Pitcher's Duel Doesn't Go Tides' Way In Jacksonville
JACKSONVILLE, Fl --- The Norfolk Tides (7-11) fell to the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (11-7), 3-1, on Thursday night at 121 Financial Ballpark. Heston Kjerstad went 3-for-3 with a solo home run, a hit-by-pitch and a stolen base in the loss. It was the Jumbo Shrimp that scored first, taking two
JACKSONVILLE, Fl --- The Norfolk Tides (7-11) fell to the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (11-7), 3-1, on Thursday night at 121 Financial Ballpark. Heston Kjerstad went 3-for-3 with a solo home run, a hit-by-pitch and a stolen base in the loss.
It was the Jumbo Shrimp that scored first, taking two in the second inning. Victor Mesa Jr. hit a one-out single to get on. Tristan Gray followed him with a little league home run down the right field line. On a play at the plate, Mesa was safe after the throw went wide and out of play into the dugout. Gray, who tripled on the play, scored on the dead ball to go up 2-0.
Norfolk would score in the fifth inning when Kjerstad blasted his eighth home run of the season to dead center. Jacksonville was able to get that run back in the bottom-half when Jonah Bride knocked an RBI single, going up 3-1 after five.
Both team's starters finished after the fifth inning. Tides starter Bruce Zimmermann allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits and one walk while striking out three. On the other side of the pitcher's duel, Yonny Chirinos allowed the home run and five other hits. He struck out five while walking one for Jacksonville and exited as the pitcher of record.
The bullpen was just as strong for both teams. Tucker Davidson tossed 2.0 scoreless innings, while Bryan Baker added another to keep Jacksonville at bay. But the Jumbo Shrimp retired 12-of-13 hitters in the remaining 4.0 innings. Devin Smeltzer earned the hold with 2.1 innings, then Anthony Maldonado retired the final five batters faced with three strikeouts. He earned the save, his second of the season. The Tides loss was their 10th straight after starting 2024 with a 7-1 record.
Game four of the series is scheduled at 7:05 p.m. tomorrow night. The Tides are scheduled to throw LHP Cade Povich (1-1, 1.10), while the Jumbo Shrimp will have RHP Roddery Muñoz (0-3, 10.97) on the hill.
POSTGAME NOTES
Cheddar Kjerstad: Leading the Tides offense tonight was Heston Kjerstad, who went 3-for-3 with a solo home run and a hit-by-pitch...it was his eighth home run and 28th RBI of the season, both leading the International League...it was his seventh multi-hit game of the season, and his fourth with at least three games...it was his first three-hit game since April 3 at Charlotte when he went 5-for-7 with four runs, two doubles, two home runs and a franchise record 10 RBI...the stolen base was Kjerstad's first of the season and his first since August 20, 2023 at Memphis...the hit-by-pitch was Kjerstad's second of the season and the 11th of his Tides career.
Zim Invader: Tides starter Bruce Zimmermann went 5.0 innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits and one walk while striking out three...he threw 84 pitches, 52 for strikes...Zimmermann has gone back-to-back games of throwing 5.0 innings while allowing two earned runs or less...it was his 47th start of his Tides career, passing Jake Arrieta and is now tied with Andy Mitchell for fifth-most all-time in franchise history as an Orioles affiliate...also on that franchise leaderboard, Zimmermann ranks 4th in strikeouts (253), T-9th in wins (13), and 10th in innings pitched (249.0).