Brett Lee threw six shutout innings as the winning pitcher.
photo by Tim Evearitt
Jackson, Tenn. - The Lookouts took an 8-2 victory at The Ballpark at Jackson in the series opener.
On the mound for the Lookouts on Sunday was left-hander Brett Lee looking for his second win of the year in the Southern League. He tossed the first six innings without allowing a run, scattering five hits and a walk with four strikeouts to end up with the win.
Chattanooga took a 1-0 lead in the top of third when Jairo Rodriguez led off with a double and moved to third on a Shannon Wilkerson single. An errant pick-off throw allowed Rodriguez to score. They added multiple runs in each of the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings to go up 8-0.
The two in the sixth came courtesy of two walks, two wild pitches, and a sac fly.
The three in the seventh by way of two singles, two errors and a sac fly.
Then two more runs in the eighth brought in by two walks, two singles and two wild pitches.
The eight runs on the scoreboard were more than Chattanooga’s six hits, due largely to the ten walks drawn, three Jackson errors and six wild pitches.
Wilkerson and Rodriguez had multi-hit and multi-run games. Stephen Wickens scored two runs and Jorge Polanco added two RBI.s Adam Brett Walker II drew three walks, giving him nine free passes in his last ten games.
Alex Muren came on to pitch the seventh and eighth innings, and allowed one run on three hits that included a solo home run. He struck out one. Tim Shibuya came on for the ninth and also gave up a solo home run, but finished the 8-2 victory.
Chattanooga improved to 13-20 overall in the second half of the Southern League season, and have won five of their last eight.
Box
Jackson hosts Chattanooga for game two of this series Monday at 8:05 p.m. ET.
Generals right-hander Dylan Unsworth (1-4, 6.21) is scheduled to face Lookouts right-hander D.J. Baxendale (4-2, 4.10).
Notes: Former Lookout Byron Buxton
Buxton finally resumed taking batting practice on the field this week. Judging from the early results, his sprained left thumb has fully healed.
“It feels great,” said Buxton, still rated the No. 1 prospect in baseball by MLB.com. “It feels like the BP I was taking (in June) and probably even better. I feel more grounded, more stable.”
Twins manager Paul Molitor said the plan is for Buxton to fly to Fort Myers, Fla., on Sunday, take batting practice against live pitching for a couple of days and then likely play a few games for the Class A Fort Myers Miracle. At that point, provided Buxton has had no setbacks, he would be assigned to a team higher up the ladder.
Buxton was promoted to the majors from the Chattanooga Lookouts in mid-June.
During an absence that has stretched on for nearly six weeks, Buxton has made an effort to use his time on the shelf wisely. The 21-year-old center fielder pays particular attention to veterans such as Torii Hunter, Brian Dozier and Trevor Plouffe.
He appreciates how his teammates have taken him in despite the latest in a long line of mostly minor injuries that have slowed his progress.
Byron Buxton could rehab with the Lookouts.
photo by Tim Evearitt