After a bullpen collapse led to an 8-6 loss in the opening game of the Southern League playoffs, the Birmingham Barons were up against the ropes on Thursday night.
The White Sox Double-A affiliate finished the regular season with the best record in the league and a dominant pitching staff, but they found themselves just one loss away from being eliminated short of the championship series.
Tanner McDougal started the first playoff game for the Barons on Tuesday, and Lucas Gordon had thrown in the regular season finale on Sunday. That left manager Guillermo Quiroz with a tough choice for who to give the ball to for an elimination game against Chattanooga.