PENSACOLA, FLA. - Starting pitching was part of the Jackson Generals' undoing in the beginning of the month of May, but it returned with a ferocity in their first three games at Pensacola.
PENSACOLA, FLA. - Starting pitching was part of the Jackson Generals' undoing in the beginning of the month of May, but it returned with a ferocity in their first three games at Pensacola.
Going for the team's first series win in almost a month, right-hander Taylor Widener (2-2, 2.86 ERA) carved up the Pensacola Blue Wahoos (18-25) with a career-best 11 strikeouts in a 4-1 Generals victory on Saturday, giving Jackson (24-18) their third straight win. The win marks the Generals' first three-game win streak since April 21-23, keeping them squarely in second place in the Southern League's North Division.
Widener's effort suffered its only blemish in the second inning, when he surrendered a leadoff homerun to Pensacola outfielder Aristides Aquino. He finished his career-long seven-inning start with 71 of his 93 pitches going for strikes. He did not walk a batter, and he's now won back-to-back starts after going without a win through his first seven outings at Double-A. Widener's effort was also the third consecutive game in which a Generals starter worked at least seven innings and allowed two or fewer runs. Mason McCullough struggled in relief, but Kirby Bellow and Yoan López (S, 3) both kept the Blue Wahoos off the board.
The most noteworthy offensive effort came from second baseman Domingo Leyba, who made his 2018 debut after beginning the year on the disabled list. The 22-year-old infielder recorded a pair of hits in the contest, collecting a run and an RBI off Cincinnati Reds pitcher Anthony DeSclafani (0-1, 2.25 ERA) in an MLB rehab start. The Generals also tied a season-high mark with five doubles, getting a pair from Kevin Medrano and one each from Leyba, Jason Morozowski, and Juniel Querecuto.
TOP PERFORMERS - Generals
RHP Taylor Widener - 7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 11 K
3B Kevin Medrano - 2-5, R, 2 2B
2B Domingo Leyba - 2-4, R, 2B, RBI
SS Juniel Querecuto - 2-3, R, 2B, RBI
TOP PERFORMERS - Pensacola
RF Aristides Aquino - 2-4, R, 2B, HR, RBI
RHP Jesús Reyes - 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
NEXT GENERALS GAME:
5:05pm CT Sunday (5/20) at Blue Wahoos Stadium (Pensacola, FL)
RHP Ryan Atkinson (1-4, 5.28 ERA)
vs.
RHP Michael Lorenzen (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
NEXT TWO GENERALS HOMESTANDS:
May 23-27 vs. Birmingham Barons
June 3-7 vs. Tennessee Smokies
Dial 731-988-5299 for tickets to see Jackson Generals Baseball,
OR
log on to JacksonGeneralsBaseball.com!
