Sunday fun: Generals bash Baybears, 20-8

JACKSON, Tenn. - The Jackson Generals, the Double-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks, scorched the Mobile BayBears on Sunday, winning 20-8 at The Ballpark at Jackson.

The victory was the fourth in as many days for the Generals (50-43, 11-13 Second Half), marking their first four-game win streak since a five-game sweep of Pensacola in the middle of May. The BayBears (48-43, 11-12 Second Half) fell below .500 in the Second Half as a result of the defeat.  
A back-and-forth contest went Jackson's way over the first few innings. Right-hander Bo Takahashi allowed Mobile to score six runs over the first four innings, but the Generals' offense gave him seven runs in support, taking him off the hook for a potential loss. Little did anyone know: Less than half the scoring had been completed when Takahashi departed after the fourth, making room for Wei-Chieh Huang (1-0, 1.96 ERA).
Entering with a one-run lead, Huang worked a scoreless fifth inning but allowed Mobile to score twice in the sixth to vault into the lead, 8-7. When he returned to the hill in the seventh, the Generals had spotted him a five-run lead, scoring six times in the bottom of the sixth. Huang kept Mobile at bay for the seventh, finishing with five strikeouts. Kirby Bellow, Brian Ellington, and West Tunnell combined to finish the final two innings damage-free.
From the get-go, Vince's Harrison's hitting crew was locked in. Rudy Flores and Marty Herum each recorded first-inning RBI singles to tie the game at 2-2, and Alberto Rosario, Domingo Leyba, and Jamie Westbrook each chipped in with run-scoring hits in the third inning, pushing Jackson in front at 5-2. After Mobile's Jose Rojas hit a two-run homer in the top of the third, the Generals responded with an RBI single from Josh Prince and run-scoring groundout by Rosario to push the lead out to 7-4. Mobile would close within 7-6 in the top of the fourth and later take an 8-7 lead in the top of the sixth, but the Generals answered with an all-out blitz on the Mobile relief corps.
After the departure of Mobile starter Alex Klonowski, the first four hitters to face Daniel Procopio (0-1, 6.86 ERA) in the sixth inning reached base. Ladendorf and Jay Gonzalez each singled home a run to put Jackson on top, 9-8, and two batters later, it was Westbrook's turn for an RBI hit, plating Ladendorf for a 10-8 lead. With two on and one out, Flores whacked his first home run of the Second Half off the scoreboard in right-center field, extending the Generals lead to 13-8 with his eleventh dinger of the year.
In the seventh, Ladendorf added another RBI single, and Flores took an additional RBI with a bases-loaded walk. After a walk to Marty Herum loaded the bases again and chased Mobile right-hander Dario Beltre from the game, the BayBears called on Ralston Cash, who had previously allowed the walk-off single to Robertson in Thursday evening's 8-7 comeback win. This time, facing Cash with the bases loaded, Robertson broke the bank, drilling a grand slam over the left field wall for a 20-8 Generals lead.
The 20-run and 21-hit totals for the Generals were both season highs, marking the highest totals in each category for Jackson since their 22 hits in a 20-to-5 victory over Birmingham on Sunday, April 9, 2017. Ever Generals batter recorded multiple hits, with Flores matching his own team-best 2018 mark with a five-RBI night. Rosario's four-hit night also equaled a team-best mark in 2018, as the Generals finished a sparkling 12-for-18 with men in scoring position.
Robertson's three-for-five night marked his fourth consecutive three-hit game. Over his last four contests, the veteran outfielder has gone 12-for-19 (.631) with five runs scored, five extra-base hits, eleven RBI and a pair of stolen bases. In that span, Robertson's batting average has improved from .239 to .272, while his slugging percentage has grown from .395 to .446. In 33 at-bats against Mobile this year, Robertson has batted .485 with 14 RBI, four doubles, a triple, and three home runs, giving him a .939 slugging percentage against the BayBears.    
 
NEXT GENERALS GAME:
6:05 pm CT Monday (7/16) vs. Mobile BayBears
The Ballpark at Jackson - Jackson, Tenn.
RHP Ryan Atkinson (3-10, 5.13 ERA) vs. RHP Joe Gatto (3-3, 7.05 ERA)
Broadcast Link: Jackson Generals Baseball Network
UP AND COMING AT THE BALLPARK:
July 12-16 vs. Mobile BayBears (AA, Los Angeles Angels)
…featuring Belly Buster Monday (July 16)!
July 23-27 vs. Biloxi Shuckers (AA, Milwaukee Brewers)
…featuring Belly Buster Monday (July 23) and Generals Baseball Camp (July 26)!
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. In 2018, the Generals and manager Shelley Duncan won the First Half North Division title, assuring them of a bid to the Southern League playoffs in September. For tickets and more information about the Generals,
dial 731.988.5299 or log on to our ticket page at JacksonGeneralsBaseball.com!