MEMPHIS (www.sportsdayjax.com)– Charles Leblanc reached base four times and Jerar Encarnacion homered on Tuesday but the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp stranded 10 runners on base in a 6-4 loss to the Memphis Redbirds from AutoZone Park.
The Redbirds (19-9) struck in the first at-bats and held on from there. Masyn Winn led off the game with a single before a hit by pitch and walk loaded the bases.
Moises Gomez grounded into a double play, which scored the game’s first run. After Jumbo Shrimp (13-13) starter Ronald Bolaños (0-2) walked Ivan Herrera, Luken Baker cashed in two with a double to make it 3-0.
Jacksonville was able to answer immediately in the second. Encarnacion drew a free pass and Leblanc singled to begin the frame. After a double play, C.J. Hinojosa singled in Encarnacion to get the Jumbo Shrimp on the board.
Memphis responded in the third. Gomez tripled to lead off the inning and scored on a wild pitch to make it 4-1.
In the fourth, Leblanc led off with a single before Jacob Amaya doubled. Two batters later, Brian Miller bashed a two-run double to draw Jacksonville within one.
Bolaños ran into more trouble in the bottom of the fourth. A Juniel Querecuto single, Kramer Robertson walk and Masyn Winn single loaded the bases with nobody out. Bolaños got Juan Yepez to fly out before Jordan Walker struck out, but he hit Gomez with a pitch to force in a run.
The score remained 5-3 until the seventh, when Encarnacion bashed a solo home run.
Back-to-back one-out walks and a pair of wild pitches in the eighth cashed in the final run of the game, setting the Memphis advantage at 6-4.
Connor Thomas (4-1) earned the win in a starting role for the Redbirds, going 5.2 innings. Kodi Whitley worked a scoreless ninth for the save.
Jacksonville and Memphis meet in Wednesday’s 1:05 p.m. ET first pitch. RHP George Soriano (0-0, 0.00 ERA) starts for the Jumbo Shrimp against Redbirds RHP Michael McGreevy (1-0, 4.50 ERA).