Jacksonville slugs their way past Charlotte for 7-3 victory

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp blasted four home runs in the ballgame, including a pair of two-run bombs in the fourth, to take game four of the six-game series from Charlotte, 7-3, at Truist Field.

Jacksonville (23-16) also combined to record a season-high 16 strikeouts from five different pitchers, and held the Knights (15-23) to just 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position.

Trailing 1-0 in the fourth inning, the Jumbo Shrimp bats came alive at the plate against Jonathan Stiever (loss, 2-3). Connor Justus led off with a triple off the wall in right, and Lorenzo Quintana followed with a homer to left field to put Jacksonville in front. After a Corey Bird single up the middle, Zack Zehner lifted another two-run homer, to put the Shrimp up 4-1.

Stiever began his outing by retiring the first eight men he faced, but ultimately yielded six runs on eight hits in 5.1 innings, despite six strikeouts.

Jacksonville added on the next three frames. Chris Chinea led off the fifth inning with a solo homer to left, and Bird opened the sixth inning with a moonshot to right, pushing the lead to 6-1.

Chinea, who finished a triple shy of the cycle and reached base all four times up, led off the seventh by working a walk, and came into score on a Quintana double down the left field line later in the frame.

Meanwhile the pitching staff had things rolling as well for Jacksonville. Parker Bugg made his third start of the season and struck out five in 2.1 innings. The only run he allowed was a solo homer to Tim Beckham leading off the second, his sixth long ball of the series.

Alexander Guillen (win, 1-1) came out of the bullpen to work 2.2 scoreless in relief and pick up the win. Andrew Bellatti also fanned two in his first outing of the season for Jacksonville. Bellatti did give up a solo home run to Marco Hernandez in the seventh.

In the eighth, the Knights added a run against Steven Okert on a triple from Jake Burger to lead off the inning, followed by an RBI single from Blake Rutherford. Okert would retire the next three batters including back-to-back strikeouts to end the frame.

Tommy Eveld finished the contest off by striking out the side in the ninth inning.

Jacksonville and Charlotte will face off in game five of the six game set Saturday at 7:04 p.m. Lefty Brandon Liebrandt will make his first start of the season for Jacksonville, while the Knights will counter with right-hander Jimmy Lambert (1-0, 4.22). The broadcast will begin at 6:49 p.m. on ESPN 690 as well as on the ESPN 690 Facebook page and 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.