SL1 Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp

Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp Game Notes, May 2 at Mississippi

May 2, 2019 - Southern League (SL1)
Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp News Release


The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp play at the Mississippi Braves in Thursday's 7:35 p.m. ET contest. LHP McKenzie Mills (1-3, 5.21 ERA) makes the start for the Shrimp against Mississippi LHP Joey Wentz (0-1, 5.82 ERA). Coverage begins at 7:20 p.m. on MiLB.tv, Sunny 102.3 FM, TuneIn and the MiLB First Pitch app.

JUMBO SHRIMP BLANKED BY MISSISSIPPI 2-0

Jacksonville starter Josh Roeder pitched five strong innings in Wednesday's series opener at Mississippi, but the Braves shut out the Jumbo Shrimp 2-0 from Trustmark Park. Mississippi struck in their first at-bats, plating a run on Andy Wilkins' RBI single. The score remained 1-0 until the sixth. Cristian Pache registered an RBI single to widen the margin to 2-0. In his Double-A debut, Roeder surrendered one run on four hits, striking out seven without walking a batter. Corey Bird notched a pair of hits, but of Jacksonville's seven knocks, just one was for extra bases.

START THE CELEBRATION

In the first 20 games of the season, Jacksonville starting pitchers compiled a 2-13 record and 5.33 ERA over 81.0 innings. Jumbo Shrimp lid-lifters combined for 41 walks (4.7 BB/9), 78 strikeouts (8.7 K/9) and 84 hits allowed (9.3 H/9). However, the last seven games, a span in which Jacksonville has gone 5-2, the Shrimp have seen some stellar starting pitching. Over these last seven games, Jacksonville starters have combined for a 5-2 record and 2.25 ERA (10 ER in 40.0 IP). Jumbo Shrimp starters have walked 16 (3.6 BB), fanned 33 (7.4 K/9) and yielded 31 hits (7.0 H/9) over this run.

FLYIN' AND CRYIN'

The Jumbo Shrimp have collected 201 hits this season, tied for the most of any club in the Southern League. The club also places fourth in the circuit in batting average (.237). However, Jacksonville ranks just ninth in the league in on-base percentage (.301), mainly due to the club's propensity to be aggressive in swinging the bat. The Jumbo Shrimp have only walked 64 times this season, by far the fewest in the Southern League. Ninth-place Jackson's total of 83 walks is actually nearly as close to second-place Biloxi (103 free passes) than they are to Jacksonville.

COMMITMENT 2019

Jumbo Shrimp catchers have teamed to form a dynamic defensive backstop trio this season. Santiago Chavez's eight men caught stealing places second in Double-A, and as a team, the Jumbo Shrimp have gunned down 18 potential base stealers, ranking in a tie for fifth out of 120 teams in Minor League Baseball. Jacksonville's 43.9 percent caught stealing rate ranks ninth in the Double-A level.

SIERRA NEVADA

Jacksonville outfielder Magneuris Sierra compiled a Double-A best 14-game hitting streak from April 5-20, and a 17-game on-base streak from April 5-24, the second-best such run this season in the Southern League. Entering play Thursday, the San Cristobal, Dominican Republic native has reached base in 21 of his last 22 games, slashing .352/.412/.420 with four doubles, one triple, three RBIs, eight walks and one hit-by-pitch during this span. On the campaign, Sierra is the Southern League leader in on-base percentage (.406) while ranking second in batting average (.341) and tied for second in hits (31). The 23-year-old has utlized a contact-oriented approach behind his great speed; Sierra has the circuit's fifth-highest ground ball rate (59.7 percent) and seventh-lowest strikeout rate (12.9 percent).

NOT AS FUN AS A BIRTHDAY PARTY

Through just 26 games, Jacksonville has already suffered six shutout defeats, tied for the most of any team in the Southern League. The Jumbo Shrimp had the circuit's worst record in blankings in 2018, finishing just 4-16 (.200). The club's 16 zeroes were the most in the league since Jackson suffered 21 shutouts in 2015. They also represent Jacksonville's second-most during the club's Marlins era, which dates back through the start of the 2019 season (20, 2013).

LORD OF THE WINGS

Jacksonville outfielder Corey Bird has quietly put together a strong few weeks at the plate. The Marshall University product has hits in 12 of his last 15 starts, batting 16-for-49 (.327/.377/.388) with a double, triple, three RBIs, four walks and five stolen bases during that span.

SHRIMP SCOPES

Brian Miller is hitting .318/.375/.500 with three doubles, an even triple, one home run and six RBIs over his last 11 starts... Over his last nine games Joe Dunand is 11-for-31, totaling a .355/.444/.484 batting line... The Shrimp have a root as one of the better defensive clubs in the league, boasting a .713 defensive efficiency. That would have equaled fifth place in Major League Baseball last season... Earning the start Thursday is lefty McKenzie Mills, who has racked up eight strikeouts in each of his last two starts.

Check out the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp Statistics



Southern League Stories from May 2, 2019


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