Cabrera fans five in 5.2 scoreless en route to 9-3 win
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. –After squandering a three-run lead in the top half of the eighth inning, the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp came back with vengeance, scoring six runs in the bottom half of the frame Saturday on their way to a 9-3 victory over the Nashville Sounds in front of 5,804 fans at 121 Financial Ballpark.
Jacksonville (37-32) has now won four of the first five games of the series, marking their first series win since taking five of six from Gwinnett in the first week of June. Nashville (41-29) has now lost six of their last seven contests.
Tied at three in the bottom of the eighth inning, Bryson Brigman led off with a single to left, and two batters later, Corey Bird singled through the left side to put two aboard. Brian Navarreto then walked to load the bases and chase Quintin Torres-Costa (loss, 3-1) from the ballgame. Kyle Lobstein took over and Justin Twine hit a would-be double-play ball to second, but hit off the glove of Weston Wilson and caromed into center field to score a pair and put the Jumbo Shrimp back in front, 5-3. Joe Dunand blew the game open one batter later with a moonshot three-run homer to left field, his second of the season, to push the advantage to 8-3. Jacksonville would plate one more run on an error to match their season-high with a six-run frame.
Tim Lopes hit a leadoff home run in the top of the eighth inning to put Nashville on the board at 3-1. The next four hitters would reach for Nashville, forcing Mason Melotakis (win, 2-1) into the game with the bases loaded and nobody out in the eighth inning, and Jacksonville clinging to a one-run lead. Melotakis allowed only run of the three runs to score, inducing a double-play and a groundout to minimize damage in the inning.
Edward Cabrera started for the Jumbo Shrimp and worked 5.2 scoreless innings, striking out five. He retired 14 of the first 16, and during that stretch, allowed only a walk and an infield single. Cabrera loaded the bases in the sixth inning, but picked up a strikeout in his final batter faced before turning the baseball over to Preston Guilmet, who produced a fly out to end the threat.
Jacksonville got on the board first in the third inning. With two outs, Brian Miller singled through the right side, extending his hitting streak to eight in a row. Brigman followed with a triple into the right field corner to score Miller, one of four hits for Brigman in the ballgame, which made it 1-0 Jumbo Shrimp.
Jacksonville added on in the fourth. Bird led off with a triple and scored one batter later when Navarreto reached on a throwing error. Two batters after that, Dunand doubled down the left field line, plating Navarreto from second base to make it 3-0. Dunand matched a career-high with 4 RBIs in the ballgame.
The series finale is set for Sunday when Jacksonville righty Paul Campbell (0-0, 0.00) takes the mound against Nashville left-hander Aaron Ashby (5-3, 5.26). First pitch is slated for 6:35 p.m.
Gates open at 5:30 p.m. for Baptist Health Sunday Family FUNday featuring free face painting and balloon animals as well as postgame kids-run-the-bases. It’s also Hairy Potter Night as the Jumbo Shrimp celebrating fans’ favorite wizards and witches with a night of spells and potions.
Coverage begins at 6:20 p.m. on ESPN 690 as well as online at espn690.com, MiLB.tv, 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.
