C.J. Retherford's bases-loaded double to right field in the eighth inning scored Joc Pederson and Yasiel Puig to propel the Chattanooga Lookouts to a 5-3 win over Pensacola in Thursday night's series opener at AT&T Field.
The Lookouts entered their at-bat in the eighth inning with three hits, compared to 13 by the Blue Wahoos. Pensacola had taken a 2-1 lead earlier in the eighth on Bryson Smith's single to right that scored Tucker Barnhart, but Chattanooga tied the game when Miguel Rojas and Pederson drew leadoff walks before Puig drove Rojas home with a single to right.
Retherford's double moments later broke the 2-2 deadlock, and the Lookouts took a 5-2 lead into the ninth. Relief pitcher Scott Elbert, who is on a big-league rehab assignment, picked up the save but did allow a solo home run by Travis Mattair.
The Lookouts improved to 19-27 after winning the Southern League matchup of last-place teams.
Chattanooga took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Blake Smith's two-out single to center scored Rojas. The Blue Wahoos tied it in the top of the second on Brodie Greene's two-out single to right that scored Devin Lohman.
Lookouts starting pitcher Zach Lee lowered his earned run average to 2.98 after allowing one run on six hits in five innings. Lee, the No. 5 prospect in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization according to Baseball America, tallied five strikeouts.
Chris Reed (1-5, 5,48 ERA) is scheduled to start tonight's 7:15 game for the Lookouts, with Ryan Dennick (2-3, 3.00) scheduled for the Blue Wahoos.