Jumbo Shrimp drop seesaw affair

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jesús Sánchez homered and drove in three and Willians Astudillo added three hits and four RBIs on Saturday, but the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp fell 13-11 over 10 innings in a seesaw affair to the Charlotte Knights in front of 8,612 fans at 121 Financial Ballpark.

With the score tied at seven, Bryson Brigman singled and Santiago Chavez doubled to begin the seventh. Two batters later, Brian Miller lifted a sacrifice fly to give Jacksonville (77-68) an 8-7 lead. After a walk, Sánchez singled home Chavez to give the Jumbo Shrimp a two-run advantage.

Charlotte (58-88) was able to inch a little closer in the eighth when Oscar Colás launched his second home run of the game. Consecutive doubles by Lenyn Sosa and Adam Haseley in the ninth knotted the score at 11.

With one out in the 10th inning, Micker Adolfo, who started the frame on second base, scored on an error. Laz Rivera followed with an RBI single off Jumbo Shrimp reliever Robert Garcia (1-5) to extend the Knights’ advantage to 13-11.

On the heels of reliever Bennett Sousa (2-1), Lane Ramsey was able to strand the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th to pick up his fourth save and eliminate the Jumbo Shrimp from playoff contention.

The Knights initially jumped out to a big lead in their first at-bats. Colás started the game with a double before Jake Burger was hit by a pitch. After a ground out, Sosa doubled in a pair. Two batters later, Blake Rutherford notched an RBI single to make it 3-0.

Jacksonville answered immediately. A string of five consecutive Jumbo Shrimp reaching base started with one out in the bottom of the first when Ray-Patrick Didder, who collected a career-high four hits, singled. Sánchez walked before Astudillo lashed a two-run double. Luis Aviles Jr. singled and then Erik González lined a two-run double to right to give Jacksonville its first lead at 4-3.

Dalvy Rosario registered his first career Triple-A hit to jumpstart the second. After a Miller base knock, Didder singled in Rosario. Two batters after that, Astudillo blasted his second two-run double of the game to widen the gap to 7-3.

Charlotte immediately began chipping away in the third inning. Burger singled, and after a pair of ground outs, Haseley walked. Rutherford followed with a two-run two-bagger to halve the Jumbo Shrimp advantage.

With the same score in the fifth, Burger tripled and then scored on a Yolbert Sánchez RBI single to pull the Knights within one.

In the sixth, Adolfo walked with one out. Two batters after that, Colás drilled his first career Triple-A home run to give Charlotte an 8-7 lead.

The top of the order again helped put the Jumbo Shrimp back in front, though, in the bottom of the sixth. Didder singled with one out before Jesús Sánchez drilled a two-run shot to make it 9-8.

In a game that featured five lead changes, the Knights rallied to tie in the top of the seventh. Sosa walked to begin the frame. After moving to second on a ground out, he scored on a Rutherford single to even htings at nine.

Jacksonville closes out its home schedule in Sunday’s 1:05 p.m. contest from 121 Financial Ballpark. LHP Matthew Kent (8-11, 5.07 ERA) starts for the Jumbo Shrimp against Knights RHP Jonathan Stiever (0-0, 0.00 ERA). Coverage begins at 12:50 p.m. on MiLB.tv, ESPN 690 and www.espn690.com.

Gates open at noon on the final Baptist Health Sunday Family FUNday of the season. Fans are invited on the field from 12-12:20 p.m. for a pregame catch on the field. Kids can feel like the pros following the game by running the bases. Additionally, kids can enjoy complimentary pregame face painting and balloon animals.

*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.