Shortstop Jorge Polanco flips the ball to second baseman Levi Michael who threw to first for a second-inning double-play.
photo by Tim Evearitt
The Jacksonville Suns (10-11) fell victim to a potent Chattanooga Lookouts (10-11) lineup en route to a 7-3 loss Friday night from AT&T field.
Inning-by-inning game recap
Lookouts starter Tyler Duffey (W, 1-2) earned his first victory of the year tossing a strong seven innings allowing three earned runs on four hits while walking a pair and striking out four.
Suns starter Jake Esch (L, 2-1) lasted four innings allowing five earned runs on eight hits while not walking a batter and striking out two.
The scoring would begin in the bottom of the first when the Lookouts had two men aboard for DJ Hicks, who would lace a RBI double to send home Byron Buxton to give the Lookouts a 1-0 lead. Later in the frame Chattanooga tacked on a pair of runs on one swing, courtesy of Travis Harrison's two-run double that would create 3-0 cushion over the Suns through one inning of play.
Moving to the third the Lookouts added a solo run after Adam Walker's RBI base knock gave his squad a 4-0 scoreboard advantage through three frames at AT&T field.
In the fourth frame Byron Buxton's RBI sacrifice fly sent home Levi Michael pushing Chattanooga's lead to 5-0.
Jacksonville produced a three-spot in the top of the fifth. Sharif Othman's run-producing double, a Duffey wild pitch, and Justin Bohn's RBI ground out brought the deficit to 5-3.
The last of the fifth saw a run come across for the Lookouts, after Austin Nola's throwing error from shortstop after gloving a groundball off the bat of Walker, made the tally 6-3.
Jorge Polanco's RBI double sent home Buxton in the last of the sixth swelling Chattanooga's advantage to 7-3.
The Suns and Lookouts will square off again Saturday night from AT&T Field with a first pitch slated for 7:15 p.m. ET. The Suns will send out right-hander Trevor Williams (0-2, 3.63 ERA) while the Lookouts will throw righty Jose Berrios (2-1, 3.27 ERA).
Levi Michael's long fly ball to right-center was caught by Suns' right-fielder Carlos Lopez
photo by Tim Evearitt