Red-hot Varsho perfect at dish for Generals

In his 100th game of the season, Daulton Varsho made sure to put together a performance befitting the round number.
The D-backs' No. 5 prospect went 4-for-4 with a homer, three-runs scored and two RBIs as Double-A Jackson completed a doubleheader sweep of Tennessee with a 7-3 victory on Wednesday at The Ballpark at Jackson. Varsho did not play in the opener as the Generals posted a 2-0 win in the completion of a suspended game.

After playing center field for the first time in his professional career on Monday, Varsho credited a much-needed day off on Tuesday to help him slow things down at the plate.
"Working out in center field was a lot of fun the other night," he said, "just kind of being able to shut my brain off hopefully a little bit when I'm out in center and not try and call a game from out there. I think I can help from both positions."
Varsho said the baseball looked big against the Smokies. He began game No. 100 against starter Erich Uelmen, who he caught four years ago while playing for Eau Claire in the Northwoods League.
"I knew he had a sinker," Varsho said. "I hadn't seen the slider in a while, so I figured it was coming."
Varsho lined that slider for a one-out double to right field in the first inning. He sent the right-hander's 1-1 offering over the fence in left-center for a solo shot in the third that put Jackson on the board. It was his 17th homer of the season, pulling him into a fourth-place tie in the Southern League.
"I didn't think it was gonna get out because it's tough to hit homers in our ballpark, but it squeaked out," he said.
Gameday box score 
When Uelmen came up to hit in the fourth, he told Varsho he wasn't going to see any more pitches to hit.
The 23-year-old led off the fifth against Uelmen and ripped an 0-2 pitch to center for a single, notching his fourth three-hit effort in nine games.
"He did give me another pitch to hit," Varsho said.
Against lefty Jordan Minch in the sixth, he plated another run with an infield single, completing his second four-hit game of the season and first since May 13, when he totaled seven knocks in a twinbill against Mobile.
"I was lucky the scorekeeper gave it a hit, to be honest," he said.

The 2017 second-round pick continued a torrid August in which he's hitting .438/.464/.828 with five roundtrippers and 14 RBIs in 16 games. It's raised his overall slash line to .302/.379/.527 with 55 RBIs and a league-leading 79 runs scored. He also tops the circuit in slugging and OPS (.906), is tied for second with 194 total bases and ranks third in extra-base hits (45), batting and on-base percentage.
"When I'm on the basepaths, I try to do everything I can to score runs for this team," Varsho said. "To be leading the league in it, I think that's pretty cool."
Pavin Smith added two hits, including his 11th homer, and three RBIs for Jackson. 
Cubs No. 9 prospectZack Short went 3-for-3 with a double, a walk and a run scored for the Smokies.