Jacksonville bests Charlotte 6-5 in 10 innings
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – With Charlotte by a run in the bottom of the 10th inning on Thursday, Monte Harrison blasted a two-run home run to straightaway left, lifting the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp to a 6-5 victory over the Charlotte Knights at 121 Financial Ballpark.
The Jumbo Shrimp (64-47) have now registered 19 last-at-bat victories this season, with 10 coming in walk-off fashion. Jacksonville will have a chance to win the series from Charlotte (42-69) if they can claim a fifth consecutive contest Friday night. The Jumbo Shrimp have also won 12 of their last 16 ballgames.
Brian Miller began the 10th as the inherited runner on second base, and on the third pitch from Jace Fry (1-4), Harrison tattooed his 12th homer of the season to left field for a Jumbo Shrimp win.
Jacksonville got out to an early advantage with a four-run first inning against Will Carter. Miller singled to left to begin the inning, and Harrison put runners at the corners with a single to right. Harrison then swiped second to get into scoring position, and Dustin Fowler followed with a two-run single up the middle two batters later. Lorenzo Quintana worked a walk and Payton Henry reached on an infield single. Joe Dunand doubled down the right field line to plate two more and put Jacksonville up 4-0, as the Jumbo Shrimp sent nine men to the plate in the frame.
Charlotte got back into the ballgame in the second inning. Yermin Mercedes singled to center, and Micker Adolfo walked with one out, setting out Ti’Quan forbes for a three-run homer off of Jacksonville starter Daniel Castano.
Castano bounced back and faced just one batter over the minimum the next four innings. In the seventh, he gave up a solo homer to Adolfo to tie the score at 4-4. Castano finished with five strikeouts in 6.2 innings of work, his sixth consecutive outing of at least five innings pitched.
Parker Bugg closed out the seventh and worked 1.1 scoreless innings in relief, and Rob Zastryzny followed with a scoreless ninth.
In the 10th, Tommy Eveld (5-2) loaded the bases and gave up an RBI single to Mercedes, scoring Zach Collins, who wasthe inherited runner. Eveld proceeded to get a force out at the plate and a pair of strikeouts to limit the damage to only one run and pave the way for a walk-off win. The Jumbo Shrimp bullpen has now yielded only two earned runs in their last 35.2 innings of work.
Jacksonville will look to win their fifth straight Friday, when they send righty Jason Alexander (0-0, 2.45) to the mound to face off with righty Kade McClure (1-1, 6.95) at 7:05 p.m. Gates open at 6 p.m. for Friday Night Lites, in which fans can enjoy $2 12 oz. Miller Lite from 6-7:30 p.m. and $1 off all other craft beers under the Brown Canopy. It’s also Red Shirt Friday, and fans are encouraged to wear red to support the military and those who do so will save $1 per ticket at the Miller Electric Box Office, or can donate that $1 to charity.
Be sure to stick around following the game for Friday Night Fireworks presented by CSX, and $1 from every ticket purchased Friday night will be donated to a military charity on behalf of CSX.
Coverage begins at 6:50 p.m. on Facebook.com/ESPN690JAX and online at 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.
