Complete Effort Leads Smokies to Win
August 4, 2018 - Southern League (SL1)
Knoxville Smokies News Release
JACKSON, TN - The Tennessee Smokies defeated the Jackson Generals 7-1 on Saturday night in Jackson. The win snapped a Smokies' three-game losing streak.
Michael Rucker received the start for the Smokies and picked up his team high, eighth win of the season. Rucker pitched six innings, allowing one run on three hits and struck out four.
After failing to score on Friday night, the Smokies broke the drought in the top of the fourth inning on Saturday. Ian Rice doubled to start the inning and, after a Yasiel Balaguert single, scored on a double from P.J. Higgins. Rucker helped himself out in the inning with two outs as he singled up the middle, scoring Balaguert and Higgins to make it a 3-0 game.
After the Generals tacked on a run in the bottom of the fourth, the Smokies built the lead back to three runs in the top of the fifth. Vimael Machin singled to start the inning and moved to third on a Rice hit. Balaguert was the next batter, and he delivered with a sacrifice fly that scored Machin.
In the top of the sixth, the Smokies scored for the third straight inning when Jeffrey Baez reached first on a throwing error, scoring Connor Myers in the process to make it 5-1. Baez would score himself on a passed ball later in the inning to make it 6-1.
The seventh inning marked the fourth in-a-row that the Smokies scored in when Rice hit his seventh home run of the season over the fence. Rice finished the game with three hits.
Scott Effross replaced Rucker in the bottom of the seventh and picked up where Rucker had left off, throwing a hitless inning. Jordan Minch followed that up in the eighth with a hitless inning of his own while Daury Torrez pitched a scoreless ninth to preserve the win.
The Smokies and Generals will be back in action for game four of the series on Sunday in Jackson. Keegan Thompson is the projected starter for Tennessee in that game as he looks to continue his impressive performance in Double-A. This season, Thompson is 3-1 with a 3.21 ERA in seven starts. First pitch for that game with be at 7:05 p.m. ET.
Written by Rob Harvey, Broadcast Assistant for the Tennessee Smokies
The full schedule for this season and information regarding single-game tickets, season tickets, and mini plans can be found online at smokiesbaseball.com, or by calling the Smokies Ticket Office at 865-286-2300.
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