Jacksonville trims division deficit to 5.5 games following 8-5 win over Bulls
DURHAM, N.C. – After becoming only the third American all-time to medal at both the winter and summer Olympics, Eddy Alvarez made an impactful return to the Jumbo Shrimp lineup, homering and driving in four runs, to help Jacksonville top Durham, 8-5, Tuesday night.
The Jumbo Shrimp (52-39) now trail the Durham Bulls (57-33) by just 5.5 games in the division standings, and they plated runs in four of the final six innings of play.
The game was a pitchers’ duel earl between dueling rehabbers Daniel Castano (win, 2-2) and Chris Archer (loss, 0-1). Neither team tallied a hit through three innings of play. However, Archer walked Lewin Díaz and Monte Harrison in the fourth inning, and Alvarez followed with a three-run home run the opposite way, accounting for the first hit of the game, and putting Jacksonville in front, 3-0.
Castano retired nine of the first ten he faced. He ultimately worked five innings, giving up just three hits. He struck out one and didn’t walk a batter. The lone run he allowed came on an Esteban Quiroz solo homer in the fifth.
In the sixth inning, Brian Miller led off with a single, and Díaz was then hit by a pitch. With two outs, Nick Fortes and Alvarez tallied back-to-back RBI singles to increase the advantage to 5-1. Fortes has now hit safely in eight straight games.
Durham responded in their half of the inning. Vidal Bruján walked to lead off, and two batters later Josh Lowe connected on a two-run home run to make it 5-3.
Justin Twine led off the Shrimp seventh with an infield single, and Corey Bird followed with a single to right. With Bryson Brigman attempting to advance both with a sac bunt, Nick Anderson the Durham reliever threw the ball away attempting to make a play at third, and both runners came into score as Jacksonville increased the advantage to 8-3.
Again, Durham answered. Miles Mastrobuoni tripled to begin the home seventh, and Brett Sullivan reached on an error to score him. Later in the frame, Sullivan scored on a sac fly from Taylor Walls to return the margin to just two runs.
In the top of the ninth, Twine provided some insurance with a solo home run to left-center field for his fourth of the season, as Jacksonville went up 8-5.
Andrew Bellatti (save, 4) came on to get the final out of the eighth inning and stayed on for the ninth. He walked the first two men he faced but was able to wiggle out of trouble with back-to-back strikeouts to end the game. He finished with three strikeouts in relief.
The series continues Wednesday at 6:35 p.m. when right-hander Nick Neidert (6-1, 2.06) takes the mound for Jacksonville, opposite Durham righty Tommy Romero (1-2, 9.00). Coverage begins at 6:20 p.m. on ESPN 690 and online at espn690.com and on 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.
