Monday night Ryan Eades will be making his first start since being activated from the Disabled List.
photo by Tim Evearitt
Jacksonville Suns right-hander Chris Mazza struck out a career-high seven batters in a career-long six innings to give his team a 3-1, series-opening win over the Chattanooga Lookouts at AT&T Field Sunday night.
Pitching against the Double-A affiliate of his former organization - the Minnesota Twins - Mazza (2-1) allowed consecutive singles by Lookouts center fielder Zack Granite and shortstop Leo Reginatto before walking right fielder Daniel Palka to load the bases.
But he struck out the next two batters and got an inning-ending groundout.
He allowed a second-inning double to second baseman Levi Michael but did not allow another hit and worked around four walks.
The Suns (26-30) broke a scoreless tie against Lookouts right-hander D.J. Baxendale (5-6) in the fifth inning. First baseman Chris Curley singled and went to second base on catcher Francisco Arcia's walk. Right fielder Jeremias Pineda sacrificed both runners into scoring position, and center fielder Yefri Perez hit a sacrifice fly to center field or a 1-0 lead.
In the sixth inning against left-hander Corey Williams, shortstop J.T. Riddle singled through the left side of the infield, went to second base when designated hitter Moises Sierra walked, and reached third base on third baseman Brian Anderson's single. Curley hit a sacrifice fly to center field for a 2-0 lead.
Perez led off the seventh inning against Williams with a triple to left-center field and scored on Ridde's RBI single to center field. Sierra singled, and Anderson was hit by a pitch to load the bases, before a line-drive double play ended the inning.
Suns right-hander Tyler Higgins worked a scoreless seventh inning before allowing the Lookouts (26-30) to score in the eighth. Reginatto singled with one out and scored on left fielder Travis Harrison's RBI double. A walk brought the go-ahead run to bat, but Higgins got catcher Mitch Garver on a flyout to center field.
Suns right-hander Tyler Kinley worked around a two-out walk in the ninth inning for his team-high fifth save.
Game two of the series features Lookouts RHP Ryan Eades, who will be making his first start since being activated from the Disabled List. Eades will face off against RHP Jake Esch at 7:15 p.m.
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