Lookouts’ pitcher D.J. Baxendale winds to throw during the Jackson Generals game Wednesday at AT&T Field.First baseman Dalton Hicks and right fielder Daniel Palka are expected to provide the power for this season’s Chattanooga Lookouts.
On Wednesday afternoon, the duo delivered.
Hicks and Palka each homered during a 5-2 victory over the Jackson Generals before a crowd of 2,087 at AT&T Field. The win was the first at home for the defending Southern League champions, who are off to a 2-5 start.
“For us to be successful, those two guys have to do some damage,” Lookouts manager Doug Mientkiewicz said. “It’s up to the rest of the guys to kind of do their thing, and all we’re asking them to do is compete in their at-bats. The last couple of days we’ve had a lot of at-bats that weren’t very competitive, and the lack of production with men in scoring position means they’re either pressing or trying to pull.
“We’re doing both of those, and that’s why we’re having trouble putting runs across.”
Hicks broke a scoreless tie in the fourth inning when he followed Mitch Garver’s one-out single to right field with a home run to left. Palka opened the bottom of the sixth with a homer to right to put Chattanooga up 3-1.
Obtained by Minnesota in the offseason through a trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Palka hit 29 homers last season in the high Single-A California League. Now he has a homer in the Double-A ranks.
“I didn’t really think of it like that, but it’s good now that I do think about it,” Palka said. “He left a fastball over the plate, and I just kind of reacted and got a good swing on it. I think we all just had a little more energy today, and that’s maybe what we’ve been lacking a little bit.”
The Generals pulled within 3-2 in the seventh on a Guillermo Heredia single to left that scored Ian Miller, but a Travis Harrison sacrifice in the eighth scored Leo Reginatto as the Lookouts responded with the game’s final two runs.
Garver, Harrison, Hicks and Palka each have one homer for the Lookouts through the first full week of their unofficial compeition.
“We’re not going to say a number, but it could be the kind of thing where one of us hits two in a week and tells the others to catch up,” Hicks said. “It will be friendly, but we definitely want to push each other to hit as many as we can. Daniel is going to provide power, and it’s the same with Garver, and don’t be shocked if Harrison does, too.”
Chattanooga pulled away late Wednesday after losing three straight close games.
Tuesday night’s home opener was tied 3-3 entering the eighth inning before Jackson won 4-3. Monday night’s series finale in Biloxi was tied 1-1 entering the seventh before the Shuckers scored twice to win 3-1, and the Lookouts led Sunday’s game 5-3 entering the eighth before losing 8-5.
“I haven’t looked at it, but I’m pretty sure we’ve got the most unearned runs in the league,” Mientkiewicz said. “It seems like the one mistake we do make on defense kind of kills us, but we’ve also got to do a better job offensively.”
Said Palka: “We came out with a little different mindset today, so maybe we’ll stick to that.”
David Hurlbut (1-0, 3.60) is scheduled to start tonight’s 7:15 game for Chattanooga, with Ryan Yarbrough (0-0, 3.38) scheduled for the Generals. The Lookouts will make their AT&T debut in their alternate home uniforms that feature black jerseys with “NOOGA” across the front.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.