Jacksonville mashes three home runs in 7-6 defeat
NORFOLK, Va. – The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp hit three home runs, and led the Tides 6-2 midway through, but the offense was unable to tally a hit after the fifth inning, and Norfolk came back to tie the game in the ninth and win it in the tenth, Friday at Harbor Park.
Jacksonville (56-44) has now hit 12 home runs in their last five ballgames, but Norfolk (40-58) was able to battle back to win their first game in the series.
After falling behind 2-0 early, Jacksonville got on the board in the second inning. Brian Miller singled to center, stole second, and came into score on an RBI double from Bryson Brigman to make it 2-1.
Jacksonville then went ahead in the third. With one out, Monte Harrison was hit by a pitch, and Lewin Diaz followed with a single to right. Lorenzo Quintana then ripped a three-run homer just inside the left field foul pole to put the Shrimp ahead, 4-2.
In the fifth inning, Diaz led off with his 19th home run of the season, and later in the frame, Payton Henry lined an opposite field homer to right to push the advantage to 6-2.
Norfolk would tighten the deficit in the bottom of the frame. After an error extended the inning, Ryan McKenna crushed a three-run home run to left off of Nick Neidert to make it a 6-5 ballgame.
That was the only mistake Neidert made. He worked 6.2 innings allowing five runs (two earned), on seven hits, walked two and struck out two. He gave up two runs in the first inning as a result of two infield singles.
Alberto Guerrero (loss, 1-1) took over from Neidert. He stranded a runner in the seventh and worked a scoreless eighth, but gave up the tying run in the ninth. J.C. Escarra lined a double to the right-center gap to begin the inning. Zach Jarrett bunted him to third, and Ryan Ripken scored him on a sac fly to make it 6-6.
In the top of the tenth, Jacksonville was unable to score as Quintana lined into a double play to end the inning. Then in the bottom half of the frame Guerrero got the first two outs of the inning, before Jacksonville summoned Tommy Eveld to get the final out of the frame, but he walked a pair, forcing across the winning run.
The teams will face off in game five of the six-game series Saturday at 7:05 p.m. with lefty Daniel Castano (3-2, 5.50) on the mound for Jacksonville, and fellow left-hander Alex Wells (6-3, 3.42) starting for Norfolk. Coverage begins at 6;50 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.
