Kodak, Tenn. - The Jackson Generals, the Double-A affiliate of Major League Baseball's Arizona Diamondbacks, gave the Tennessee Smokies the business on Tuesday night, winning 9-0 at Smokies Stadium to even their series at 1-1.
Kodak, Tenn. - The Jackson Generals, the Double-A affiliate of Major League Baseball's Arizona Diamondbacks, gave the Tennessee Smokies the business on Tuesday night, winning 9-0 at Smokies Stadium to even their series at 1-1.
The Generals (5-6) put up their highest scoring game of the year, as the Smokies (7-4) became Jackson's second shutout victim of the season.
The Generals offense came out swinging from the first bell, landing five consecutive blows against Tennessee right-hander Thomas Hatch (0-1, 5.65 ERA) to begin the game. Andy Young doubled on the first pitch of the game, and Pavin Smith followed three pitches later with a single, bringing Jamie Westbrook to the plate. Westbrook extended his hitting streak to eight games with a run-scoring single to center to the put the Generals on the board, and Daulton Varsho followed with a first-pitch double to left that scored another Jackson run. Ramon Hernandez added his two cents with an RBI single five pitches later, putting the Generals up 3-0 just 13 pitches into the game. A Jazz Chisholm RBI groundout would cap the first inning scoring, but the West Tennessee gang still had gas left in the tank.
In the second inning, Ben DeLuzio led off by working a full-count walk, and pitcher Bo Takahashi sacrificed himself to push DeLuzio to second base. Young followed with another walk, putting two men on for Smith. The Jackson first baseman swatted his second home run of the season to make the lead 7-0 Generals, and three pitches later, Westbrook launched a solo shot to make it 8-0. Hatch continued to work all the way into the fifth inning, when Varsho led off with the Generals' third bomb of the game, giving Jackson a 9-0 lead that Tennessee would never threaten. Each of the first five Generals in the batting order collected multi-hit games, while Smith, Westbrook, and Varsho all drove in multiple runs. Jackson finished with a season-best 6-for-11 mark with runners in scoring position, compiling a season-high seven extra-base hits against Hatch, a 2018 Southern League Midseason All-Star.
From the hill, life was simple for Bo Takahashi (2-0, 1.80 ERA), who retired the first eight men in order before allowing a double to his counter-part, Hatch. Takahashi stranded a leadoff triple in the fourth inning and a leadoff single in the fifth, turning the game over to Bud Jeter (H, 1) in the sixth after five scoreless frames. Jeter gave his best effort of the year, throwing three shutout innings in relief while striking out four men. Kevin Ginkel salted away the victory with a run-free ninth inning. The pivot game of the five-game series looms large on Wednesday, as the Smokies are hosting a "Free Beer" promotion until the visiting team scores.
NEXT GENERALS GAME:
6:00 pm CT Wednesday (4/17) vs. Tennessee Smokies (Chicago Cubs)
Smokies Stadium - Kodak, Tenn.
RHP Emilio Vargas (0-0, 0.90 ERA) vs. RHP Cory Abbott (1-0, 1.69 ERA)
Broadcast Link: Tennessee Smokies Baseball Network
UP AND COMING AT THE BALLPARK:
April 25-29 vs. Pensacola Blue Wahoos (AA, Minnesota Twins)
…featuring Super Hero Night (April 27), with 1,000 super-hero-themed T-shirts given away!
The Jackson Generals, a West Tennessee franchise since 1998, are the Double-A minor league affiliate of Major League Baseball's Arizona Diamondbacks. The Generals play at The Ballpark at Jackson, Tennessee's 2017 & 2018 Pro Sports Field of the Year. Purchase your tickets to see the defending Southern League champions today
by calling 731.988.5299 or visiting JacksonGeneralsBaseball.com!
