Encarnacion, Alcantara lead 7-0 shutout victory

Encarnacion blasts two homers, Alcantara tossed 4.0 scoreless innings as Jacksonville bests Nashville

Jerar Encarnacion hit a grand slam and two-run home run in Thursday's win at Nashville (Austin Dohl-Pantaleo/Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp)

By Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp

September 21, 2023

NASHVILLE – Jerar Encarnacion blasted a pair of home runs, including a grand slam, and Sandy Alcantara worked 4.0 shutout innings in a rehab start Thursday as the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp blanked the Nashville Sounds 7-0 from First Horizon Park. Nashville (80-65, 40-31) starter Aaron Ashby (0-1) walked Jake Mangum,

NASHVILLE – Jerar Encarnacion blasted a pair of home runs, including a grand slam, and Sandy Alcantara worked 4.0 shutout innings in a rehab start Thursday as the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp blanked the Nashville Sounds 7-0 from First Horizon Park.

Nashville (80-65, 40-31) starter Aaron Ashby (0-1) walked Jake Mangum, Jacob Amaya and Dane Myers to begin the ballgame. After a pair of outs, Ashby walked Jordan Groshans to force in the game’s first run. Encarnacion then greeted new reliever Caleb Boushley by smashing a grand slam to give Jacksonville (70-76, 38-34) a 5-0 lead.

The score remained that way until the eighth. Groshans drew a one-out walk before Encarnacion smashed his second homer of the game, collecting a career-high six RBIs in the contest, to widen the gap to 7-0.

Alcantara ceded just one hit with four strikeouts in his 4.0 innings, throwing only 51 pitches. Huascar Brazobán (1-0) tossed a scoreless inning with a strikeout in a rehab appearance as well. Geoff Hartlieb, José Castillo and Anthony Maldonado then got the final 12 outs from there to register the Jumbo Shrimp’s fifth shutout victory of the season.

Jacksonville and Nashville meet in Friday’s 7:35 p.m. ET first pitch. LHP Daniel Castano (5-1, 4.06 ERA) starts for the Jumbo Shrimp against Sounds LHP Eric Lauer (2-4, 5.15 ERA). Coverage begins at 7:20 p.m. ET on ESPN 690 AM and www.ESPN690.com.

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.