Wahoos Beat Jumbo Shrimp

April 28, 2018

Brian O’Grady launched a solo home run into the back of the right field bleachers to break a scoreless tie in the top of the eighth on Friday night at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville. The blast supported Keury Mella (W, 3-0) who pitched seven spectacular innings to earn his third win of the season as the Blue Wahoos beat the Jumbo Shrimp 1-0.

Mella was locked with Jacksonville starter Pablo Lopez in a pitcher’s duel through five innings. When Lopez was lifted, Jorgan Cavanerio (L, 0-1) picked up where he left off. The Blue Wahoos had a couple of chances throughout the game, but couldn’t get a run across until O’Grady came up leading off the eighth.

O’Grady wasn’t in the starting lineup, but came in when Shed Long was removed from the game in the fifth inning. O’Grady broke the tie lifting a fly ball over the right-centerfield fence off Cavanerio in almost the exact same spot where he had homered the night before. His two homers in the last two games are his only two of the season, but they tie him for the team lead.

Mella was excellent on the hill in his fifth start of the season. He threw 89 pitches over seven shutout innings. The Shrimp scattered just three hits against him as he struck out a season-high nine batters without issuing a walk. Carlos Navas (S, 1) backed him up out of the bullpen by shutting down Jacksonville over the final two innings to get his first save of the year.

Taylor Sparks was held hitless on the night to snap his hit-steak at a team-best 12 games. It was the longest active streak in the Southern League.

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Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News, Sports, TOP sports