With a streak of four consecutive quality starts from the Jackson Generals starting pitchers on the line, JON DUPLANTIER was not about to drop the baton.
With a streak of four consecutive quality starts from the Jackson Generals starting pitchers on the line, JON DUPLANTIER was not about to drop the baton.
The right-hander harpooned the Pensacola Blue Wahoos with six shutout innings in the series finale, leading the Generals to a 5-0 victory to complete the series sweep for Jackson. The Generals' sweep is their second of the year and first in the month of May, pulling them within 1.5 games of first-place Chattanooga in the Southern League's North Division.
Beginning the game with a five-pitch walk to Shed Long, Duplantier soon settled down, facing only two batters more than the minimum in his longest start of the year. Duplantier issued a second walk in the second inning (to Daniel Sweet), but he did not allow a hit until Pensacola's Luis Gonzalez beat out an infield single to lead off the fourth inning. The 23-year-old Duplantier struck out six hitters in a hyper-efficient 73-pitch effort, inducing eight groundouts and a pair of groundball double plays. YUHEI NAKAUSHIRO threw an inning of relief in Duplantier's place, striking out two batters. The shutout was Jackson's second consecutive blanking of Pensacola, extending the Blue Wahoos' slump to 23 consecutive innings without a run scored.
Against Pensacola's Wyatt Strahan, the Jackson lineup got the scoring started early, using a two-run double in the first inning from RUDY FLORES and a two-run single in the second inning from KEVIN MEDRANO to race out in front. Medrano-who celebrated his 28th birthday on Monday-finished with a pair of hits and two RBI, matching long-time teammate Flores as the Generals won their first series finale since their April 20th sweep-clinching win against Birmingham.
TOP PERFORMERS - Generals
RHP Jon Duplantier - 6.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K
RF Kevin Medrano - 2-3, R, 2 RBI, BB
1B Rudy Flores - 2-3, 2 RBI, BB, 2B
TOP PERFORMERS - Pensacola
LHP Juan Martinez - 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
RHP Jose Rafael De Paula - 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
NEXT GENERALS GAME:
6:05pm CT Wednesday (5/23) vs. Birmingham Barons
The Ballpark at Jackson - Jackson, Tenn.
RHP Justin Donatella (1-2, 3.03 ERA)
vs.
LHP Matt Tomshaw (0-1, 5.75 ERA)
NEXT TWO GENERALS HOMESTANDS:
May 23-27 vs. Birmingham Barons
June 3-7 vs. Tennessee Smokies
Dial 731-988-5299 for tickets to see Jackson Generals Baseball,
OR
log on to JacksonGeneralsBaseball.com!
