Martinez’s Blast Turns Tables as Stripers Upend Jacksonville 4-1

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Gwinnett didn’t have a hit through five innings against Jacksonville starter Yonny Chirinos, but a three-run outburst in the sixth inning keyed by J.P. Martinez’s two-run home run led the Stripers (1-1) to a 4-1 victory over the Jumbo Shrimp (1-1) on Saturday night at 121 Financial Ballpark.

Decisive Plays: Starter Dylan Dodd allowed an unearned run in the first inning and the Stripers trailed 1-0 entering the sixth. Sebastian Rivero ended Chirinos’ no-hit bid with a leadoff double, and two batters later, Martinez lifted a 427-foot homer (2) to right-center field to give Gwinnett a 2-1 edge. Luis Liberato added an RBI single in the sixth to make it 3-1. In the ninth, Phillip Evans lined a 401-foot solo homer to left to make it 4-1.

Key Contributors: Martinez went 1-for-4 with the homer – his second in as many nights – and game-high two RBIs. Dodd (W, 1-0) yielded one unearned run on three hits over 5.0 innings and struck out seven. The Gwinnett bullpen trio of Jake Walsh (H, 1), Daysbel Hernandez (H, 1), and Ken Giles (S, 1) combined on 4.0 scoreless, two-hit innings.

Noteworthy: The win was the first for Stripers’ manager Kanekoa Texeira at the Triple-A level. Through his first two games with Gwinnett, Martinez is batting .429 (3-for-7) with a double, two homers, three RBIs, and two stolen bases.

Next Game (S**unday, March 31**): Gwinnett at Jacksonville, 3:05 p.m. ET at 121 Financial Ballpark. RHP Bryce Elder (NR) for the Stripers vs. RHP Edward Cabrera (NR) for the Jumbo Shrimp. Broadcast: 2:50 p.m. ET on MyCountry993.com and Bally Live.