Shrimp Bites: Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp open final 2023 home baseball series vs. Gwinnett
Time for one more snack: The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp come back home Tuesday for their last home series of the International League regular season, taking on the Gwinnett Stripers. Here's what baseball fans need to know in the weekly Shrimp Bites.
Who: Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp vs. Gwinnett Stripers.
When: Tuesday through Saturday.
T: 7:05 p.m.
W: 7:05 p.m.
Th: 7:05 p.m.
F: 7:05 p.m.
SA: Doubleheader, beginning at 5:05 p.m.
All-First Coast: Meet Northeast Florida's top high school baseball stars in 2023
Where: 121 Financial Ballpark.
Series recap: A six-game split against the Norfolk Tides in Virginia kept the Jumbo Shrimp comfortably above .500 in the second half, but with only two series to go, any chances of catching the Durham Bulls for first place in the second-half standings are fading fast. Jacksonville enters the week five games behind the Bulls, in sixth place.
Highlight: Jerar Encarnacion is always a threat to club the baseball out of the park, and Wednesday's home run was one of his biggest in 2023. Stepping to the plate with a 7-7 tie in the 10th inning, Encarnacion delivered a two-run blast to lead the Jumbo Shrimp to the 9-7 victory.
Crustacean sensation: With seven runs in the last four games, it's been a quiet week for the Jumbo Shrimp bats, but C.J. Hinojosa is an exception. After dropping to the No. 9 spot in the order through a late-summer slump, Hinojosa batted .300 with a pair of doubles in the Norfolk series.
On deck: The Stripers, affiliated with the National League-leading Atlanta Braves, still have slim hopes of making up four games and catching first-place St. Paul in the International League West. Former Braves first-round pitcher Kyle Wright has been with Gwinnett on a rehab assignment during the past week, although it's possible that he may be called back up to Atlanta before getting the chance to pitch in Jacksonville.
Ballpark fun: Since it's the last series of the home baseball calendar, it's also the last occurrence of several familiar Jumbo Shrimp promotions in 2023, including Military Appreciation Night on Thirsty Thursday as well as Friday Night Fireworks. Tuesday includes Childhood Cancer Awareness Night through the Tom Coughlin Jay Fund, and Saturday's doubleheader opener includes a Dr. Seuss-style Jumbo Shrimp hat for the first 2,000 fans.
Probable pitchers Tuesday: To be announced.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp-Gwinnett Stripers: Sept. 12 baseball preview
