Muller Strong, But Stripers Clipped by Jacksonville

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – *Kyle Muller *struck out nine batters and allowed just one unearned run over 6.0 innings, but the Gwinnett Stripers (28-28) struggled to back him with offense in a 2-1 loss to the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (29-27) on Wednesday night at 121 Financial Ballpark.

Decisive Plays: Gwinnett took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning against Daniel Castano as Kramer Robertson led off with a double and scored on a double play groundout by Phil Gosselin. Jacksonville tied the game against Muller in the fourth on Lorenzo Quintana's RBI single. The 1-1 tie held until the seventh, when Bryson Brigman tripled off Nick Vincent (L, 1-5) and scored on a throwing error by shortstop Braden Shewmake.

Key Contributors: Muller scattered six hits and three walks over six innings in his second consecutive quality start. Castano (W, 3-0) held Gwinnett to one run on five hits over 7.0 innings and struck out five for the Jumbo Shrimp. George Soriano (S,1) pitched 2.0 scoreless innings to finish the game. Robertson had the Stripers' lone extra-base hit, going 1-for-4 with a double and run scored.

*Noteworthy: * Muller is the first Stripers pitcher to record consecutive quality starts this year, having also fanned eight over 7.0 one-run innings in his previous start on June 2 vs. Louisville. Gwinnett is now 10-9 in one-run games and 2-6 in Jacksonville this season.

Next Game (Thursday, June 9):Gwinnett at Jacksonville, 7:05 p.m. at 121 Financial Ballpark. RHP Nolan Kingham (1-0, 3.00 ERA) for the Stripers vs. LHP Matthew Kent (2-4, 6.04 ERA) for the Jumbo Shrimp. Radio Broadcast: 6:50 p.m. on MyCountry993.com.

Next Home Game (Tuesday, June 14): Gwinnett vs. the Indianapolis Indians, 7:05 p.m. at Coolray Field. Radio Broadcast: 6:50 p.m. on MyCountry993.com. It’s a Family Value Tuesday at Coolray Field. Enjoy $2 hot dogs and $1 select desserts, courtesy of Coolray Heating & Cooling.