Jackets beat Lexington 8-5, stand only one-game back of 1st place

LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY: In a crucial matchup in the South Atlantic League South, the Augusta GreenJackets (32-30) defeated the Lexington Legends (33-30) by a final of 8-5 on Monday night. The win for the GreenJackets, combined with a Charleston RiverDogs loss, puts the GreenJackets only one-game back of first place, while Lexington remains a ½ game behind Charleston.

The win snaps a seven-game winning streak for the Legends, and the Jackets have now won seven of their last nine games.
The GreenJackets offense came out swinging in the first inning. After back-to-back singles for Ismael Munguia and Shane Matheny to begin the game, it was a Diego Rincones fielders choice that would score a run and make it 1-0 Jackets.
Lexington answered right back in the next two innings off GreenJackets starter Adam Oller. Lexington scored three runs in the 1^st inning, on three hits. In the 2^nd inning, the Legends drove home another run on only one hit, and one error from the Jackets. The Legends took a 4-1 lead.
The Legends scored another run in the 4^th inning. On a groundball to Shane Matheny, his throw to 1^st base was directly in the sun and Frankie Tostado couldn't see it at first base. The ball rolled down the right field line to make it 5-1 Lexington.
Despite the three errors though, the GreenJackets offense made up for it in the 5^th inning. All with two outs, Augusta scored six times. It was Frankie Tostado and Dalton Combs who both drove in two runs with singles to tie the score at five. Then it was Jeffry Parra and Nico Giarratano who ripped singles to each score a run, and the Jackets had a 7-5 advantage.
After Sandro Cabrera worked out of a jam on the mound in the 8^th inning for the Jackets, Augusta scored again in the 9^th inning to extend their lead. Frankie Tostado singled and the Jackets held an 8-5 advantage heading to the 9^th inning.
Ryan Walker came on for the save, and recorded the final three outs to get his 5^th save of the season as the Jackets hung on 8-5.
 
Player of the Game: Frankie Tostado, 3-5, R, 3 RBI
It very easily could have been a five-hit night for Tostado. The first two outs he made were both line drives that were caught deep in the outfield. He went 3-3 the rest of the way and provided the GreenJackets with three RBI's on the night.
Tomorrow's Game:  7:05 PM @ Lexington Legends (Kansas City Royals), Whitaker Bank Ballpark, Lexington, Kentucky
Pitching Matchup: (LEX) RHP Jon Heasley (5-2, 2.56 ERA) vs (AUG) RHP Keaton Winn (2-4, 4.33 ERA)
Keaton Winn will start the 2^nd game of the series vs Lexington. Winn this season, after starting the year out of the bullpen, has given the GreenJackets a great lift on the mound this year. Winn has 38 strikeouts to only eight walks, and has found success by getting groundball outs. Winn's last start came on June 5^th at Asheville. He went six innings while allowing three runs and striking out five. Winn was a 5^th round pick by the San Francisco Giants in 2018 out of Iowa Western Community College.
Jon Heasley will make his first start against the GreenJackets this year. Heasley was magnificent in his last start on the mound against the Rome Braves on June 6^th. He went six innings and allowed only one run while striking-out five. Heasley is holding hitters to just a .194 batting average for the season. The right-hander was a 13^th round pick by the Kansas City Royals in 2018. He played his college baseball at Oklahoma State University.
About the Augusta GreenJackets
SRP Park is the anchor piece of Riverside Village, a live, work, "playball" development which includes apartment living, senior living, retail, restaurants, class "A" office space, and a Crowne Plaza Hotel and Conference Center. To learn more about SRP Park and hosting events and availability, visit www.thesrppark.com.
 
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