Jacksonville suffers first sweep since 2019

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville rallied late with two runs in the eighth, but the Jumbo Shrimp fell to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders 5-2 Sunday at 121 Financial Ballpark.

With two outs in the ninth, Alex Mauricio struck out Jonathan Guzman as Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (23-9) put the finishing touches on six-game sweep of the Jumbo Shrimp (16-17). Jacksonville was swept for the first time since 2019, when the Mississippi Braves brought out the brooms from May 1-5 in Pearl, Miss.

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre struck first in the series finale. Greg Allen reached on a hit by pitch and Kevin Smith singled to put runners at first and second. After a double play, Caleb Durbin rolled a slow single to third, which scored Allen and gave the RailRiders a 1-0 lead.

In the fifth inning, Allen reached on a double. Smith followed with a single and Allen was thrown out at home by Guzman. Luis Gonzalez singled for the RailRiders’ third hit of the inning. After a strikeout, Everson Pereira laced an RBI single, which brought home Smith. Yonny Chirinos (3-3) escaped on a groundout two batters later, but Scranton/Wilkes-Barre had extended the lead to 2-0.

In a two-run game, Jose Rojas cracked a solo home run to lead off the sixth. The blast was the 11th home run hit by the RailRiders in the series.

With the RailRiders up 3-0 in the seventh, T.J. Rumfield ripped a two-out double. Carlos Narvaez blistered a breaking ball and plated Rumfield with a single to add another tally to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre’s total.

Jacksonville began to rally in the eighth. Jonathan Davis reached on a one-out error. Victor Mesa Jr. rifled a single, which broke up the RailRiders’ no-hit bid and put runners at first and third. Javier Sanoja hit a pop fly and scored Davis on a sacrifice fly. After a wild pitch, Troy Johnston trickled a grounder to third and drove in Mesa Jr. on an infield single to make it 4-2.

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre responded immediately in the ninth. Pereira drew a walk with one out in the inning. He’d make his way to third on a Rumfield single. Narvaez delivered again for the RailRiders with an opposite field single to plate Pereira and put Scranton/Wilkes-Barre up 5-2.

Jacksonville will travel to Omaha to face off against the Storm Chasers starting Tuesday at 7:35 p.m. from Werner Park. RHP Kyle Tyler (1-0, 4.00) will make the start and RHP Zach Davies (1-1, 4.50) will counter for Omaha. Coverage begins at 7:20 on ESPN 690 AM, and www.ESPN690.com.

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 marked 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.