Jacksonville Sweeps de Facto Doubleheader with Iowa
September 9, 2022 – International League (IL) – Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp News Release
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp recorded their largest home win since 2009 and Willians Astudillo blasted a two-run walk-off home run to sweep the Iowa Cubs in their de facto doubleheader 16-0 and 3-1 Friday night at 121 Financial Ballpark.
In the completion of Thursday’s suspended game, Jacksonville (70-61) 16-run margin of victory was their largest since an 18-1 drubbing on August 22, 2014 at Tennessee. It was Jacksonville’s biggest home win since throttling West Tennessee 17-0 on April 18, 2009 at the then-named Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville. The Jumbo Shrimp recorded 20 hits in their victory, their most in a game since also registering 20 on September 1, 2015 at Tennessee. It was their club’s most knocks in a home game since at least 2005.
The Jumbo Shrimp took the early lead in the bottom of the second and never looked back. With two outs, Payton Henry singled and scored on a two-run home run from Erik González (4) off Iowa (61-71) starter Matt Swarmer (L, 3-3). Henry reached base six times in the effort.
Jacksonville doubled their lead in the bottom of the third. With one out, Jordan Groshans and Jesús Sánchez singled. Groshans advanced to third on the single from Sánchez and then scored as Willians Astudillo reached on a fielder’s choice. Sánchez advanced to second and then scored two batters later on a single from Henry to push the Jumbo Shrimp lead to 4-0.
After a scoreless fourth, the bats for the Jumbo Shrimp went back to work in the fifth. With one out, Peyton Burdick walked and stole second. Henry would end up walking and Burdick stole third to put runners at the corners. González smacked his second hit of the day to drive in Burdick to increase the lead to 5-0. After a flyout and wild pitch that put runners on second and third, Ray-Patrick Didder drove in both runs with a double to give Jacksonville a 7-0 advantage.
After turning a triple play in the top of the sixth inning, Jacksonville blew the game wide open in the bottom of the frame, sending 10 batters to the plate. Groshans and Sánchez started the inning with back-to-back singles. A wild pitch put runners on second and third, and after a strikeout, Burdick drove in both runs with a triple, giving Jacksonville a 9-0 lead. Henry was hit by a pitch and Burdick scored as González singled, driving in his fourth RBI of the game to give the Jumbo Shrimp a 10-run lead. Ryan Lavarnway walked to load the bases. Following an infield fly, Brian Miller knocked a single, scoring Henry as Jacksonville increased their lead to 11-0. With the bases still loaded, a wild pitch scored González and put the Jumbo Shrimp ahead 12-0.
The ball kept rolling for Jacksonville as they added to their lead in the seventh. Sánchez walked to start things off and went to second on a single from Astudillo. Two batters later, Henry was hit by a pitch that loaded the bases for González, who singled in a run to make it 13-0.
The Jumbo Shrimp put the finishing touches on their triumph in the eighth. Miller singled to begin the frame and after a ground out, Sánchez added a base hit to put runners on the corners. Two batters later, Burdick blasted a three-run shot to make it 16-0.
Matthew Kent (7-10) matched a career-high by tossing 8.0 scoreless innings, needing 107 pitches to scatter three hits and six walks to earn the win in relief.
In Friday’s regularly scheduled contest, Jacksonville struck first again. Bryson Brigman doubled with one out in the second against Cubs starter Wyatt Short before scoring on an error for the game’s first run.
Iowa evened things up in the fourth. Matt Mervis singled but was replaced on first base after John Hicks hit into a fielder’s choice. A wild pitch moved Hicks to second before he stole third. He then scored on another wild pitch.
Astudillo gave the Jumbo Shrimp the doubleheader sweep with a walk-off two run home run in the bottom of the seventh off Iowa reliever Brendon Little (L, 4-4).
George Soriano (W, 4-2) pitched a scoreless ninth inning en route to his fourth win of the season.
The Jumbo Shrimp and I-Cubs meet at 6:35 p.m. on Saturday. LHP Josh Rogers (1-6, 7.85 ERA) starts for Jacksonville, with coverage beginning at 6:20 p.m. on MiLB.tv, ESPN 690 AM and www.ESPN690.com.
Gates open at 5:30 p.m. for Saturday’s contest. The first 2,000 fans will receive a Jumbo Shrimp Home Plate Doormat presented by First Watch.
• Discuss this story on the International League message board…
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
