Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp Game Notes, May 23 at Mississippi
May 23, 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. RHP Cody Poteet (2-3, 2.93 ERA) starts for the Shrimp against Mississippi LHP Tucker Davidson (1-2, 1.65 ERA). Coverage begins at 7:20 p.m. on MiLB.tv, Sunny 102.3 FM, TuneIn, JaxShrimp.com and the MiLB First Pitch app.
JACKSONVILLE SHUT OUT 7-0
The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp were blanked by the Mississippi Braves 7-0 in Wednesday's series opener at Trustmark Park. Mississippi broke through in the third inning on a two-run single by Riley Unroe. Daniel Lockhart lined an RBI single in the fourth and Luis Valenzuela collected a two-run double in the fifth to put the Braves ahead 5-0. Carlos Martinez bagged an RBI single and Drew Waters added a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning to widen the margin to 7-0. Mississippi starter Joey Wentz struck out five without walking a batter in seven innings of three-hit ball. Jumbo Shrimp reliever Parker Bugg struck out three in a scoreless frame out of the bullpen. Brian Miller notched a base knock to extend his hitting streak to five games.
LEFTOVERS
Mississippi left-hander Joey Wentz mowed through the Jumbo Shrimp order on Wednesday, yielding just three hits without walking a batter in seven scoreless innings. Jacksonville's eventual 7-0 defeat dropped the club to 3-9 when facing a southpaw starting pitcher, something has struggled mightily with on the season. The Jumbo Shrimp's offensive numbers against right-handed pitchers are not especially pretty, as the club is posting a .222/.279/.300 (.579 OPS) line versus righties. However, against left-handers, Jacksonville is hitting just .209/.276/.249 (.524 OPS). Opposing southpaw starters have not allowed a run in seven of their 12 starts against the Jumbo Shrimp, posting a collective 1.69 ERA (13 ER in 69.1 IP).
SOMETHING'S A-BRUIN
Former UCLA Bruin Cody Poteet came into his start on April 25 with a 5.06 ERA. In the four starts since then, however, the 24-year-old right-hander has seen that figure plummet to 2.93. Poteet, who makes the start for Jacksonville on Thursday in Mississippi, has surrendered just six runs, four earned, on 22 hits in 24.0 over his last four outings for a 1.50 ERA. During that span, he has fanned 13 against four walks. Interestingly, Poteet's success has not come by missing a lot of opposing bats. Of the 76 pitchers who have compiled at least 20.0 innings in the Southern League this season, Poteet has the third-lowest strikeout rate (14.3 percent), ninth-lowest swinging-strike rate (8.8 percent) and 13th-lowest K-BB% (8.1 percent).
NOTHIN' LIKE YOU...
Jacksonville suffered a 7-0 defeat on Wednesday, the 14th time the club has been shut out this season. Those 14 blankings are by far the most in the Southern League and nearly equal to the 16 shutouts the Jumbo Shrimp suffered last season, the most in the circuit since Jackson tallied 21 zeroes in 2015. That total is also more than halfway to the league record of 25 set by Asheville in 1970.
...SHADES ON, SPINNING IN A SUMMER RAIN...
Jacksonville bashed three home runs in three games from May 10-12. However, the Jumbo Shrimp have followed that up without going yard in nine consecutive contests, matching their season-long drought of nine games to open the campaign. Jacksonville's season total of 12 dingers is the second-lowest such figure out of 120 in all of MiLB.
.....DANCING WHEN THERE AIN'T NO MUSIC...
In the first 20 games of the season, Jacksonville starting pitchers compiled a 3-13 record and 5.44 ERA over 91.0 innings. Jumbo Shrimp lid-lifters combined for 49 walks (4.8 BB/9), 89 strikeouts (8.8 K/9) and 91 hits allowed (9.0 H/9). However, the Jumbo Shrimp have seen some stellar starting pitching over the last 26 games. During this stretch, Jacksonville starters have combined for a 2.43 ERA (41 ER in 152.0 IP). Jumbo Shrimp starters have walked 45 (2.7 BB/9), fanned 120 (7.1 K/9) and yielded 117 hits (6.9 H/9).
...JUST THE RIGHT KINDA CRAZY, BABY
Jumbo Shrimp catchers have been a bright spot defensively all season for the club. Santiago Chavez's 15 men caught stealing is the most of any backstop in Double-A. Additionally, as a team, the Jumbo Shrimp have gunned down 28 potential base stealers, second at the Double-A level and tied for third out of 120 teams in MiLB. Jacksonville's 45.9 percent caught stealing rate ranks second in Double-A.
SHRIMP SKEWERS
Since the start of May, Jacksonville has just a 6-15 record... With a date Thursday against Mississippi, the Shrimp have obviously struggled vs. the Southern Division with a mark of 6-20. Jacksonville has collected a 10-10 record when playing Northern Division squads.
Southern League Stories from May 23, 2019
- M-Braves Fall to Shrimp for First Time in 2019 - Mississippi Braves
- Lookouts Topple Barons, 7-3 - Chattanooga Lookouts
- Wahoos Set Season High in Hits in 10-5 Victory over Tennessee - Pensacola Blue Wahoos
- Generals Blank Biscuits, 5-0 - Montgomery Biscuits
- Barons Drop Second Game to Lookouts - Birmingham Barons
- Smokies Fall 10-5 on Thursday Night - Knoxville Smokies
- Poteet's Gem Sends Shrimp Past M-Braves 5-2 - Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp
- Florida A&M and Southern University to Play Free Exhibition Doubleheader at Blue Wahoos Stadium - Pensacola Blue Wahoos
- Generals Gameday: May 23 at Montgomery - Jackson Generals
- Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp Game Notes, May 23 at Mississippi - Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp
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