JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jumbo Shrimp are International League champions for the first time since 1968.
Jacksonville opened the first inning with a bang, taking a 5-0 lead against Scranton Wilkes-Barre and never looked back in Game 3 of the International League championship series on Thursday night at VyStar Ballpark.
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Things got a little too close for comfort in the ninth inning, with the Shrimp cycling through a few pitchers before Josh White ultimately closed things out with the bases loaded and the team hanging on to a three-run lead.
The win sends Jacksonville to the Triple-A championship in Las Vegas, where they will face the Pacific Coast League winner, the Las Vegas Aviators, in a one-game clash for the championship.
The Las Vegas Aviators are the Triple-A affiliate of the Athletics.
A standout player throughout the game was designated hitter Matthew Etzel, who started the scoring in the bottom of the first, hitting a double and bringing two runs home. Etzel went 2-4 on the night, bringing in three runs. All but three players in the starting lineup had a hit.
Adam Mazur is the winning pitcher after starting the first five innings with zero runs, two hits allowed, and 3 strikeouts. Josh White got the save with one walk and the decisive strikeout in the top of the ninth inning.
This is the first championship for the Jumbo Shrimp since changing the name from the Jacksonville Suns in 2017. The Suns won the Southern League title in 2014.
The championship game takes place in Las Vegas on Saturday, with the first pitch scheduled for 10:05 p.m. EST.