The Chattanooga Lookouts took the first lead of Wednesday's Southern League game against Birmingham at AT&T Field.
Barons starter Michael Kopech obviously believed that was enough, and he helped keep the Lookouts quiet at the plate for much of the rest of the night in a 3-1 loss for Chattanooga in front of 2,154.
Kopech (7-6) struck out 12 batters in six innings, allowing two hits, walking two and hitting a batter. Connor Walsh pitched the final 1 2/3 innings for the save, adding two strikeouts for 15 total by the Lookouts.
Kopech's early trouble came when Nick Gordon drew a leadoff walk in the first inning, moved to second on LaMonte Wade's groundout and scored on Jonathan Rodriguez's single to right. After Andy Wilkins swung for Kopech's first strikeout of the night, a wild pitch with T.J. White at the plate moved Rodriguez to second, but White was called out on strikes to end the inning.
And Kopech got help at the plate quickly, too. The Barons made it 1-1 in the second on Courtney Hawkins' RBI single, then went ahead in the fifth as Alfredo Gonzalez came home on a passed ball and added their final run in the ninth on a sacrifice fly by Eddy Alvarez.
The Lookouts didn't push a runner past first base again until the eighth inning, when they loaded the bases with one out after Scott Snodgress intentionally walked Wilkins, but Walsh entered and got back-to-back strikeouts.
In the ninth, Walsh gave up a one-out single to Levi Michael, but Chattanooga's final threat ended when Carlos Paulino grounded into a double play.
Game three of the five-game series is tonight at 7:15. Jordan Guerrero (6-9, 3.65) will start on the mound for Birmingham, with Dereck Rodriguez (4-1, 2.95) going for the Lookouts.