A sold-out Fourth of July crowd at AT&T Field received quite the fireworks display as the Chattanooga Lookouts launched four home runs to set up the postgame air show in Thursday night’s 5-2 victory over the Jackson Generals.
Jose Siri lit the fuse for an offense with 22 home runs through the first 15 games of the second half of the season, delivering a two-run shot to left field with one out in the bottom of the first inning. Mitch Nay, the Southern League’s player of the month for June, followed with an opposite-field homer to right.
The first three hits of the game for the Lookouts (8-7) were all home runs, with Chris Okey leading off the second with another to make it 4-1 in front of 6,381, a season-high for attendance at AT&T.
Chattanooga starting pitcher Scott Moss ended a stellar outing by striking out the side swinging in the top of the sixth. His 99 strikeouts in 80 1/3 innings this season trail only Atlanta Braves prospect Ian Anderson (113) of Mississippi for the league lead.
Shortstop Alfredo Rodriguez aided the victory by going 2-for-4 with a stolen base, and his first homer of the season built a 5-2 lead in the eighth. Rodriguez was ranked the No. 4 international prospect in 2015 by MLB.com and has put together a breakout season, hitting .299 with 12 stolen bases.
Juan Martinez improved to 5-of-5 in save chances with the Lookouts and left the Jackson batter representing tying run at the plate with his third strikeout of the game to finish off 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
The Generals’ Daulton Varsho hit a one-out double to left field in the first, then scored on Pavin Smith’s two-out single to center. Jamie Westbrook homered in the top of the eighth and had three hits along with Smith as the Generals fell to 6-9.
Game two of a six-game series at AT&T is at 7:15 p.m. Friday, with postgame fireworks scheduled.
Contact Patrick MacCoon at pmaccoon@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @PMacCoon.