Smokies Win Fourth Straight to Close Series
July 3, 2018 - Southern League (SL1)
Knoxville Smokies News Release
SEVIERVILLE, TN - The Tennessee Smokies defeated the Chattanooga Lookouts 5-3 in the final game of the six-game series at Smokies Stadium on Tuesday in front of a crowd of 7,409. With the win, Tennessee earned their fourth straight victory and their fifth out of six games against Chattanooga.
The Smokies got on the board first when Eddy Martinez hit into a double play that scored Ian Rice and made it 1-0. The Lookouts responded when Brent Rooker hit a two-run double to left field in the third inning that gave Chattanooga a 2-1 lead. Yasiel Balaguert put the Smokies back in front when he doubled in the bottom of the third, scoring Vimael Machin and Zack Short to make it 3-2 Smokies. An RBI-double in the top of the fourth tied the game at 3-3.
With the game still tied in the seventh inning, Balaguert came through again. This time, he doubled to left field, scoring Charcer Burks and Short to give the Smokies a 5-3 advantage. Balaguert finished the game 3-for-4 with two doubles and four RBI. Trent Giambrone and Short added three-hit games as well.
Thomas Hatch was the Tennessee starting pitcher on Tuesday. Hatch pitched 6.0 innings, allowing three runs on seven hits and two walks. He also struck out eight before handing the ball to Zach Hedges, who pitched three scoreless innings to close the game and earn his third win of the year. Hedges allowed just one hit and one walk over the three scoreless frames.
The Smokies will now travel to Jackson for a four-game series starting on Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. Michael Rucker (6-4, 3.94 ERA) will start the first game of the series on the mound for Tennessee. Rucker is holding opposing batters to a .186 batting average over the last 30 days and is limiting right handed hitters to a .197 average on the season. He went 6.0 innings in his last start, allowing three runs on five hits while striking out nine.
Written by Blake Von Hagen, 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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