Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp Drop Season Opener, 7-1
NASHVILLE – The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp struggled Friday in a 7-1 loss to the Nashville Sounds from First Horizon Park.
After a quiet start to the night for both team, the Sounds (1-0) jumped on the scoreboard in the third. Garrett Spain laced a double with one out before Caleb Durbin knocked a two-run home run off Jumbo Shrimp (0-1) starter Janson Junk for the season’s first runs.
Jacksonville scored its lone run of the game in the fifth. Heriberto Hernandez led off with a base hit against Nashville starter Carlos Rodriguez (1-0) before an error put runners on the corners. Two batters later, Ronny Simon lifted a sacrifice fly to slice the deficit in half at 2-1.
The Sounds got the run back in the sixth. Ernesto Martinez Jr. singled with one out before going to second on an error on a pickoff attempt. After a fly out, Raynel Delgado’s single cashed in Martinez Jr. to make it 3-1.
Spain singled with one out in the seventh. He scored from first on a Durbin base hit coupled with an error. Andruw Monasterio followed with a single. A fielder’s choice put Jared Oliva on. On a stolen base, an error scored Durbin and bumped Oliva to third. Oliva then scored on a wild pitch to widen the gap to 6-1.
Delgado jumpstarted the eighth with a double. He stole third and scored on a passed ball to set the final margin at 7-1.
Jacksonville and Nashville meet again in Saturday’s 7:35 p.m. ET contest. RHP Robinson Piña (0-0, 0.00 ERA) starts for the Jumbo Shrimp against Sounds RHP Logan Henderson (0-0, 0.00 ERA). Coverage begins at 7:20 p.m. ET on ESPN 690 AM and www.ESPN690.com.