Jacksonville wins sixth straight with 8-1 triumph over Norfolk
NORFOLK, Va. – Jorge Alfaro belted two home runs and drove in five Saturday to lead the Jumbo Shrimp past the Norfolk Tides 8-1 at Harbor Park, helping Jacksonville to its sixth straight victory.
Jacksonville (13-4) has now won six straight games for the first time since July 7-12, 2018, and will go for a series sweep Sunday against the Tides (3-14), who have now lost nine in a row.
Locked in a scoreless tie in the fourth inning, Monte Harrison led off the inning with a walk, and advanced to second on a Lewin Díaz single to center. Alfaro then blasted a three-run home run to left-center field to put the Jumbo Shrimp in front 3-0.
Two innings later Alfaro struck again. After Díaz led off the inning with a single to center, the Jumbo Shrimp catcher tagged a ball the opposite way over the Tides bullpen to give the Jumbo Shrimp a 5-0 advantage.
Luis Madero (win, 3-0) made his first start of the season for Jacksonville. The right-hander worked five scoreless innings, striking out eight, and allowed just two infield singles, a walk, and a dropped third strike to reach against him. Madero has now picked up a win in all three appearances this season.
Jake Fishman followed out of the bullpen and fanned two in three innings in relief. He surrendered the only Norfolk run of the ballgame when Ramon Urias tripled to right in the sixth and then came in to score on a wild pitch.
Leading 6-1 in the ninth inning, Luis Marte doubled to extend his hitting streak to seven in a row. Then with two outs, Marte scored when Deven Marrero reached on a fielding error. Corey Bird followed and he hit a fly ball that was dropped in left field, allowing Marrero to score all the way from first and make it 8-1.
Zach Thompson struck out one in a scoreless ninth to cap of the win for Jacksonville.
The Jumbo Shrimp go for a series sweep Sunday at 1:05 p.m. when Jumbo Shrimp righty Elieser Hernández (0-0, 0.00) makes his second rehab outing of the series. Hernández squares off with Norfolk right-hander Spenser Watkins (0-2, 4.50). The broadcast will begin at 12:50 p.m. on ESPN 690, as well as online at espn690.com, MiLB.tv, and the MiLB First Pitch app.
ABOUT THE JUMBO SHRIMP: The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp offer affordable family fun at 121 Financial Ballpark. Their inaugural season garnered the Southern League’s Don Mincher Organization of the Year, Promotional Trophy and Jimmy Bragan Executive of the Year, won by general manager Harold Craw. The club added its second Promotional Trophy in three years following the 2019 season. The 2021 season marks the return of Triple-A baseball in Jacksonville. To experience the excitement with the terrific value of ticket and group options, call the Jumbo Shrimp at (904) 358-2846 or visit www.jaxshrimp.com.
