The Smokies erased a six run first inning deficit with three runs in the second, one in the third and eight in the fourth as they came from behind to defeat the Generals 17-13 in Jackson on Sunday night. Rubi Silva was 4-for-6 with five runs batted in and Jorge Soler was 2-for-5 with four batted in for Tennessee.
Tennessee (22-15) scored a season high 17 runs on 16 hits and had six extra base hits. Silva had two doubles, a triple and was a home run short of the cycle. Soler doubled twice and Rafael Lopez had a RBI double in the third.
The Generals (15-22) had six hits and six runs in the first off Tennessee starter Matt Loosen. Loosen allowed 11 runs (10 earned) over 4 and 2/3 innings. He also walked six and struck out four.
Relievers Tony Zych, Jose Veras and Jeff Lorrick finished the game. They combined to allow two runs on four hits over the next 4 and 1/3 innings. Rehabbing Major Leaguer Jose Veras got the win after keeping the Generals scoreless over 1 and 2/3 innings.
Matt Anderson (0-1) started and made his Southern League debut for the Generals. Anderson allowed 10 runs (nine earned) over 3 and 1/3 innings. He allowed seven hits, walked two and was not able to hold onto a 6-0 lead or a 9-4 lead in the loss.
The Generals started their first inning rally with a Patrick Kivlehan sacrifice fly that scored Ketel Marte who reached on a leadoff single. Marte’s run made it 1-0 and a RBI single from Kevin Rivers plated Jamal Austin to make it 2-0.
Manny Pina would come up next with a RBI double and Mickey Wiswall would continue the scoring as he singled to right field to make it 4-0. Patrick Brady then ripped a two-run triple to cap the six run Jackson first.
The Smokies would then make some noise in the second frame as Silva hit a triple of his own bringing in two runs to make 6-2. Jeudy Valdez then hit an RBI ground out scoring Silva to halve the lead at 6-3.
Tennessee came back in the third to cut the deficit to 6-4 with an RBI double from Lopez.
After the Smokies crawled back and made it a two run deficit, Jackson struck again with three runs in the later half of the third. Wiswall doubled in a run to extend the lead to 7-4 and John Hicks would single in a run to make it 8-4. Brady then hit into a ground out which brought in Wiswall to make it 9-4.
In the fourth, Tennessee would unleash on the Generals starter Anderson plating eight runs to make it 12-9. Silva continued his hot hitting by drilling a double to center scoring Charlie Cutler to make it a 9-5 deficit. Stephen Bruno would reach on an error and Silva would score to cut the lead to 9-6.
Kris Bryant would be next and he popped a single to left to bring in two more runs and the Smokies pulled within one at 9-8.
Soler put the Smokies up for the first time as he blasted a double to right to bring in two more. Soler’s double was his first double of the game and it gave Tennessee a 10-9 advantage. Silva then increased the lead with a three-run double and making it 12-9.
Jackson did come back to make it a one-run game in the fifth as Daniel Paolini drove in two and the Smokies lead dropped to 12-11.
In the seventh, Cutler came up with the bases loaded and brought in an insurance run with an RBI single to make it 13-11.
The Smokies would not give up the relentless attack by putting four more runs on the board in the eighth. Bryant would shoot a base hit into left field to bring in Valdez making it 14-11. Lopez would then come up with a single into right and Soler would follow with a double to the wall to bring into two more in and make it 17-11.
The Generals did not go down without a fight as they would put up two more runs in the eighth. Hicks would come up and plate a run to make it a 17-12 ball game. But it would not end there as Marte would bring in a run to make it 17-13.
The Generals scored 13 runs on 13 hits and stranded 10 in the loss. They lost leads of 6-0, 6-3, 6-4 and 9-4.
Relievers Andrew Kittredge, Stephen Shackleford, Richard Vargas and Stephen Kohlscheen combined to allow six runs on nine hits over 5 and 2/3 innings after Anderson left. They also combined for seven walks and seven strikeouts.
The Smokies were 10-for-22 with runners in scoring position and stranded 10 men on base.
The club returns home to Kodak on Wednesday May 21 to open a five-game homestand with the Mobile BayBears, the Double-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks. First pitch is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. at Smokies Stadium.
Tickets for all remaining 2014 Smokies home games are still available and can be purchased online at http://www.smokiesbaseball.com, or by calling the Smokies Ticket Office at (865) 286-2300.
Andrew Green
James Rowe
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