LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. – The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp split their doubleheader against the Gwinnett Stripers Saturday by winning the opening game 8-4 and dropping the finale 4-1 in a five-inning rain-shortened contest.
In game one, Jumbo Shrimp (56-55) starter Bradley Blalock (W, 2-8) allowed three unearned runs and one walk over five innings while striking out eight Stripers (58-54) to earn his first winning decision since May 2.
Jacksonville opened the scoring in the top of the first after Cam Cannarella singled, stole second and scored on a Graham Pauley double.
The Jumbo Shrimp expanded their lead to 5-0 thanks to a four-run top half of the third. Garret Forrester walked and Cannarella doubled to open the frame. Jonathon Long’s single one batter later plated Forrester. A throwing error on a pickoff attempt by Gwinnett starter Drue Hackenberg (L, 1-1) brought in Cannarella. Kemp Alderman (15) capped off the rally with a two-run blast to right-center.
Alderman tacked on another run in the fifth for Jacksonville by doubling in Long, who reached on a one-out single.
The Stripers cut the deficit to 6-3 with a fifth inning surge. After Kyle Farmer reached on an error, he scored on back-to-back singles from Jair Camargo and Cal Conley. A double steal and Brewer Hicklen walk loaded the bases for Rowdy Tellez, who ground a single up the middle to plate a pair.
The Jumbo Shrimp found a pair of insurance runs in the final two frames. A sixth inning two-out rally saw a Forrester walk and Cannarella single precede another RBI single for Long to push the advantage to 7-3.
In the seventh, Brayden Taylor walked and Gage Miller doubled before Maximo Acosta brought around Taylor with a base hit to make it 8-3.
The Stripers’ seventh inning comeback effort fell short after a Conley lead-off single and Patrick Clohisy double set up a Hicklen sac fly to set the final margin at 8-4.
In game two, Gwinnett got to Jacksonville starter Karson Milbrandt (L, 0-5) early thanks to a three-run first. Milbrandt walked the first two batters and surrendered a single to Tellez, loading the bases for Carlos Santana, who doubled home Clohisy and Hicklen to open up a 2-0 Stripers lead. A Brett Wisely single scored Santana to make it 3-0.
Gwinnett added on in the second on a Sandy Leon (2) leadoff solo home run to right, lifting the lead to 4-0.
Jared Serna engineered Jacksonville’s lone run in the top of the third inning. He opened the frame with an infield single. stole second and scored two batters later on a fielding error.
The game was called after five innings due to persistent inclement weather at Gwinnett Field.
The series concludes Sunday at 4:05 p.m. with Jacksonville right-hander Jace Beck (0-1, 6.60) scheduled to start on the mound in his Miami Marlins organizational debut opposite Gwinnett right-hander Cedric De Grandpre (0-0, 5.00)
Coverage begins at 3:50 p.m. on ESPN 690 and espn690.com.
ABOUT THE JUMBO SHRIMP: The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp are the Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins and compete in the International League. The 2025 International League and Triple-A National Champions, the Jumbo Shrimp call VyStar Ballpark home for baseball but also a wide variety of additional community focused events with a goal of providing Affordable, Family, FUN to Northeast Florida. Winners of many marketing and sales awards and recognition since the team was rebranded prior to the 2017 season, the Jumbo Shrimp continually lead the state of Florida in attendance across all minor league professional sports organizations.