Jackson, Tenn. - The Jackson Generals, the Double-A affiliate of Major League Baseball's Arizona Diamondbacks, fell 3-2 in extra innings to the Tennessee Smokies on Monday at The Ballpark at Jackson.
Jackson, Tenn. - The Jackson Generals, the Double-A affiliate of Major League Baseball's Arizona Diamondbacks, fell 3-2 in extra innings to the Tennessee Smokies on Monday at The Ballpark at Jackson.
The setback leaves the Generals (24-19) still three and a half games behind Montgomery in the North Division, while Tennessee (22-22) comes away with the series victory.
Entrusted with Jackson's second rubber game of the season, Bo Takahashi did his utmost to keep the game in hand. After Roberto Caro singled to begin the game and stole second base, Takahashi picked him off to kill Tennessee's early momentum. Takahashi also induced a groundball double play to close the second frame before working a three-batter third inning amid a scoreless tie.
Tennessee's Vimael Machin led off with a walk in the fourth inning, and he moved to second on a free pass issued to Jared Young, Takahashi's fourth walk of the day. PJ Higgins came up with the critical contact, bouncing a ball beneath the glove of shortstop Jazz Chisholm that kicked into center field. The miscue allowed Machin to score the Smokies first run, but the Smokies did not threaten again, as Takahashi recorded outs from seven of the ensuing eight hitters. He finished six frames without an earned run allowed, giving up no hits after the lead-off single by Caro in the first. He walked four and struck out three.
Reliever Damien Magnifico conceded a pair of inning-opening hits in the seventh, and a Charcer Burks sacrifice fly to right field helped the Smokies earn their second run later in the inning, tying the game at 2-2. Junior Garcia and Lucas Luetge combined on three scoreless innings to keep the Generals even through ten innings before Matt Brill (0-1, 5.79 ERA) was tagged with the loss. Tennessee scored their run against Brill on another Burks sacrifice fly in the twelfth inning after a double-steal put two men in scoring position with one out. Jackson's defense had its ups (two men picked off, one caught stealing, and two double-plays turned), but their downs (two errors, three steals allowed) proved too costly to pay off.
Offensively, the Generals couldn't do much with Tennessee's Cory Abbott, who held the Generals hitless through the first five and two-thirds innings. Andy Young finally broke through by whipping an RBI double down the left field line in the sixth inning, and Ramon Hernandez followed with an RBI single to score Young for a 2-1 lead. Unfortunately, the Generals did not score again, stranding two men on base in the seventh, two more on base in the tenth, one in the eleventh, and two in the final frame. Jackson lost despite earning seven walks and holding Tennessee 0-for-10 with men in scoring position.
NEXT GENERALS GAME:
6:35 pm CT Wednesday (5/22) at Montgomery Biscuits
Riverwalk Stadium - Montgomery, Ala.
Pitching matchups TBA
BROADCAST: Jackson Generals Baseball Network ON THE ROAD!
UP AND COMING AT THE BALLPARK:
May 28-June 1 vs. Chattanooga Lookouts (AA, Cincinnati Reds)
…featuring Star Wars Night (Saturday, June 1)!
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!
