SMOKIES 7, LOOKOUTS 5
Thursday’s road recap: Both teams hit four home runs, but the Lookouts lost for the fifth time in seven games to start the Southern League season’s second half. Chattanooga rallied to tie it at 5-all on an eighth-inning solo home run by Brent Rooker – his 13th of the season – but Tennessee’s Ian Rice responded with a two-run homer with two outs in the bottom half. Rice drove in Vimael Machin, who had drawn a one-out walk. Rooker finished 3-for-4 with two homers – his first of the game came when he led off the sixth – and a double. He scored after hitting his double in the fourth when Andy Wilkins homered to right field. Brian Navaretto hit Chattanooga’s other homer while leading off the seventh.
Next up: Game two of a five-game series in Kodak is tonight at 7.
Pitchers: Sean Poppen (1-4, 5.61) is scheduled to start for the Lookouts, with Oscar De La Cruz (5-6, 5.32) scheduled for the Smokies.