Barons Blank Generals, 2-0

Strong defense and stellar pitching kept the Generals out of the run column as the Birmingham Barons (39-40) notched a 2-0 win over the Jackson Generals (43-37) Monday night at Regions Field. Birmingham now leads the six-game series three games to two.

• Moments That Mattered: A couple of clutch defensive plays helped seal the one-run win for Birmingham on Monday night. The first came in the top of the sixth as Luis Basabe fielded a one-hop hit from Jamie Westbrook, picking up an outfield assist with a laser throw to third to halt Domingo Leyba's attempted advancement for the third out. Bryant Flete , who got the putout on the play, was on the front end of a 5-4-3 double play that ended the General's most significant threat in the seventh inning.
• By the Numbers: Matt Tomshaw (W, 4-4) worked his seventh quality start and his second in as many outings as he tossed seven complete frames with no runs and just four hits against, striking out six and walking one. In his fourth relief appearance since his promotion to Birmingham on June 21, Zach Thompson  completed the Baron's sixth shutout win, dealing two scoreless innings with a strikeout and two hits against for his first Double-A save.
• Quotable: "It's always gut-wrenching as a pitcher to have someone smoke the ball to the wall," Thompson said about Evan Marzilli's one-out double in the eighth. "Then I thought, we're not leaving it like that, and I got a couple of ground balls to get out of the inning. That gave me some confidence, and I knew I was going to keep working to the end."  
• He Said It: "It takes a few outings to get used to it," Thompson said of his first few appearances at the Double-A level. "Honestly, I was a little nervous at first, but now, I feel comfortable."
• Turning Points: Danny Mendick  eventually broke the scoreless stalemate after a chess match of a pitcher's duel, rattling off the game's sixth hit for a double into left field that easily plated Joel Booker  from third to put the Barons ahead for good, 1-0. Two innings later, Mendick notched his second RBI of the night on a sacrifice fly to right field, allowing Basabe to touch home for an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth.
• Facts and Figures: Mendick paced Birmingham at the plate, going 2-for-3 with the two RBIs that plated both of the games runs. Booker, Flete and Alex Call  each finished with one hit in the win.

• Up Next: The Barons and Generals will wrap up the series in an Independence Day Eve special with first pitch slated for 6:30 p.m. Right-hander Alec Hansen  (0-2, 8.03) will get the start against righty-counterpart Joel Payamps (6-2, 2.80). Curt Bloom will have the call on 960 WERC News Radio and the iHeart Radio app.