Díaz homers twice as five-run Jacksonville seventh bests Bulls

Jumbo Shrimp beat Durham 9-4 for second straight win

Lewin Díaz homered twice on Friday in a 9-4 Jacksonville win at Durham. (Vincent Wong/Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp)

July 16, 2021

DURHAM, N.C. – Lewin Díaz homered twice on Friday and the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp scored five runs in the seventh inning to down the Durham Bulls 9-4 from Durham Bulls Athletic Park. The score was tied at four when Brian Miller led off the seventh with a single. Durham (42-20)

DURHAM, N.C. – Lewin Díaz homered twice on Friday and the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp scored five runs in the seventh inning to down the Durham Bulls 9-4 from Durham Bulls Athletic Park.

The score was tied at four when Brian Miller led off the seventh with a single. Durham (42-20) reliever Brent Honeywell (1-1) balked Miller to second, and two batters later, Justin Twine doubled down the left field line to give Jacksonville (33-29) the lead. After a Bryson Brigman base hit put runners on the corners, Santiago Chavez delivered a pinch-hit RBI single to plate Twine. Díaz followed by smashing a three-run bomb, his second of the game, to make it 9-4.

The Jumbo Shrimp jumped out to an early lead. Zach Zehner singled to lead off a scoreless second inning. After a strikeout, Brigman singled and a passed ball put runners on second and third. Brian Anderson, who was playing in his first major league rehab game with Jacksonville, lifted a sacrifice fly to left for the game’s first run. Díaz then crushed a two-run shot to put the tally at 3-0.

An inning later, Corey Bird walked and stole second base to begin the frame. Two batters later, Miller singled him in to increase the advantage to 4-0.

The Bulls started chipping away in the fifth. René Pinto walked with out out and moved to second on a Miles Mastrobuoni single. Joseph Odom then registered an RBI single for Durham’s first run.

Back-to-back one-out doubles by Kevin Padlo and Mike Ford, with the latter scoring a run, put Durham within 4-2 in the sixth. After a punchout by Jacksonville reliever Tommy Eveld (2-1), Pinto hit a two-run home run over the tall wall in left to equalize the score at four.

Jake Fishman made the spot start for the Jumbo Shrimp, yielding just one run on three hits in a career-high 4.1 innings. He struck out six and walked one. Following 1.2 frames from Eveld, Sean Guenther pitched 2.0 scoreless innings and Colton Hock tossed a perfect ninth.

The Jumbo Shrimp send LHP Shawn Morimando (2-3, 4.87 ERA) to the mound in Saturday’s 6:35 p.m. contest at Durham. Coverage begins at 6:20 p.m. on www.Facebook.com/ESPN690Jax.

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.