Jackson pounds Birmingham, 9-1

Birmingham, Ala. - The Jackson Generals, the Double-A affiliate of Major League Baseball's Arizona Diamondbacks, swamped the Birmingham Barons on Tuesday, winning 9-1 at Regions Field.

The victory for Jackson (34-24) keeps them within half a game of first place Montgomery, as Birmingham (22-36) allowed the visitors to take a 3-1 series lead with two games still to play.
In their biggest inning of the year to date, Jackson put up seven earned runs in the fourth frame against Barons left-hander Kyle Kubat (3-2, 2.76 ERA). The Generals sent twelve men to the plate, recording five doubles, two singles, a walk, and a hit batsman against Kubat and reliever Mauricio Cabrera to earn a 7-0 lead. A run-scoring groundout from Andy Young in the 6^th, coupled with Jamie Westbrook's eighth homer of the year one inning later, completed the Jackson scoring. Eight of nine Generals in the batting order recorded hits, with Westbrook and Jeffrey Baez combining to drive in five runs. The Generals finished 6-for-10 with men in scoring position.
Riley Smith (4-3, 1.65 ERA) looked like a man in pursuit of an All-Star bid. The right-hander fired six shutout frames to improve his ERA to a league-leading 1.65 in 60 innings of work this season. Smith struck out five, gave up five hits and did not walk a batter on 72 pitches, and Franklyn Soriano, making his Double-A debut, kept things in hand by allowing only one run in two innings of relief work. Utility man Galli Cribbs threw a scoreless ninth inning on 13 pitches, further demonstrating his versatility. Birmingham finished 1-for-9 with men in scoring position.                 
NEXT GENERALS GAME:
12:05 pm CT Wednesday (6/5) at Birmingham Barons
Regions Field - Birmingham, Ala.
Generals TBA vs. RHP Blake Battenfield (1-2, 6.20 ERA)
BROADCAST: Birmingham Barons Baseball Network
UP AND COMING AT THE BALLPARK:
June 7-16 vs. Mississippi Braves (AA, Atlanta Braves) and Biloxi Shuckers (AA, Milwaukee Brewers)
…featuring Spy/Detective Night (June 8) and Space Jam Night (June 15)!
 
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!