Wahoos Edge Shrimp 4-3
PENSACOLA, Fla. - The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (3-4) fell to the Pensacola Blue Wahoos (5-2) by a 4-3 score in the second game of the five-game series at Blue Wahoos Stadium on Thursday night.
Pensacola right-handed starting pitcher Brusdar Graterol (1-0) earned the win, pitching five and two-thirds scoreless innings allowing three hits with three walks and four strikeouts. Jacksonville right-handed starting pitcher Robert Dugger (0-1) took the loss, allowing a run on two hits. Dugger faced only two batters before he was taken out of the game due to injury, being struck on the right arm by a comeback line drive on a single by Luis Arraez. Pensacola right-handed relief pitcher Dusten Knight earned his second save of the season by working the final two innings.
Pensacola struck first, with a Mitchel Kranson RBI single giving the Wahoos a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Jacksonville relievers Kolton Mahoney and Parker Bugg kept the Wahoos off the scoreboard for the next five innings. Against Jacksonville left-handed reliever Elvis Araujo in the bottom of the sixth, Jimmy Kerrigan hit a two-run double to left to grow the lead to 3-0.
Jacksonville got on the scoreboard with two outs in the top of the seventh. Magneuris Sierra hit an RBI single to left field to score Rodrigo Vigil, then a throwing error by Wahoos left fielder Ernie De La Trinidad brought home Anfernee Seymour to make it a 3-2 game. The Wahoos got a run back in the bottom of the seventh, when a throwing error by Jacksonville left-handed relief pitcher Jeff Kinley on a pickoff attempt scored Jordan Gore from third to put the score at 4-2.
Justin Twine led off Jacksonville's top of the eighth with a triple, then two batters later Joe Dunand brought him home on an RBI groundout to third to make it a 4-3 game, which would be the final.
The Jumbo Shrimp and Blue Wahoos will continue their series with the third game of the five-game set on Friday night at 7:35 p.m. eastern. Right-handed pitcher Jorge Guzman (0-0, 1.80 ERA) will start for Jacksonville against Pensacola left-handed pitcher Devin Smeltzer (1-0, 0.00 ERA). Fans can listen to the game on the Jumbo Shrimp Network presented by Community First, beginning at 7:20 p.m. with the pregame show "Shrimp On Deck" locally on Sunny 102.3 FM, on the TuneIn Radio app, and www.jaxshrimp.com.