Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp: Game Notes, August 18 at Birmingham
August 18, 2019 - Southern League (SL1)
Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp News Release
The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp begin a five-game series at Birmingham in Sunday's 7 p.m. contest. RHP Kolton Mahoney (4-2, 3.15 ERA) starts for the Jumbo Shrimp against Barons RHP Lincoln Henzman (3-6, 6.04 ERA). Coverage begins at 6:45 p.m. ET on MiLB.tv, Sunny 102.3 FM, TuneIn and JaxShrimp.com.
DIAZ, ROGERS HELP JACKSONVILLE TO 2-0 WIN
Lewin Diaz homered for the second consecutive game and Trevor Rogers fanned 10 Smokies in seven flawless innings to lead the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp to a 2-0 victory over Tennessee. Rogers helped his own cause by breaking a scoreless tie with his fifth-inning RBI single. A frame later, Diaz powered a solo to left-center to make it 2-0. After Rogers left following seven innings of two-hit ball with only one walk, Vincenzo Aiello twirled a scoreless eighth inning. Tommy Eveld punched out two men in the ninth to earn his eighth save and seal Jacksonville's 10th shutout victory of the season.
ALL YOU NEED IS GLOVE
Jacksonville's season-best nine-game errorless streak ended on Tuesday, but the club has still boasted a strong defense through virtually the entirety of the 2019 season. Because errors are subjective in nature and only penalize fielders who actually reach balls in play, perhaps the best introspection of a club's defense in the minor leagues is its defensive efficiency, a simple measure of how often a team turns batted balls put into play against it into outs. Jacksonville boasts a .726 defensive efficiency that not only leads the Southern League, but it would also place third in the major leagues.
'PEN PALS
Vincenzo Aiello and Tommy Eveld combined for 2.0 scoreless innings of work on Saturday at Tennessee, building on a strong run of late for the Jacksonville bullpen. Over the last 60 contests, Jumbo Shrimp relievers have tossed 203.0 innings with just 50 runs against, 43 earned, for a 1.91 ERA. During this 60-game span, the Jumbo Shrimp's bullpen has collectively ceded just 126 hits (5.6 H/9) while whiffing 228 (10.1 K/9) against 69 walks (3.1 BB/9).
HIT THEM WITH YOUR BEST SHOT
Jacksonville has surrendered just 99 runs in their last 35 games (2.8 per game), and the club's starting pitching has been a huge culprit behind those run-prevention efforts. During this span, Jumbo Shrimp starters have combined for a 2.64 ERA (57 ER in 194.0 IP). The club's starting pitchers have posted 199 strikeouts (9.2 K/9) against 59 walks (2.7 BB/9) and 145 hits allowed (6.7 H/9) in the process.
POWER RANGERS
Jacksonville had mustered just 41 home runs in 109 games all season going into play on August 1, tied with Tennessee for the second-fewest such total out of the 120 full-season teams in Minor League Baseball. Since then, however, the Jumbo Shrimp have bashed 15 home runs in 15 games, a figure that ranks fourth in the Southern League and tied for 11th in Double-A. Of those 15 long balls, seven have been struck by Lewin Diaz, with three apiece being accounted for by Jazz Chisholm and Stone Garrett. Bryson Brigman and Joe Dunand have collected the other two Jacksonville bombs. Heading into play on Sunday, the Jumbo Shrimp have homered in four consecutive contests, matching a season-high.
CONNECT FOUR
Buoyed by strong pitching throughout the season, the Jumbo Shrimp offense has been given a bigger margin of error by not needing to score huge quantities of runs to win games. In fact, Jacksonville has won each of its last 26 of its last 27 contests when hitting the four-run marker. On the season, when the Jumbo Shrimp tally at least four scores, the club is a sterling 46-7 (.868).
AND THEN EVERYTHING CHANGED
Jacksonville went into play on June 13 with a woeful 25-41 (.379) record. The Jumbo Shrimp have gone 36-22 (.621) since that point behind some dominant pitching. In the 56 games since June 13, Jacksonville has surrendered both the fewest runs (174) and fewest hits (381) among clubs at the Double-A level. The Jumbo Shrimp also place first in Double-A in batting average against (.205), second in WHIP (1.07), fourth in ERA (2.81), fifth in strikeouts (544) and sixth in walks (166) during this span.
SHRIMP SKEWERS
Behind 11 wins in their last 16 games, Jacksonville has earned three consecutive series victories, matching their best such streak of the season... With 16 games to go in the regular season, the Jumbo Shrimp face a 3.0-game deficit to Biloxi in the South Division race... Since returning to Jacksonville from High-A Jupiter, Bryson Brigman is batting .350/.447/.500 with seven doubles, one triple, one home run, five RBIs and 13 runs scored in 27 games.
Southern League Stories from August 18, 2019
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- Generals Gameday: August 18 vs. Tennessee - Jackson Generals
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