Encarnacion homer not enough as skid hits five

Jacksonville loses 3-2 to Durham

Jerar Encarnacion homered in Friday's 3-2 loss at Durham. (Joey Mims/Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp)

By Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp

June 2, 2023

DURHAM, N.C. – Jerar Encarnacion homered but the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp’s rally fell short Friday in a 3-2 loss to the Durham Bulls from Durham Bulls Athletic Park. The game was scoreless until the bottom of the fourth. Osleivis Basabe tripled off Jacksonville (23-31) starter Enmanuel De Jesus (1-1) to

DURHAM, N.C. – Jerar Encarnacion homered but the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp’s rally fell short Friday in a 3-2 loss to the Durham Bulls from Durham Bulls Athletic Park.

The game was scoreless until the bottom of the fourth. Osleivis Basabe tripled off Jacksonville (23-31) starter Enmanuel De Jesus (1-1) to start the inning. A Kyle Manzardo RBI ground out plated the game’s first run for Durham (32-23).

Tristan Gray homered off De Jesus to start the fifth. After a ground out, Roberto Alvarez singled and moved to second on a Vidal Brujan walk. Basabe followed with an RBI double down the left field line to stretch the lead to 3-0.

The score remained that way until the eighth. Jacob Amaya walked with two outs. Encarnacion then crushed a homer to right, just the second hit of the night for the Jumbo Shrimp, to draw within 3-2.

However, Jacksonville could get no closer as Javy Guerra pitched a scoreless ninth for his second save.

The Jumbo Shrimp send LHP Devin Smeltzer (1-2, 7.48 ERA) to the mound against Bulls RHP Yonny Chirinos (0-1, 5.51 ERA) in Saturday’s 6:35 p.m. contest. Coverage begins at 6:20 p.m. on ESPN 690 AM, www.ESPN690.com and the MiLB First Pitch app.

*ABOUT THE JUMBO SHRIMP: *The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp offer affordable family fun at 121 Financial Ballpark. Their inaugural season garnered the Southern League’s Don Mincher Organization of the Year, Promotional Trophy and Jimmy Bragan Executive of the Year, won by general manager Harold Craw. The club added its second Promotional Trophy in three years following the 2019 season. The 2021 season marked the return of Triple-A baseball in Jacksonville. To experience the excitement with the terrific value of ticket and group options, call the Jumbo Shrimp at (904) 358-2846 or visit www.jaxshrimp.com.