Neidert fans season-high six in 8-1 loss
DURHAM, N.C. – Corey Bird reached base three times on Tuesday, but the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp were unable to overcome the home run ball from the Durham Bulls, falling 8-1 at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
Jacksonville (31-28) tallied just six hits and went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position. Meanwhile, Durham posted eight extra-base hits, including three home runs
Durham jumped on the board early with a solo home run by Dalton Kelly to lead off the bottom of the first inning.
The Jumbo Shrimp tied the score in the third inning. Bird and Zack Zehner ripped back-to-back singles to open the inning, and after a wild pitch from Drew Strotman (win, 6-2), Lewin Díaz plated Bird with an RBI groundout to make it 1-1.
It was the only run that Strotman allowed. He worked five innings, giving up four hits and a walk while striking out six.
Two innings later, Josh Lowe clocked his 10th home run of the season, a two-run shot, to put Durham back in the driver’s seat at 3-1.
The Bulls tacked on a run in the fifth inning against Jacksonville starter Nick Neidert (loss, 3-1). Tristan Gray led off the inning with a double down the left field line, and Miles Mastrobuoni brought him home with an RBI single to center field one batter later. Jacksonville was able to minimize damage in the frame when Chad Wallach gunned down Mastrobuoni trying to steal later in the frame.
Neidert struck out a season-high six over 5.2 innings of work, giving up four runs on six hits. He did not walk a batter.
After Sean Guenther worked a scoreless 1.1 innings of relief, Durham was able to push the game out of reach in the eighth inning. Nathan Lukes led off the frame with a double off the wall in left field, and Lowe followed with his second home run of the game and 11th of the season to increase the Bulls lead to 6-1. Later in the frame Gray singled home Mike Ford, who had doubled following the home run. Mastrobuoni made it 8-1, driving in Brett Sullivan who reached on a single.
Sean Poppen (save, 2) came on in the eighth when the score was 4-1, and worked two scoreless innings in relief, allowing just one hit.
Game two of the series is set for Wednesday at 6:35 p.m. when Jacksonville lefty Brandon Liebrandt (0-2, 4.40) takes the mound against Durham left-hander Dietrich Enns (4-1, 2.93). Coverage begins at 6:20 p.m. on the ESPN 690 Facebook page and on MiLB.tv.
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. ###
