Birmingham proved to be a buzzkill on 80s night at AT&T Field Tuesday. The Barons scored early and often to defeat the Chattanooga Lookouts, 10-5, taking a 2-1 lead in the five-game series.

Trayce Thompson opened the game with a leadoff homer for the Barons off Chattanooga starter Chris Reed, who fell to 4-6 after lasting only 4 1/3 innings and allowing six runs, five earned, and eight hits. Kevan Smith added a first-inning RBI single and Birmingham carried a 2-1 lead into the fourth inning when the game opened up.

Jeremy Farrell made it 4-1 with a two-run double, one of seven extra-base hits for the Barons. Chris Curley, who had a pair of doubles, plated another run on a groundout. Birmingham ended Reed's night in the fifth after Michael Earley's RBI single made it 6-1.

The lead was 8-1 in the sixth when the Lookouts finally made some noise to go along with the 80s-era tunes played between innings. A pair of doubles and run-scoring outs by Chris O'Brien and Angel Sanchez preceded Casio Grider's two-run homer off Birmingham reliever Bryan Blough, getting Chattanooga within three.

The Barons, however, added a pair of late runs and used a pair of relievers to get the three-and-a-half hour game in the books. Birmingham rapped out 13 hits, including three from Farrell and two each from Smith and Earley. Starting pitcher Chris Beck improved to 4-6 by allowing one unearned run and four hits in five innings.

Grider and Bobby Coyle had two hits each for the Lookouts, who fall to 6-7 in the Southern League's second half.

Andres Santiago (2-4) will start game four for the Lookouts Wednesday (7:15 start) against Birmingham's Myles Jaye (0-7).

Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6296.