CHARLOTTE – Despite long balls from C.J. Hinojosa, Jake Mangum and Peyton Burdick, the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp blew three separate leads on Sunday and lost 9-8 on Evan’s Skoug’s walk-off home run to the Charlotte Knights from Trust Field.
Jacksonville (7-7) led 8-7 going to the bottom of the ninth. With one out, Erik González doubled to left against reliever Anthony Maldonado (2-2). Skoug then cracked a two-run homer to right to win it for Charlotte (8-7).
The Jumbo Shrimp initially grabbed the advantage just two batters into the contest. Brian Miller singled to begin the game before Hinojosa bopped a two-run shot to open up the scoring.
After Zach Remillard led off the bottom of the first with a home run, Jacksonville answered quickly in the second. Mangum doubled with one out. After a pop out, Hinojosa’s single plated Mangum to make it 3-1.
Remillard again helped the Knights score in the third. He doubled to begin the frame, scoring two batters later on Victor Reyes’ RBI two-bagger.
In the fourth, four consecutive Charlotte walks, the last by Remillard, forced in the tying run. Yolbert Sánchez lifted a sacrifice fly to give the Knights their first lead at 4-3.
Jacksonville responded immediately in the fifth. Jordan Groshans extended his on-base streak to 14 games with a one-out double. Two batters after that, Jerar Encarnacion’s RBI double knotted the score at four.
The Jumbo Shrimp regained the lead in the sixth. Austin Allen’s walk started the frame. Following a strikeout, Mangum launched his first home run in the Marlins’ organization for Jacksonville to go up 6-4. A Burdick solo shot in the seventh tacked on another Shrimp run,
However, in the eighth, Charlotte rallied again. With one out, Skoug singled and Jake Marisnick followed with a homer to cut the lead to one. After a pop out, Remillard singled and Sánchez drew a free pass. Reyes then dribbled a single to center to bring in Remillard and tie the score.
A two-out rally in the ninth helped the Jumbo Shrimp go in front once again. Burdick doubled against reliever Alex Colomé (1-0) and scored on Encarnacion’s base knock to make it 8-7.
Following Monday’s off day, Jacksonville hosts Nashville in Tuesday’s 7:05 p.m. contest from 121 Financial Ballpark to start a six-game series with the Sounds. RHP Chi Chi González (1-1, 7.47 ERA) starts for the Jumbo Shrimp against Sounds RHP Adrian Houser (0-0, 0.00 ERA).