SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. – Geovany Soto’s rehab debut at Smokies Park couldn’t have gone any better Monday night for the Tennessee Smokies. His RBI-single in the first was the catalyst for the Smokies’ 7-2 win over the Carolina Mudcats in front of 3,415. The win is the Smokies’ eighth in a row and keeps them only a half-game behind Chattanooga for first in the Southern League North Division.

It took the Smokies a total of three pitches to put their first run on the board. Soto followed consecutive first-pitch singles by Jonathan Mota and Jim Adduci with one of his own in the bottom of the first. His single brought home Mota to give the Smokies an early 1-0 lead. Adduci would score in the frame on a Tyler Colvin single to right to make it 2-0 Tennessee.

The Chicago Cubs All-Star followed up his RBI-single in the first by looking at a called-third strike in the third. He would then lead off the fifth with a walk to finish 1-for-2 on the night.

The Smokies answered a Carolina run in the second with a run of their own in the fourth to pad their lead. Tony Thomas delivered a single to left off Mudcats starter Tom Cochran (3-4) to put the Smokies up 3-1.

Carolina meanwhile could muster very little against Tennessee starter Andrew Cashner. The Cubs’ 2008 first-round pick stymied the Mudcats to the tune of one unearned run on two hits in six innings of work. He struck out eight and walked only one, lowering his already impressive ERA with the Smokies to 0.88.

Smokies OF Doug Deeds made sure the relief effort of teammates Alex Maestri and Jayson Ruhlman did not go to waste, extending the Smokies’ lead to 7-2 in the bottom of the eighth with a grand slam off Ruben Medina to left. The home run was Deeds’ sixth of the year.

Carolina and Tennessee square off in Game 4 of their five-game series Tuesday night at Smokies Park. Camilo Vasquez (2-3, 5.44) will start for the Mudcats against Hung-Wen Chen (6-8, 4.77) for the Smokies. Tickets for the 7:15 game can be purchased at www.smokiesbaseball.com, by calling the Smokies at 286-2300 or at the stadium ticket office.

Courtesy: smokiesbaseball.com