Montgomery, Ala. - The Jackson Generals, the Double-A affiliate of Major League Baseball's Arizona Diamondbacks, matched a franchise record for their Diamondbacks-era affiliation on Thursday, winning 6-4 at Montgomery's Riverwalk Stadium to claim their ninth consecutive win.
Montgomery, Ala. - The Jackson Generals, the Double-A affiliate of Major League Baseball's Arizona Diamondbacks, matched a franchise record for their Diamondbacks-era affiliation on Thursday, winning 6-4 at Montgomery's Riverwalk Stadium to claim their ninth consecutive win.
Beating the Biscuits (61-36, 17-10 Second Half) brings Jackson (54-40, 15-9 Second Half) to the doorstep of first place in the North Division's Second Half race and puts the Generals up 7-3 in the two teams' season series.
Starter Emilio Vargas lasted only five innings, but his efforts produced nine groundball outs and limited Montgomery to just three hits and two runs, both of which were unearned. Though Vargas walked five men, he benefitted from two runners being thrown out on the base paths, including a rundown of Vidal Brujan between third base and home plate that ended the fourth inning. Jackson's defense committed three errors while Vargas was on the hill, but the Generals' offense managed to tie the score by the time he turned things over to Justin Donatella (5-1, 3.74 ERA) for a scoreless sixth.
Jackson's scoring began with a pair of walks in the fifth allowed by Montgomery's Riley O'Brien. Jamie Westbrook seized the moment by roping an RBI double to right field to break up a 2-0 shutout, and Pavin Smith provided an RBI groundout to knot things up at 2-2. The Generals surged again in the seventh against reliever Dalton Moats (1-2, 3.30 ERA), as back-to-back home runs from Daulton Varsho and Westbrook tipped the scales in Jackson's favor at 5-2. Varsho and Westbrook would each finish with multi-hit games, and Varsho added one runner caught stealing in addition to providing the putout on the Vidal Brujan rundown in the fourth.
Montgomery clawed a run back in the eighth inning against Miguel Aguilar, and another scratch against Michael Kohn (S, 8) in the ninth put the Montgomery crowd on the edge of their seats. With the tying run at the plate, Kohn induced a popout by Tristan Gray that closed the contest, wrapping up a Generals victory despite a 2-for-14 mark at the plate with Jackson men in scoring position. The win for Jackson is their third comeback victory during their nine-game hot streak. Each of the last two Jackson teams to win nine games in a row at any point in the season (2018 and 2016) went on to win Southern League titles in their respective years.
NEXT GENERALS GAME:
6:35 pm CT Friday (7/19) at Montgomery Biscuits
Riverwalk Stadium - Montgomery, Ala.
RHP Josh Green (Double-A debut) vs. Opener/RHP Paul Campbell (4-2, 3.29 ERA)
BROADCAST: Montgomery Biscuits Baseball Network
UP AND COMING AT THE BALLPARK:
July 22-26: Generals vs. Mississippi Braves (AA, Atlanta Braves)
…featuring Belly Buster Monday (July 22), and Thursday Dollar Night (July 25)!
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 2018 Southern League champions today by calling 731.988.5299 or visiting JacksonGeneralsBaseball.com!
