Dodgers) this afternoon.

Jacksonville took an early lead with an unearned run in the 1st inning. Biscuits LF Jason Pridie misplayed a ball hit by former Columbus Catfish Xavier Paul, allowing a run to score.

The Biscuits tied it up in the 4th, when 3B Evan Longoria scored on a wild pitch.

In the 5th, LF Brooks Badeaux drove in C John Jaso on an RBI single. SS Reid Brignac followed with a 3-run shot to right. More fireworks ... but no runs ... followed that inning. After the next batter, 3B Evan Longoria, was hit by a pitch, things got heated. Before it was all over, Biscuits manager Billy Gardner and pitcher Jeremy Flanagan ... who wasn't pitching ... were ejected ... but the Biscuits were up 5-1.

In the 8th, Jaso hit a 2-run shot to extend the Biscuits lead. In the bottom of the inning, Jacksonville scored another unearned run on an error.

Dale Thayer came in and pitched the 9th for the Biscuits, and struck out the side, preserving the win.

Chris Mason pitched 5-1/3 innings, allowing 1 unearned run on 8 hits and a walk. He struck out 6 in improving his record to 3-0.

Brian Henderson closed out the 6th, Evan Meek pitched the 7th and 6th, allowing an unearned run on one hit.

Biscuits Fall To Jacksonville

The Montgomery Biscuits dropped the second game of the series at Jacksonville, losing to the Suns (Dodgers), 3-2.

The Biscuits fell behind early when former Columbus Catfish OF Xavier Paul hit a solo home run in the bottom of the 1st, putting Jacksonville up 1-0.

The Biscuits tied the game in the 5th. CF Fernando Perez drove in 3B Gabriel Martinez, who had led off the inning with a single.

A 2-run homer off Biscuits starter Derek Feldkamp in the 6th gave Jacksonville a 3-1 lead.

The Biscuits closed the gap in the 9th. LF Jason Pridie doubled, scoring 2B Josh Asanovich, to make it 3-2. However, with the tying run on third and the go-ahead run on second, former Catfish P Jonathan Meloan struck out Biscuits SS Reid Brignac to end the game.

The Biscuits stranded 10 runners on base, 6 in scoring position.

Perez now shares the team lead in doubles. He hit his 6th 2-bagger to start the game.

Feldkamp was tagged with the loss, his 3rd of the year, despite having his longest outing of the season. He struck out 3 in his 6 innings of work. Richard De Los Santos worked the last 2 innings, allowing 1 hit and striking out 1.

Biscuits Beat Jacksonville, 12-5

The Montgomery Biscuits' first trip to the largest city in south Georgia began with a 12-5 win over the Jacksonville Suns (Dodgers).

Back-to-back homers in the first inning gave the Biscuits an early lead. Leadoff man Fernando Perez walked and stole second. LF Jason Pridie singled, then SS Reid Brignac homered. 2B Evan Longoria followed with a solo shot, and the Biscuits were up 4-0.

A solo homer in the bottom of the inning made it 4-1.

In the third inning, Jacksonville tied the game. C A. J. Ellis, a former Columbus Catfish (then known as the South Georgia Waves) player, walked, then scored on SS Chin Lung Hu -- another former Catfish -- tripled. Hu scored on a single by 2B Luis Maza. After moving to 3rd on a sacrifice and a ground out, Maza scored when 1B Cory Dunlap singled, tying the game at 4-4.

The Biscuits broke the game open in the 6th. 1B Chris Nowak walked, moved to second on RF Shaun Cumberland's single, and scored on a single by C John Jaso. A wild pitch by former Catfish Wesley Wright allowed Cumberland to score. After 2B Josh Asanovich walked, Wright was replaced on the Jacksonville mound by former Catfish Carlos Alvarez, who then walked Perez to load the bases. Pridie hit a 2-run single. A double steal put both runners in scoring position. Then Brignac drove in Perez on on a sacrifice fly. Longoria drove in Pridie on a single to center field, putting the Biscuits up 10-4.

Doubles by DH Patrick Breen and Perez in the 7th made it 11-4. Jacksonville closed the gap slightly on an RBI triple by former Catfish Xavier Paul in the bottom of the 7th, making it 11-5.

Longoria singled in the 8th, scoring Brignac and the Biscuits had a 12-5 lead.

Longoria and Jaso were both 3-for-5. Brignac and Pridie were both 2-for-4, driving in 4 and 2 runs.

Chris Seddon went 6 innings, allowing 4 runs on 8 hits, walking 3 and striking out 3 in picking up the win for the Biscuits. Nick Debarr went 2 innings, allowing a run on 2 hits. Former Catfish Brett Wayne pitched the 9th, allowing 2 hits, but struck out former teammate Xavier Paul for the game's final out.

About Those Biscuits

Somone asked me the other day about my cheering on the Montgomery Biscuits. They asked how I "got hooked into going to Biscuits games." Which is sort of how the Wife feels, since she's not really a sports fan.

Anyway, about those Biscuits. It sort of happened by accident. And by fate. And it's sort of a long story. You might want to go get a Coca-Cola. I'll wait.