Jumbo Shrimp force Game 3 in International League championship series

The Jumbo Shrimp are one win away from a spot in the Triple-A championship game.

Jacksonville led from open to close and beat Scranton Wilkes-Barre 6-4 in Game 2 of the International League championship series on Wednesday night at VyStar Ballpark. The win-or-go-home Game 3 is Thursday night at the Ballpark (7:05).

A win would send Jacksonville to the Triple-A championship on Sept. 27 in Las Vegas. The International League winner will face the Pacific Coast League winner in a one-game clash for the championship. The Las Vegas Aviators (Athletics) and Tacoma Rainiers (Mariners) are playing in that.

Kemp Alderman and Matthew Etzel hit back-to-back homers in the third inning and added doubles, too. Jared Serna was 3 for 4 as the Jumbo Shrimp rallied from a 10-inning loss on Tuesday night.

Jacksonville grabbed a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second and then added three more runs across the next two innings. The RailRiders trimmed the lead to 5-4 in the top of the sixth, but that was as close as they would get.

Four Jacksonville hurlers combined to whiff 13. Matt Pushard earned the win with two innings of one-hit relief.