Griffin Jax Throws Seven Scoreless Innings In Hard-Luck Loss

With his teammates facing a major league starter Monday night, Pensacola Blue Wahoos pitcher Griffin Jax knew he had to match on the mound.
The Air Force Academy grad performed even better.
Jax worked a season-best, seven shutout innings, but the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp rallied in the eighth inning against the Blue Wahoos' bullpen for a 4-2 win in the deciding, series finale to start the second half schedule at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville.
Miami Marlins lefthander Caleb Smith, pitching for Jacksonville on an injury rehab assignment, tied an all-time Southern League record with eight consecutive strikeouts as part of the 11 he recorded in 4.1 innings.
Even with that, the Blue Wahoos led 2-0 against Smith, who has pitched in 37 major league games, including 12 starts this season with the Marlins.
Smith won his first four starts this season against Philadelphia (twice), Washington and Cleveland before developing a left hip inflammation, which placed him on the injured list since June 7.
Monday night, his second pitch was blasted by Travis Blankenhorn over the right field wall for a lead off homer. It was Blankenhorn's 13th homer this season, tied for the Southern League best, as he continues being the Blue Wahoos' bright spot in the offense.
From that point, however, Smith was virtually unhittable. He struck out the next eight batters until Blankenhorn grounded out to end the third inning and end the strikeout streak.
In the fifth inning, Mark Contreras led off with a homer against Smith for a 2-0 lead.
The lead held up well behind Jax and his stellar performance. Jax retired the first 10 batters he faced in order.
 Riley Mahan broke up the perfection with a fourth-inning single, then Brian Miller singled with one out. Jax pitched out of the jam by getting two flyouts - the latter with runners on second and third.
Jax then retired the Jumbo Shrimp in order the next three innings. He has allowed only 11 earned runs this season on 12 starts with the Blue Wahoos.
Unfortunately for Jax and the Blue Wahoos, the Jumbo Shrimp pounced on relievers Jeff Ames and Sam Clay for four runs in the eighth inning that decided the game.
The unraveling began when Stone Garrett led off the eighth with a single, then stole second base against Ames. Adrian Nieto walked. Anfernee Seymour lined a double to left, scoring Garrett.
After a mound visit, Blue Wahoos fill-in manager Steve Singleton, the team's hitting coach, who worked the series as manager while Ramon Borrego took an extended vacation break, brought in left hander Sam Clay.
The first batter he faced, Corey Bird, tied the game with a single. With one out, Brian Miller hit a hard grounder that deflected off Clay's glove, scoring the go-ahead run. Justin Twine's two-out single scored Miller with the fourth run.
The Blue Wahoos, who managed only three hits in the game while striking out 15 times for a second consecutive day, were held scoreless by three Jumbo Shrimp relievers. The trio combined to allow no walks, one hit, four strikeouts in 4.2 innings.
Alex Kirilloff had the Blue Wahoos only other hit with his sixth-inning single.
The Blue Wahoos (40-35, 2-3 in second half) returned to Pensacola across Interstate-10, arriving early Tuesday and will begin a five-game series against the Biloxi Shuckers on Tuesday night.
The Shuckers, winners of the first half South Division crown, swept the Blue Wahoos in a defining, five-game series three weeks ago, prior to the Southern League All-Star game in Biloxi.
The Jumbo Shrimp (32-43), who finished tied for last in the first half, had lost 10 of 12 games against the Blue Wahoos before winning the final three games of this series.