Jackson, Tenn. - The Jackson Generals, the Double-A affiliate of Major League Baseball's Arizona Diamondbacks, dropped a ten-inning contest to the Chattanooga Lookouts 6-5 on Friday at The Ballpark at Jackson.
Jackson, Tenn. - The Jackson Generals, the Double-A affiliate of Major League Baseball's Arizona Diamondbacks, dropped a ten-inning contest to the Chattanooga Lookouts 6-5 on Friday at The Ballpark at Jackson.
The Generals (30-23) lost in extra innings for the fifth time this season, with the visitors from Chattanooga (29-24) taking a 3-2 series lead.
The game that wouldn't die started calmly, with Generals starter Justin Donatella bouncing back from his worst outing of the season by posting five shutout innings to extend the pitching staff's shutout innings streak to 25. In the meantime, Jamie Westbrook recorded an RBI double in the second inning and an RBI groundout in the fourth to stake Jackson to a 2-0 lead.
In the sixth, the Lookouts broke through against Donatella, loading the bases on two hits and a hit batsman before plating two runs on successive bases-loaded walks issued by Donatella and Cameron Gann. Only Daulton Varsho's pickoff of a runner at third kept the inning from becoming a total nightmare.
The game stayed tied until the bottom of the eighth, when Pavin Smith crushed a Ty Boyles delivery for a two-run homer to give the Generals the lead again at 4-2. But against Matt Brill (0-2, 7.27 ERA) in the ninth, the Lookouts started the stranger-than-fiction part of the game. With Gavin LaValley on base and two outs, Alfredo Rodriguez hit a squibber which caused Brill to land on his backside trying to field it, and no out was recorded. TJ Friedl and Taylor Trammel followed with back-to-back doubles to give Chattanooga a 5-4 lead.
In the Jackson half of the ninth, Matt Jones borrowed the hero's mantle from Smith. Jones' first Double-A hit of 2019 came as a home run off Lookouts closer Joel Kuhnel (1-2, 2.54 ERA) to tie the game, 5-5. The game moved to the tenth with Jose Siri as the designated runner for the Lookouts on second base. Siri moved to third on an infield hit by Tyler Stephenson, but the Chattanooga outfielder was then was called out at the plate on a ball that momentarily got away from catcher Daulton Varsho, who threw to Brill at the dish to tag Siri out. Siri went ballistic and was summarily ejected from the contest along with Lookouts coach Daryle Ward. Meanwhile, Stephenson moved into scoring position and later scored the tie-breaking run on an RBI single from Calten Daal. Jesse Stallings (S, 1) pitched a scoreless tenth inning to preserve the win for the visitors.
NEXT GENERALS GAME:
6:05 pm CT Saturday (6/1) vs. Chattanooga Lookouts
The Ballpark at Jackson - Jackson, Tenn.
RHP Bo Takahashi (3-2, 3.20 ERA) vs. TBA (Chattanooga)
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!
