Unforeseen off days, coming back to back Wednesday and Thursday, obviously were ideal for the visiting Birmingham Barons.
They used a doubleheader win Friday over the Chattanooga Lookouts to bounce from third to the Southern League's second-half North Division lead.
The Barons, after games were rained out in the first two days of their visit, won 3-1 and 6-1 in Friday's doubleheader at AT&T Field.
The playoff-clinching Lookouts, first-half North winners, continued to struggle in the early second half , dropping to 1-6.
The Birmingham series was their first second-half home stand, which wound up consisting of but two games. After the rain-shortened series, the Lookouts go back on the road, this time for five games at Jacksonville beginning tonight. They'll return home Thursday for five games against Mississippi.
The Barons' Myles Jaye gave up only three hits in six innings of shutout work in the first game to earn his seventh win against three losses. He lowered his season earned run average to 2.72.
David Hurlbut (3-4) took the loss, allowing all three runs - in the first inning - while giving up six hits and four walks.
The walks hurt the left-hander. Tim Anderson singled to open the game and Hurlbut then issued back-to-back walks to Joey DeMichele and Courtney Hawkins. After inducing an infield fly, Hurlbut gave up a two-run single to Danny Hayes before Rob Brantly's two-out double plated Hayes with run No. 3.
It would be enough.
The Lookouts mounted a semblance of a threat in the bottom of the seventh. A run-scoring single by Jorge Polanco followed a single by Travis Harrison and free passes to Stuart Turner and Stephen Wickens. However, Zach Isler picked up his first save by inducing a double-play ball off the bat of Heiker Meneses.
The Barons also scored three runs in their first at-bat of the second gamem and again it was Hayes in the middle of things, knocking in a run and then coming around to score on Adrian Nieto's double. Hayes finished the second game 2-for-3 with a run and two RBIs.
Alex Wimmers (5-2) took that loss, allowing four earned runs in five innings. He gave up seven hits and a walk while striking out three, pushing his ERA to 4.60.
Birmingham used four pitchers in the win with starter Tim Crabbe and first reliever Tyner Barnette throwing two innings apiece. J.B. Wendelken, who pitched the final 2 1/2 innings, was awarded the win.
Sano shines
Miguel Sano got an infield hit in his fourth at-bat for the Minnesota Twins on Thursday, his first game since being called up from the Lookouts. He then had an RBI single and scored after another hit in his first three at-bats Friday at Kansas City. The Twins led 2-1 until the Royals tied the score in the eighth.