The Chattanooga Lookouts made the most of their lone 10-game homestand of the Southern League's first half.
Arriving back at AT&T Field on April 30, the Lookouts lost the series opener to Jacksonville before winning four straight and then lost the series opener to Jackson last Wednesday before winning four more. Chattanooga completed the 8-2 homestand Sunday afternoon with a 16-3 drubbing of the Generals.
"It's been great," Lookouts second baseman Stephen Wickens said Sunday. "This team one through nine can hurt you, and it's one of the best teams I've played on, if not the best. It's exciting to watch every game, because there is always someone new coming out.
"We're a team to be kind of feared, I think, because we have a lot of things that can hurt you."
The Lookouts were 9-11 as April turned to May but are now 17-12 and in first place in the Southern League's North Division.
Byron Buxton of the Lookouts rounds second base as the Chattanooga Lookouts defeat the Jackson Generals 16-3 on Sunday, May 10, 2015, in Chattanooga.Three of Chattanooga's wins this homestand came in walk-off fashion. Levi Michael's RBI single propelled the Lookouts to a 14-13 win last Sunday over the Suns, and Byron Buxton and Stuart Turner have hit deciding two-run home runs since.
"Everybody believes in each other, and it's always fun to go out there and see whose day it is," Turner said.
There was no last-minute drama in the homestand's finale.
Miguel Sano's RBI double to left field in the first inning put the Lookouts ahead to stay at 2-1, and they extended their advantage to 5-1 in the third on Adam Walker's two-run home run to right-center. Shortstop Jorge Polanco went 4-for-5 to improve his season average to .311, while Wickens went 3-for-5 with four runs scored and first baseman Max Kepler was 3-for-5 and scored twice.
Despite his team's recent success, Lookouts manager Doug Mientkiewicz isn't making too much of this surge.
"I wouldn't say we're off to a great start, but I would say we're off to doing what we're capable of doing and should be doing," Mientkiewicz said. "The won-loss record is OK, but there are still a lot of things we have to clean up. Our guys are getting accustomed to the Double-A level, and we knew there would be bumps in the road, but we're starting to see a few more guys swing the bat better.
"Every day, there is something else you learn about this level. When we face older teams, our youth is exposed, and we have to prepare them so every time we face guys who have been around the block a little bit, it starts to become more normal to us and we start thinking the game better."
Chattanooga will begin a five-game series in Birmingham tonight. Alex Wimmers (0-0, 6.43 ERA) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Lookouts, with Tony Bucciferro (0-1, 7.20) scheduled for the Barons.
"If we keep winning series, we're going to be where we want to be at the end of the year," Mientkiewicz said. "The won-loss record is important, but you don't want them to start paying attention to that yet."
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.