Herum's late hits help Generals rally to win, 4-3

JACKSON, Tenn. - The Jackson Generals, the Double-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks, snuck in the back door for a 4-3 victory on Thursday night, beating the Tennessee Smokies at The Ballpark at Jackson.

The Generals' late-inning comeback pushed Jackson (59-50) ahead in the season series, 8-7, and dropped Tennessee (53-56) to 38-10 when leading after six innings.
Generals right-hander Emilio Vargas started off shaky in his Double-A debut, though he settled down as the game wore on. Vargas gave up hits to the first three men he faced, including a three-run shot to Tennessee's Zack Short for a 3-0 lead. After a meeting on the mound with pitching coach Doug Drabek, Vargas calmed down and did not allow another hit through his five innings of work, striking out six men while walking two. Ryan Atkinson followed with his first relief appearance since 2016, working a pair of scoreless innings as the Generals rallied to tie the game.
Tyler Mark (1-0, 0.00 ERA) came out gunning in his Double-A debut, throwing 10 of his 16 pitches for strikes in a scoreless eighth inning that featured two punchouts. With the Generals claiming the lead in the bottom of the eighth, manager Shelley Duncan called on Yoan López (S, 9), who delivered the save on a mere 12 pitches. Lopez struck out one and made an athletic play on a swinging bunt in the ninth, fielding it on the third base side of the mound and making the throw to first from his knees.
Offensively, the Generals waited for Tennessee starter Matt Swarmer to tire, getting to him in the sixth inning with consecutive two-out RBI singles from Daniel Robertson and Marty Herum. In the seventh, a leadoff double by Jason Morozowski and a groundout by Ben DeLuzio helped the Generals score their third run, bringing a potential win into focus. A one-out double-by Daniel Robertson down the left field line in the eighth put the potential go-ahead run in scoring position, and Herum came through with his second run-scoring hit in as many innings to bring home Robertson one pitch later. The Generals improved to 43-2 when leading after eight frames, and 10-5 when tied after seven. Herum, Robertson, and Domingo Leyba all had two hits.     
 
NEXT GENERALS GAME:
6:05 pm CT Friday (8/3) vs. Tennessee Smokies
The Ballpark at Jackson - Jackson, Tenn.
RHP Taylor Widener (4-5, 2.79 ERA) vs. RHP Thomas Hatch (6-4, 4.03 ERA)
Broadcast Link: Jackson Generals Baseball Network
UP AND COMING AT THE BALLPARK:
August 2-6 vs. Tennessee Smokies (AA, Chicago Cubs)
…featuring Disney Night (August 4) and Belly Buster Monday (August 6)!
August 14-18 vs. Montgomery Biscuits (AA, Tampa Bay Rays)
…featuring Shark Week Night (August 18)!
PLAYOFFS:
In 2018, manager Shelley Duncan and the Generals won the First Half North Division title, assuring them of a bid to the Southern League playoffs in September. Games 1 and 2 of the North Division Series will be held at The Ballpark at Jackson on September 5 and 6. For tickets and more information about the Generals, dial 731.988.5299
or log on to our ticket page at JacksonGeneralsBaseball.com!
The Jackson Generals, a West Tennessee franchise since 1998, are the Double-A minor league affiliate of Major League Baseball's Arizona Diamondbacks. In 2017, The Ballpark at Jackson was named the Professional Sports Field of the Year by the Tennessee Turfgrass Association.