Jackson, Tenn. - The Jackson Generals, the Double-A affiliate of Major League Baseball's Arizona Diamondbacks, gave the Montgomery Biscuits a taste of their own baked goods, bouncing back from a Wednesday shutout to hold the Biscuits scoreless in a 5-0 win on Thursday.
Jackson, Tenn. - The Jackson Generals, the Double-A affiliate of Major League Baseball's Arizona Diamondbacks, gave the Montgomery Biscuits a taste of their own baked goods, bouncing back from a Wednesday shutout to hold the Biscuits scoreless in a 5-0 win on Thursday.
The victory at Riverwalk Stadium brings Jackson (25-20) back within 3.5 games of Montgomery (29-17) in the North Division.
After a scoreless first inning, the Generals took advantage of struggling right-hander Riley O'Brien (1-3, 4.87 ERA). O'Brien issued three walks in the second frame, including a two-out free pass to Ben DeLuzio that loaded the bases, and a run-scoring walk to Jeffrey Baez for a 1-0 lead. Daulton Varsho followed with a two-run single that extended Jackson's lead to 3-0 after the second inning.
The Generals did not score again until the fourth, when left field Ryan Grotjohn drilled his first Double-A home run over the right field fence off of O'Brien. The solo shot gave the Generals a 4-0 lead, and Jackson would claim their final run two innings later with a 412-foot missile by Varsho off of Montgomery's Blake Bivens. Varsho finished with three hits, a run scored, a walk, and three runs batted in on the night, the only General with a multi-hit effort. Jackson won despite going 1-for-9 with men in scoring position. Varsho and DeLuzio each added stolen bases, giving Varsho his third game of the year with both a stolen base and a home run.
Making his second Double-A start, Jackson southpaw Bryan Valdez (1-1, 2.31 ERA) had a lot more fun this time around than he did in his losing debut against Tennessee. The 24-year-old kept Montgomery guessing, withholding a hit from the first eight men he faced despite a lack of strikeouts. Valdez struck out only three men all night, walking one while inducing 12 groundball outs on 98 pitches across seven innings. Robby Scott and Damien Magnifico each worked scoreless frames behind Valdez, who made his longest outing on American soil since arriving from the Dominican Republic in June 2018.
Andy Young played a superb second base behind Valdez, recording all three outs in an impressive second inning that included a diving backhand stop up the middle and a spinning glove-side assist in shallow right field. Ben DeLuzio added a diving catch on a sinking liner in center field in the seventh to keep the Biscuits from gaining hope, helping Jackson record their seventh shutout.
NEXT GENERALS GAME:
6:35 pm CT Friday (5/24) at Montgomery Biscuits
Riverwalk Stadium - Montgomery, Ala.
RHP Riley Smith (3-3, 2.05 ERA) vs. RHP Sam McWilliams (3-1, 2.88 ERA)
BROADCAST: Jackson Generals Baseball Network
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!
