Generals Beaten In Tight Finale

Jackson, Tenn. - Generals pitcher Brad Keller allowed two or fewer runs for the fourth consecutive start, but the Generals could not back him up offensively, as Chattanooga won the five-game series finale 5-2 on Monday. Kelly Dugan and Jamie Westbrook each homered for Jackson (15-9), but some cross-ups between Generals pitchers and catchers helped allow Chattanooga (12-13) to gain the victory.
Yuhei Nakaushiro (1-1, 3.46 ERA) took the loss in relief for the Generals, with Chattanooga starter Felix Jorge (3-1, 3.71 ERA) being credited with the win. Mason Melotackis (Sv, 3) picked up the save for the visitors, as the Generals struggled to rally beyond the sixth inning. 

Westbrook and Dugan's solo shots, in addition to Victor Reyes' double in the third inning, were the only extra-base hits by Jackson. The Generals had just three opportunities with men in scoring position, going hitless in those situations.
Chattanooga began the scoring with a two-out walk in the third inning. Nick Gordon reached via the base-on-balls, scrambling to second during Engelb Vielma's at-bat on a passed ball. Vielma then singled home Gordon to give the Lookouts the edge. The Generals answered in the bottom half, as Westbrook finished a twelve-pitch battle against Jorge with a demonstrative blast over the wall in left, tying the game. Westbrook's first home run of the year was part of a two-hit day, making him 15-for-31 in his last eight games.
The Lookouts went back on top in the sixth, beginning with a one-out double from Jonathan Rodriguez. A passed ball allowed Rodriguez to advance to third, but Keller retired the hitter before being removed directly thereafter in favor of Yuhei Nakaushiro (1-1, 3.46). The left-hander's first pitch was a wild one, sailing wide of the plate and allowing Rodriguez to score as the ball bounced to the backstop. Nakaushiro allowed a pair of singles to the hitters that followed, but he managed to end the inning with a strikeout and no further damage done.
In the bottom half, another Generals long-ball equalized the score at 2-2. Kelly Dugan sent a two-out pitch over the wall in center field for his fifth home run of the year, adding to his stout early-season performance against right-handed pitching.
In the seventh, Nakaushiro allowed a double and a walk to his first two batters, giving up the ball to right-hander Joey Krehbiel. Krehbiel conceded a sacrifice fly to the first hitter he faced, as Chattanoga wrested the lead back at 3-2. Krehbiel would go on to retire the five hitters he faced, holding the Generals in striking distance through the eighth inning.
Gabriel Moya issued three costly walks and allowed two hits in the ninth inning, with the Lookouts stretching their lead out to 5-2 before the Generals' final at-bat. Jackson's final eleven batters went hitless at the plate following Dugan's seventh-inning home run, giving Chattanooga the series victory. Reyes had three hits on the day, climbing into the Southern League lead with a .365 batting average.  
The Generals have an off day on Tuesday, but they will hit the road on Wednesday for a five-game swing against the Mobile BayBears. The Generals will return to West Tennessee thereafter for their longest homestand of the First Half, hosting consecutive five-game series against the Tennessee Smokies and Pensacola Blue Wahoos. The ten-game set will feature lots of fun and face time with Jackson's mascot, as the team celebrates Sarge's Birthday and Sarge's Carnival with fireworks, carnival rides, and more! A pair of Education Days will bookend the action-packed weekend, which will also include a Thrifty Thursday, Food Truck Friday, and the return of the Hub City Hippos to The Ballpark.
Make sure to get your tickets now to see the 20^th season of professional baseball in Jackson, and the first for the team as an affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks! Call the team at (731) 988.5299, stop by The Ballpark or go online to jacksongeneralsbaseball.com to secure your seats now!