BILOXI, Miss. - The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (26-36) defeated the Biloxi Shuckers (32-30) by a 5-2 score in the second game of the five-game series at MGM Park on Saturday night.
BILOXI, Miss. - The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (26-36) defeated the Biloxi Shuckers (32-30) by a 5-2 score in the second game of the five-game series at MGM Park on Saturday night.
Jacksonville right-handed starter Joe Gunkel (1-2) earned his first Southern League victory, working a season-high seven innings where he allowed one run (no earned runs) on five hits with a walk and three strikeouts. Biloxi right-handed starter Jorge López (3-5) took the loss, also working seven innings where he gave up two runs (both earned) on four hits with two walks and 10 strikeouts.
The Jumbo Shrimp started the scoring in the second inning, first with an Austin Nola RBI double to give Jacksonville a 1-0 lead. Taylor Ard brought Nola home with an RBI single to put the lead at 2-0. The Shuckers scored their first run in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI single by Dustin Houle to cut Jacksonville's lead to 2-1.
It remained a 2-1 game until the top of the eighth. Yefri Pérez started the inning with a double, and wild pitches by Biloxi reliever Tayler Scott advanced him first to third, then to home during Brian Anderson's at-bat to grow the lead to 3-1. Later in the inning with two outs, Alex Yarbrough delivered a two-run single to left-center to put the lead at 5-1.
Gunkel finished his time on the mound by retiring the last nine batters he faced in order. In the bottom of the eighth left-handed reliever Daniel Schlereth turned in a 1-2-3 inning before the Jumbo Shrimp gave the ball to Andy Beltre to get the final three outs. The Shuckers added a run off Beltre in the bottom of the ninth on an RBI single by Clint Coulter to put the score at 5-2, which would be the final.
The win is Jacksonville's first this season against the Shuckers, after Bilxoi had won the first six meetings in the season series.
The Jumbo Shrimp and Shuckers will next play the third game of the five-game series on Sunday at 5:05 p.m. ET at MGM Park. Left-handed pitcher Matt Tomshaw (5-3, 3.25 ERA) will start for Jacksonville against Biloxi right-hander Angel Ventura (3-4, 2.37 ERA). Fans can listen to the game on the Jumbo Shrimp Network presented by Community First, beginning at 6:20 p.m. ET with the pregame show "Shrimp On Deck" on FM 100.3 & AM 1600 The Biz, the TuneIn Radio app, and www.jaxshrimp.com.
ABOUT THE JUMBO SHRIMP: The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp are beginning a new era of affordable family fun with the 2017 season presented by Community First Credit Union at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville. With a new lineup of ticket and group options, there is a reason for everyone to get part of the action by calling the Jumbo Shrimp at (904) 358-2846 or visiting www.jaxshrimp.com.
