Lookouts blow big lead, win 13-8 in 11th

Sunday, June 13, 2010

PEARL, Miss. -- The Chattanooga Lookouts blew a seven-run lead but won 13-8 in 11 innings Saturday night against the Mississippi Braves.

Although eliminated from first-half championship contention in the Southern League, Chattanooga has won six of its last seven games to improve to 28-33.

A throwing error on Dee Gordon's bunt with runners on third and second bases brought in two runs in the 11th inning, and Ramon Nivar followed a Trayvon Robinson single off pitcher Lee Hyde's glove with a two-run triple to left field off new pitcher Juan Abreu. Then Nivar scored on Corey Smith's double to center.

Mississippi tied the game at 8 with a four-run eighth inning featuring Willie Cabrera's three-run double to right and Mauro Gomez's double to left. Cabrera drove in half the Braves' runs.

The Lookouts provided starting pitcher Timothy Sexton plenty of help with Smith's two-run home run to left in the third inning and Scott Van Slyke's two-run double to center in the fifth. Sexton singled in Van Slyke to give the Lookouts a seemingly commanding 8-1 advantage, but the Braves rallied.

Eduardo Perez was 4-for-7 and Smith, Gordon and Nivar had three hits apiece for Chattanooga, Smith with four RBIs and Gordon and Nivar each with three runs scored.

Game four of the five-game series is tonight at 6:05 EDT. Chris Withrow (1-3, 4.95 ERA) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Lookouts, with Mike Minor (1-5, 4.24) set to go for the Braves.