Globe iconLogin iconRecap iconSearch iconTickets icon

Eloy belts first grand slam with White Sox

No. 3 overall prospect puts Barons ahead in ninth, adds double
Eloy Jimenez has 88 total bases through 35 games after recording 189 total bases in 89 games last year. (Jimmy Mitchell/Birmingham Barons)
May 26, 2018

On Superhero Night in Jackson, Tennessee, Eloy Jiménez played the role of the ultimate villain and no improbable last-ditch effort could erase the damage he did.MLB.com's No. 3 overall prospect delivered his first grand slam as a member of the White Sox organization at the perfect time for Double-A Birmingham as

On Superhero Night in Jackson, Tennessee, Eloy Jiménez played the role of the ultimate villain and no improbable last-ditch effort could erase the damage he did.
MLB.com's No. 3 overall prospect delivered his first grand slam as a member of the White Sox organization at the perfect time for Double-A Birmingham as his go-ahead shot in the ninth inning boosted the Barons to an 8-5 win over Jackson on Saturday at The Ballpark at Jackson. Jimenez also doubled, going 2-for-5 to raise his batting average to .331.

Gameday box score
The dramatic homer was his third professional grand slam -- as a Cubs prospect, he hit one for Class A South Bend on July 29, 2016 and another for Class A Advanced Myrtle Beach last May 25 -- and ninth dinger in 35 games this season. Last year, when he totaled 19 homers, his ninth came in his 48th game of the campaign.
Jimenez delivered the jack after Birmingham scored twice to pull within one run of Jackson. No. 25 D-backs prospectYoan López entered with one out and the bases loaded, retired Danny Mendick on a sacrifice fly but reloaded the bases with a five-pitch walk to ninth-ranked White Sox prospectZack Collins. Jimenez stepped to the dish and hammered Lopez's first offering over the fence in center field.

The 21-year-old outfielder, who served as the Barons' designated hitter on Saturday, has a .372 on-base percentage and leads the Southern League with a .620 slugging percentage. Despite a mildly strained pectoral muscle that kept him out of action until April 19, he leads the loop with 35 RBIs and ranks second behind teammate Seby Zavala with nine homers.
Collins walked three times and scored a run.
José Ruiz (1-0) issued a walk and fanned two over 2 1/3 innings of scoreless relief to earn the win.
Jamie Westbrook tripled and homered for the Generals.

Josh Jackson is a contributor to MiLB.com. Follow and interact with him on Twitter, @JoshJacksonMiLB.