Jumbo Shrimp sunk by Sounds extra-inning rally 12-11

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp snapped their four-game winning streak on Wednesday afternoon as the Nashville Sounds took game two of the series 12-11 in front of 4,679 fans at 121 Financial Ballpark.

Tied at 10-10 going into extra innings, Brewer Hicklen started the inning on second base. Nashville (39-38, 1-1) took the late lead for the final time. A leadoff single to left field from Vinny Capra moved Hicklen to third base. Francisco Mejia followed with a sacrifice fly that scored Hicklen and gave the Sounds an 11-10 lead. An error scored another run and gave the Sounds a 12-10 advantage.

The Jumbo Shrimp’s (36-41, 1-1) rally fell short in the bottom of the 10th. With Tristan Gray starting on second base, Marty Costes peppered a leadoff double scoring Gray, cutting the Sounds’ lead to one. Two batters later, Xavier Edwards punched a single which moved Costes to third. Edwards swiped second base on the next pitch. Nolan Blackwood (S, 2) induced a popup that secured Nashville’s win.

The Sounds opened the scoring in the top of the second. Hicklen and Capra knocked consecutive one-out singles. Mejia reached on a fielders choice which pushed Hicklen to third base and Yonny Hernández reached on a fielding error allowing Hicklen to score the opening run.

Jacksonville responded with five runs in the bottom of the inning. Troy Johnston led off with a base hit and then tied it up on Gray’s triple in the ensuing at-bat. Costes followed with a sacrifice fly that put the Jumbo Shrimp ahead 2-1. Two batters later, Edwards cranked a double and Javier Sanoja followed with a walk. Victor Mesa Jr. (13) launched a three-run homer that gave Jacksonville a four-run cushion.

Nashville began the comeback in the fourth inning. Hicklen led off with a walk and went to second on a single from Capra. A flyout from Mejia advanced Hicklen to third and an error during the next at-bat allowed Hicklen.

In the fifth inning Garrett Mitchell (4) led off the inning with a solo home run which cut the deficit to 5-3. Following a strikeout, Isaac Collins and Wes Clarke drew consecutive walks. Hicklen flied out to right which advanced Collins to third and a walk from Capra loaded the bases. A single to right scored Collins but Clarke was thrown out at the plate by Griffin Conine to end the inning.

Jacksonville answered the bell in the bottom of the inning. Mesa Jr. started the inning with a walk but was thrown out at third after a single from Conine. A passed ball coupled with a throwing error put Conine on third and Jhonny Pereda followed with a walk. During Johnston’s at-bat, a wild pitch advanced Pereda to second. With runners on second and third, Johnston hit a sacrifice fly that scored Conine which pushed the Jumbo Shrimp lead to 6-4.

Gray followed with his second triple of the day that scored Pereda, giving Jacksonville a three-run cushion.

The Sounds regained the lead after batting around in the sixth. Patrick Dorian singled with one out while Mitchell and Joey Wiemer drew back-to-back walks which loaded the bases. After a strikeout, Clarke (6) destroyed a grand slam which flipped the script and gave Nashville an 8-7 lead.

The Jumbo Shrimp answered in the bottom of the inning. Edwards singled with one away and advanced to third on a double by Sanoja. Mesa Jr. brought in Edwards on a base hit while Sanoja scored the go-ahead run on a sac fly from Conine.

In the seventh inning, the Sounds took their third lead. Owen Miller started the inning with a single and Dorian walked. Mitchell drove in the tying run with a double which put Dorian on third. A ground ball from Wiemer scored Dorian which put Nashville ahead 10-9.

Johnston (5) tied the game at 10 with a leadoff solo home run.

Jacksonville and Nashville continue their series in Thursday’s 7:05 p.m. contest from 121 Financial Ballpark. RHP Evan Fitterer (0-0, 0.00 ERA) gets the ball for the Jumbo Shrimp and the Sounds will counter with RHP Chad Patrick (7-1, 2.76). Coverage begins at 6:50 p.m. on Bally Live, MLB.TV, MiLB.tv. and ESPN 690 AM and ESPN690.com.

Gates open at 6:00 p.m. for Coors Light Thirsty Thursday, where fans can enjoy $2 (16 oz.) $3 (24 oz.) drafts throughout various locations of the ballpark.

ABOUT THE JUMBO SHRIMP: The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp are the Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins and compete in the International League. The team calls 121 Financial Ballpark home for baseball but also a wide variety of additional community focused events with a goal of providing Affordable, Family, FUN to Northeast Florida. Winners of many marketing and sales awards and recognition since the team was rebranded prior to the 2017 season, the Jumbo Shrimp continually lead the state of Florida in attendance across all minor league professional sports organizations.