There was no easing into Wednesday night's rehab assignment for Ervin Santana at AT&T Field.
The Minnesota Twins starting pitcher who finished seventh in last year's American League Cy Young Award voting got his first professional competition of 2018 and was greeted by a leadoff home run to right field by Montgomery's Jake Cronenworth.
The Biscuits scored another run off Santana in the second inning and went on to an 8-1 whipping of the Chattanooga Lookouts in front of an announced crowd of 2,254.
Santana, who had finger surgery in February and was placed on the 60-day disabled list, was on a pitch count of 45 and was right on that number after two innings that yielded four hits and the two runs. Montgomery went up 2-0 when Ryan Boldt singled to right, stole second base and scored on a Mac James single to left.
Montgomery starter J.D. Martin dominated a Chattanooga roster absent of Nick Gordon (promoted to Triple-A) and LaMonte Wade (injured), limiting the Lookouts to three hits and one run in seven innings. Chattanooga scored in the fourth, when James Ramsey had a bunt single, advanced to second on a Zander Wiel groundout and scored on Edgar Corcino's single to center to make it 5-1.