Generals Steal Series from Barons Despite Barnum's 10th Home Run
July 9, 2017 - Southern League (SL1)
Birmingham Barons News Release
JACKSON, Tenn. - The Birmingham Barons and Jackson Generals were engaged in a close battle in the rubber match of the five game series on Saturday night, when in the eighth, Stewart Ijames sent a two-run home run over the wall in right to give the Generals breathing room in a 6-3 victory.
The Barons jumped on Jackson starter Taylor Clarke in the first inning, as Mason Robbins smacked an RBI single to score Jake Peter and give the Barons a 1-0 lead.
The score would remain the same until the bottom of the second, when Jackson struck twice off of Barons' starter Jordan Stephens to take a 2-1 lead. Oscar Hernandez drove in the first run with a groundout and Kevin Medrano knocked in the go ahead run with an RBI single.
The teams would then trade runs two separate times, beginning in the third inning. The Generals pushed ahead by two when Jamie Westbrook scored Domingo Legba with a sacrifice fly.
The Barons, however, battled back to within one in the top of the fifth, as Hernandez tried to throw behind Eddy Alvarez at first, but the throw sailed into right field, allowing Keon Barnum to score from second.
When Kevin Cron drove home his 61st run of the season in the bottom half of the fifth with a single to push the lead back to two, Barnum answered back for the Barons in the seventh with his 10th home run of the season, a solo shot, to cut the deficit to 4-3.
With Aaron Bummer on in relief during the bottom of the eighth inning, the lefty was about to tiptoe out of danger thanks to a double play, but that left one on for Ijames, who provided Jackson's bullpen with all the cushion necessary.
Clarke went six strong innings for the Generals, surrendering only one run and striking out six for his eighth win of the season, while Stephens dropped to 0-2 with the loss. Gabriel Moya retired the final four hitters of the game, picking up his 15th save in the process.
The Barons will head home to square off against the Mobile BayBears in the first of a four game series tomorrow evening at 6:00 p.m. CT on Bark at the Park night at Regions Field. Curt Bloom will bring you all the action starting with the Coca-Cola pregame show starting at 5:50 p.m. on 105.5 FM WERC and the iHeart Radio app.
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Southern League Stories from July 9, 2017
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- Generals Steal Series from Barons Despite Barnum's 10th Home Run - Birmingham Barons
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