Game 118: Jumbo Shrimp at Tides

Matt Present

Published in

Shrimp & Grits

4 min readSep 17, 2021

Friday, September 17, 2021–7:05 p.m. ET

Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (67–50) at Norfolk Tides (47–70)

Harbor Park — Norfolk, Va.

LAST TIME OUT:

Dustin Fowler made history for the Jumbo Shrimp yesterday, becoming the first player in the Jumbo Shrimp era to hit three home runs in a game, clubbing Jacksonville past Norfolk, 10–3. The outfielder has now hit four home runs in his last two games and becomes the first Jacksonville player to crush three long balls in a contest since Mark Saccomanno on June 4, 2010 against Carolina. Fowler finished with six RBIs and Justin Twine also drove in a pair of runs with an RBI single. Daniel Castano gave up three runs over seven innings, his sixth consecutive start going at least five frames.

Dustin Fowler became the first player in the Jumbo Shrimp era to slug three home runs in a ballgame, propelling the Jumbo Shrimp to a 10–3 win over Norfolk. (Joey Mims/Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp)

GAME INFO:

The Jumbo Shrimp and Tides continue their six-game set with game four tonight at 7:05 p.m. at Harbor Park. The Jumbo Shrimp lead the season series 23–10, and are 35–21 on the road this season.

MEET THE TIDES:

Norfolk is the Triple-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. The Tides enter with a 47–70 record and are sixth in the Southeast Division.

Norfolk is managed by Gary Kendall, who returns for his second season with the Tides. Before joining the Tides in 2019, Kendall was the manager for the Bowie Baysox for eight seasons, setting the franchise managerial record for career wins at 570. Kendall led the Baysox to three postseason appearances, including the franchise’s lone Eastern League Championship in 2015.

Norfolk, like Jacksonville, is a very big Navy town, which is why the regular-season series between these two teams has been dubbed “The Navy Town Showdown.” As the winner of the series, Jacksonville will receive a ship’s bell as a trophy, presented by Geico Military.

The Orioles promoted catcher Adley Rutschman, the top-ranked prospect in Minor League Baseball, to Triple-A last month. Rutschman was selected by the Orioles in 2019 as the №1 overall pick out of Oregon State University. Since being called up, the switch-hitter is slashing .330/.425/.528/.954 with three home runs and 14 RBIs in 30 games.

PITCHING MATCHUP:

RHP Jason Alexander (0–1, 4.76 ERA)

Jason Alexander will make his third start of the season for Jacksonville, marking his second since being activated from the injured list. Last Friday against the Knights, Alexander made his return to the mound, striking out five in two innings and giving up a pair of runs. Alexander was originally signed in 2017 by the Los Angeles Angels as a non-drafted free agent. He made it up to Triple-A Salt Lake before being released in 2020. The Marlins signed him on April 21, 2021.

RHP Kyle Bradish (4–5, 5.02 ERA)

Kyle Bradish will make his 17th start for the Norfolk Tides tonight. Bradish started 2021 with the Bowie Baysox, the Double-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, before joining the Tides on May 25. In his three starts with the Baysox, Bradish tossed a total of 13.1 innings and did not allow a single run to score. Bradish last faced the Jumbo Shrimp in relief, giving up three runs on six hits in three innings on August 29. A fourth-round pick of the Angels in 2018 after spending three years as a weekend starter at New Mexico State, Bradish was the highest-rated of the four prospects the Orioles acquired from the Angels for Dylan Bundy in December 2019. Bradish is now the eighth-rated prospect in the Baltimore system. Bradish has four pitches in his repertoire: a fastball, curveball, slider, changeup.

LINEUP

Brian Miller, CF
Deven Marrero, 1B
Monte Harrison, RF
Lorenzo Quintana, C
Corey Bird, LF
Bryson Brigman, DH
Joe Dunad, 3B
Justin Twine, 2B
Connor Justus, SS

NEWS FROM THE TROUPE:

Victor Mesa Jr. tallied his 11th triple of the season for Jupiter last night and is now tied for the most three-base hits in all of Minor League Baseball.
Jesús Sánchez blasted a pair of two-run homers for the Marlins
Wednesday and now has 12 long balls on the season. The former Jumbo Shrimp has hit five homers in his last six games, and nine in his last 15 affairs.

TRIPLE-A SOUTHEAST DIVISION STANDINGS