The red-hot Chattanooga Lookouts won’t see AT&T Field for two weeks, but Thursday’s 15-1 victory over Jacksonville gave the home fans something to remember.
The Lookouts, winners of four straight after losing Sunday’s series opener to the Suns, banged out six home runs – including two by all-star Daniel Palka – to thrill the “businessman’s special” crowd at the mid-day matchup.
Chattanooga (30-30) had 18 hits, among them home runs from Zach Granite to lead off the game, Travis Harrison and Leonardo Reginatto in the fourth and Mitch Garver’s grand slam to end the scoring.
Palka’s two blasts came in the fourth and sixth innings and gave him a Southern League-leading 14 homers. Reginatto and third baseman Engelb Vielma had three hits each.
Former first-round draft pick Kohl Stewart was the beneficiary of the outburst. The right-hander, who lasted only 1 2/3 innings in his first Southern League start, went six scoreless innings Thursday, allowing three hits and no walks and striking out five.
The Lookouts begin a 10-game road trip leading up to the all-star break tonight at Tennessee, with Chattanooga’s D.J. Baxendale (5-6) and the Smokies’ Brad Markey (5-1) the scheduled starting pitchers.