Clutch homers back Lewis in Generals win at Birmingham

Birmingham, Ala. - The Jackson Generals, the Double-A affiliate of Major League Baseball's Arizona Diamondbacks, claimed their second straight series win on Tuesday, beating the Birmingham Barons 3-0 at Regions Field.

The victory for Jackson (10-7) included their third quality start in the series, with Sam Lewis (1-1, 2.41 ERA) putting up six zeroes to help shut out Birmingham (9-10).
Lewis, who no-hit the Barons through five innings last April, turned in his best start of the year. The 27-year-old got some great defense to help him in the first, as Galli Cribbs Jr. caught a liner in center field and threw to Jazz Chisholm to double-up Birmingham runner Joel Booker at second base. Three batters later, after a pair of singles, catcher Daulton Varsho back-picked to Ramon Hernandez at first base, nailing Birmingham runner Gavin Sheets to end the inning.
The defense stood on its head once again in the second inning. After two more Birmingham singles opened their half of the frame, Hernandez threw to second base to force out one of the runners, creating a first-and-third situation with one down after the fielder's choice. Alfredo González then lined out to right fielder Jeffrey Baez, and Baez relayed through Hernandez to Daulton Varsho at home plate to tag out runner Micker Adolfo to end the inning. Four of Birmingham's first six outs were made on the basepaths.
After that, Lewis finished his outing by retiring 12 of the next 13 men he faced without allowing a hit. Ryan Atkinson (H, 3) supplied two scoreless frames in relief, and Michael Kohn (S, 4) put the game away with a pair of punchouts in a scoreless ninth. The victory marked the Generals' fourth shutout of the season, having now shut out three of the four teams they have faced this year at least once.
The Generals' overall run creation remained finnicky, as Jackson went 0-for-4 with men in scoring position and left six men stranded on base. That said, the hot bat of Jamie Westbrook once again came through for the Generals, as the left fielder whacked his fifth homer of the year to take a 1-0 lead on Birmingham in the first.
Varsho saw the ball well all night against Barons starter Felix Paulino (2-1, 3.13 ERA), collecting hits in each of his three at-bats against the Birmingham right-hander. The biggest was Varsho's two-run blast in the sixth inning, a shot that drove in Westbrook to extend the Jackson lead to 3-0. Varsho collected a stolen base and a homer for the second time this year and the fourth time in his career. The Generals are now 9-3 when they hit a home run, and 6-3 when they steal a base.
NEXT GENERALS GAME:
11:00 am CT Wednesday (4/24) vs. Birmingham Barons (Chicago White Sox)
Regions Field - Birmingham, Ala.
RHP Matt Peacock (0-1, 2.89 ERA) vs. LHP Sean Nolin (1-0, 5.28 ERA)
Broadcast Link: Birmingham Barons Baseball Network
UP AND COMING AT THE BALLPARK:
April 25-29 vs. Pensacola Blue Wahoos (AA, Minnesota Twins)
…featuring Hero Night (April 27)!
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!