See Oak Ridge man’s Smokies memorabilia collection
Seen Don Bell’s Smokies memorabilia collection, June 21, 2025.
The Knoxville Smokies came home to sunshine and a satisfying 2-0 win over the Birmingham Barons on June 24, the first game of the Double-A season’s second half and the opener in a six-game series at Covenant Health Park.
There was little action in the first three innings, but Pedro Ramirez launched a solo home run to right field for his fifth homer of the season to lead off the fourth for the Smokies. The long ball was Tennessee’s only extra-base hit of the game, but proved enough behind a strong night on the mound from Sam Armstrong, who surrendered a single hit in six scoreless innings.
Armstrong kept Birmingham off the books, erasing a potential threat in the second inning when he picked off DJ Gladney at second base to get out of the inning.
Birmingham, which won the first half in the Southern League North Division, had multiple chances to answer but couldn’t crack one past the defense. The Barons grounded into two double plays, snuffing out rallies in the second and fifth frames.
In the bottom of the eight, Brett Bateman grounded one straight down center field for a base hit single. And once again, Ramirez hit the deciding blow with another ball down center field, bring home Bateman, who had stolen second base.
Birmingham had just one more chance in the top of the ninth with Knoxville ahead 2-0. The Barons put two runners in scoring position, but Mitchell Tyranski worked the Smokies out of a jam in his lone inning on the mound. And who else but Ramirez to make the game-ending throw to first baseman BJ Murray Jr. off a ground ball?
The win sets the tone for the six-game home stand, starting with a rare dry summer evening after a spring full of rain delays and rescheduled games.
Knox News reporter Gabriel Jackson covers the Knoxville Smokies and One Knox SC men’s and women’s soccer. Email: gabriel.jackson@knoxnews.com.
