Smokies Stifle Shuckers Offense

KODAK, TN - The Tennessee Smokies (58-59, 22-25) shutout the Biloxi Shuckers (67-51, 26-22) 7-0 on Saturday night at Smokies Stadium. In his Major League rehab start for the Shuckers, RHP Zach Davies tossed five innings. 
A pair of walks set up the first runs of the game for the Smokies. Davies (L, 0-1) issued the free passes to Jesse Hodges and Zack Short, bringing up Jeffrey Baez with two outs in the third. The right fielder doubled into the left field corner, scoring both runners, before he was thrown out trying to stretch his hit into a triple.
Tennessee would tally two more in the fourth. With men on second and third, Vimael Machin singled to center, driving in a run. Another run scored on a throwing error, pushing the Smokies to a 4-0 edge. All told, Davies allowed four runs on five hits while walking three and striking out five. 
RHP Keegan Thompson (W, 5-1) scattered three hits over his six frames of work while not walking a batter and striking out three. The Shuckers best chance to score against Thompson came in the sixth, when Keston Hiura tripled to the left-field gap with two outs. Lucas Erceg stepped to the plate and sliced a ball to left field that was run down by Baez, ending the inning. Hiura would finish the night 2-for-4 with a triple, his 15^th multi-hit game with the Shuckers.
The Smokies added on three more in the eighth, stretching their lead to 7-0. The runs allowed by the Shuckers bullpen snapped a streak of 20 straight innings without surrendering a run over their last six games. RHP Allen Webster, LHP James Buckelew and RHP Scott Effross all pitched a scoreless frame of relief for the Smokies.  
Biloxi finishes up their series with the Smokies on Sunday afternoon at 4:30 PM CT. RHP Thomas Jankins (9-7, 4.63) is slated to toe the rubber for the Shuckers against Smokies RHP Duncan Robinson (6-4, 3.56). The game can be heard locally on Cruisin' WGCM AM 1240/FM 100.9, TuneIn Radio or the MiLB First Pitch App.
Single game tickets for the Biloxi Shuckers 2018 season can be purchased at the MGM Park box office or over the phone through Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Playoff tickets, half-season tickets, flex plans and group outings are also available and can be reserved by calling 228-233-3465 or visiting www.biloxishuckers.com.