Pensacola, Fla. - The Jackson Generals, the Double-A affiliate of Major League Baseball's Arizona Diamondbacks, came up short in their series-opening game at Pensacola on Friday, losing 3-2 to the Blue Wahoos at Admiral Fetterman Field.
Pensacola, Fla. - The Jackson Generals, the Double-A affiliate of Major League Baseball's Arizona Diamondbacks, came up short in their series-opening game at Pensacola on Friday, losing 3-2 to the Blue Wahoos at Admiral Fetterman Field.
Jackson (73-55) managed just four hits in the travel-day contest after arriving in the wee hours of the morning to play the Wahoos (72-58) following a seven-hour bus ride.
Facing the organization that traded him and other prospects for Eduardo Escobar last year, Pensacola's Jhoan Duran (3-3, 5.34 ERA) carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning, finally undone by an L.T. Tolbert single with two outs in the seventh. Duran walked just one batter while striking out eleven men, holding the Generals without an extra-base hit in his time on the hill. Duran yielded to former General Gabriel Moya after eight shutout innings, and Moya earned a hold by getting the first two outs of the ninth.
Andrew Vasquez came on for Pensacola to try and record the final out, but he faced three batters without having much success. He walked Ramon Hernandez, and L.T. Tolbert followed with a single to bring the potential game-tying run to the plate. Ryan Grotjohn then rapped a double to right field that scored both runners, bringing the Generals within a run at 3-2 and chasing Vasquez from the mound. Jonathan Cheshire (S, 5) entered and walked Pavin Smith intentionally to get to Galli Cribbs Jr., but he plunked Cribbs to load the bases and push the tying run up to third base. Jeffrey Baez then flew out to close the contest, as Jackson went just 1-for-3 with men in scoring position.
Starting for the first time since August 13, Jackson's Bo Takahashi (8-7, 3.74 ERA) gave a good account of himself, finishing six innings with just one run allowed while scattering six Pensacola hits and collecting eight groundball outs. The seventh inning was more difficult for Ryan Atkinson, who ceded two runs on a pair of hits and two walks that made the Blue Wahoos' lead 3-0. Jayson McKinley threw a scoreless eighth inning, but the Generals' offense fell just short of giving him a chance at his third Double-A win in his third appearance.
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!
