Graham Taylor falls in his 2nd appearance since Tommy John surgery; Tennessee Smokies vs. Jacksonville Suns

Graham Taylor last appearance pitching, before having to get Tommy John surgery during the 2009 offseason and missing all of the 2010 season, was in a win versus the Tennessee Smokies in the 2009 Southern League Championship series where the Jacksonville Suns would wind up winning the championship in Tennessee.

Taylor got the loss in this particular regular season game after allowing 11 hits, 6 runs, 5 earned runs, 2 home runs, and struck out only 2 in 6 innings. In the 2nd, after Taylor had given up a lead off double to Blake Lalli, Nate Samson hit a 2 run home run tieing the game at 2 after the Suns had a 2 run shot of their own by Jake Smolinski in the 1st. Taylor gave up another single right after the home run to Marwin Gonzalez but was able to get the 1st out of the inning by picking him off at 1st base with the help of 1st baseman Ben Lasater. In the 3rd Taylor gave up another lead off single, to DJ LeMahieu, the next 2 batters flew out, but then with 2 outs Josh Vitters homered off of Graham to give the Smokies the lead at 4-2. Lalli backed up the home run with a double. Nate Samson singled on a fly ball to center field, Lalli scores as Jorge Padilla, center fielder, threw in time to catcher Luke Montz who tagged in time but without the ball in his glove, error on Montz and an unearned run for Taylor (6-2 Smokies). Taylor would then go on throwing perfect 4th and 5th innings and just allowed 1 hit, a double, in the 6th.

Luke Montz made up for his error in the 3rd with a solo home run in the 5th, sadly this wasn't enough to spark the Suns offense and start a rally. The Suns only runs were off home runs by Smolinski and Montz. The Suns as a team batted a .278 in the game with 10 hits versus the Smokies 13 hits with a team average of .342 in the game. Daniel Jennings gave up a solo home run to Matthew Spencer, supposedly known as the Morsetown Masher as he likes to hit home runs, which was the 3rd Smokie home run in the game and 5th in the game including the 2 Suns home runs.

The Suns fall 7-3 to the team they have beaten twice consecutively in the Southern League Championship series to win back-to-back championships.