Jackson, Tenn. - The Jackson Generals, the Double-A affiliate of Major League Baseball's Arizona Diamondbacks, fell victim to a pair of late-inning home runs against the Montgomery Biscuits on Wednesday, dropping a 5-4 game at The Ballpark at Jackson.
Jackson, Tenn. - The Jackson Generals, the Double-A affiliate of Major League Baseball's Arizona Diamondbacks, fell victim to a pair of late-inning home runs against the Montgomery Biscuits on Wednesday, dropping a 5-4 game at The Ballpark at Jackson.
The damage-doing dingers accounted for three runs for Montgomery (78-44), who have now scored eight of their ten runs in this series against Jackson (68-51) on homers.
Jackson right-hander Matt Peacock started and worked five frames, allowing four hits and a pair of runs (one earned) while striking out three men. Peacock tied a season high with five walks, two of which led directly to Montgomery runs. The 25-year-old got the benefit of seven groundouts and induced a pair of groundball double plays during his work, upping his league-leading total to 20. Peacock gave way after five frames to Ryan Atkinson, who picked off a man in the sixth and helped Renae Martinez catch a runner stealing to keep the Biscuits in check. Atkinson then struck out the side in the seventh, and Miguel Aguilar took over with the Generals holding a two-run lead entering the eighth inning, 4-2.
Aguilar allowed a single to Vidal Brujan to open the inning, allowing him to reach third base on a botched pickoff attempt. The mood darkened considerably when Tristan Gray clocked a full-count, two-run homer to right field to tie the game at 2-2, marking the first home run conceded by Aguilar since last August (a span of 32 appearances, including playoffs). Aguilar retired the next three men in order to get to the ninth inning, but for the second night in a row, Montgomery would tag Jackson for a ninth-inning home run. West Tunnell (1-1, 1.80 ERA) gave up a lead-off dinger in the ninth inning to Carl Chester, his first home run allowed at Double-A that gave Montgomery the difference-making 5-4 lead.
At the plate, Jackson produced three of their four runs in the third inning, as a two-run shot by Daulton Varsho and an RBI double by Seth Beer built a 3-0 lead for Jackson. Varsho came up with another clutch hit in the seventh, ripping a double down the right field line that scored Galli Cribbs Jr. for a 4-2 Generals lead at the time. The Generals even managed to load the bases with two outs in the ninth, as Varsho sliced a double to the gap in left-center and Smith and Beer drew walks. Generals third baseman Drew Ellis worked the count to 3-0, but the Southern League leader in walks ended up striking out against Ian Gardeck (S, 3) with the bases loaded to end the game. Jhonleider Salinas (3-1, 3.00 ERA) got the win for Montgomery.
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. Next June, The Ballpark at Jackson will host the 2020 Southern League All-Star Game, and you can purchase 2020 season tickets today by calling 731.988.5299 or visiting JacksonGeneralsBaseball.com!
