Birmingham entered Tuesday’s game with the chance to clinch the Double-A Southern League Championship. And although it might have taken one inning longer than it should have, the Barons defeated the Montgomery Biscuits to claim the title, 2-1. The pitching was mostly solid, but the offense couldn’t figure out how to capitalize on their situations. The good news is that Birmingham prevailed, and earned their first championship since 2013.

Birmingham jumped out front early after Michael Turner singled to drive in Rikuu Nishida — who was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning — and put the Barons up, 1-0.

Barons 1, Biscuits 0 | Bottom 1st Game 2 | Michael Turner RBI single gives Barons early lead.#bhambarons pic.twitter.com/Z6s491UiBk

— Birmingham Barons (@BhamBarons) September 25, 2024

It was Juan Carela’s time to shine in Game 2, and although he walked three guys, he still went for 4 2/3 solid, scoreless innings, and gave up five hits while striking out four. He got into a bit of trouble in the top of the second after a two-out double and a walk, but Carela was able to work out of it by forcing a fly out. The third inning was a fairly similar story; Carela loaded the bases after a pair of singles and a walk, but then worked out of it with a ground out and a fly out.

The rest of Carela’s outing went fairly well with a couple of singles and a walk mixed in, but Caleb Freeman was called on to finish the last out of the fifth inning — which as a veteran fireman, he did.

While Bham’s pitching was doing their best to get the job done, the offense once again wasn’t pulling its weight, even with a one-run lead. Until the bottom of the ninth, Birmingham only racked up three hits, all singles. In fact, the Barons didn’t record any extra base-hits the entire game, and were outhit by the Biscuits, 8-7.

Zach Franklin and Peyton Pallette were next out of the bullpen for the Barons, efficiently keeping the Biscuits off the base paths and out of scoring position. Franklin gave up one hit in his inning, but alternatively struck out two and shut Montgomery down. Pallette’s sole baserunner was a walk in the top of the seventh, in which he promptly forced the next batter to ground into a double play.

Eric Adler finished out the game for the Barons, and earns the badge for the “weirdest stat” award: Recording a win while also blowing the save. In the top of the ninth, Adler allowed one hit that turned out to be the tying run after a wild pitch and an RBI double scored the first run for the Biscuits … all with two outs. The defense was working hard to minimize any and all potential damage, and Rikuu Nishida flashed some leather to rob a line drive headed straight to the gap.

RIKUU NISHIDA‼️ pic.twitter.com/SbPmqpZrg8

— Birmingham Barons (@BhamBarons) September 25, 2024

The Barons set out to walk it off in the bottom of the ninth. Michael Turner singled, and the Biscuits decided to intentionally walk Terrell Tatum. Both runners were able to advance on a wild pitch with Shawn Goosenberg up, but he grounded out to end the inning and send the game to extras.

Heading into extra innings, both teams would begin the inning with a runner on second base (whoever made the last out), which is unlike MLB playoffs. How silly to decide a championship game by giving each team a runner in scoring position, especially after what was essentially a nine-inning pitcher’s duel. Eric Adler returned in the 10th for the Barons, and shut down the Biscuits in order, earning his only strikeout of the night.

Goosenberg started the inning at second for Birmingham, and after a wonky strike out from Nishida, Matt Hogan walked to add a second baserunner into the mix with Wilfred Veras stepping up to the plate. Veras has notoriously been one of Birmingham’s best hitters so he was being put in a great opportunity to win the game. After a wild pitch from Biscuits righty, Austin Vernon, Montgomery proved they had clearly read up on the scouting report and decided to intentionally walk Veras to load the bases and open up a force at home.

This was likely the right move considering how dangerous Veras is as a hitter, but the Biscuits had just learned the hard way on Sunday after getting beat on an intentional walk. DJ Gladney fell behind into an 0-2 count, but he found the pitch he was looking for and ripped a hard liner up the middle to win the game and the championship!

Game 3: NOT necessary.

DJ Gladney’s walk-off single gives the @BhamBarons their first Southern League title since 2013!@WBRCnews pic.twitter.com/bE1X8iVa0b

— Jonathon Hoppe (@jahop23) September 25, 2024

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Barons celebration photo by Shotgun Sports Network – Alabama