Game 1: Tides at Jumbo Shrimp
Tuesday, May 4, 2021–7:05 p.m.
Norfolk Tides (0–0) at Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (0–0)
121 Financial Ballpark — Jacksonville, FL.
GAME INFO:
The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp are back in action. It has been 618 days since the Jumbo Shrimp last played a game at 121 Financial Ballpark and they are eager to get back. Due to the restructuring of Minor League Baseball, the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp are now the Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. This is the first time Jacksonville has had a Triple-A ballclub since 1968. In fact, that Triple-A team that left in 1968 moved to Norfolk, Virginia, and has been the Norfolk Tides ever since.
MEET THE TIDES:
Norfolk is the Triple-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. The Tides finished 12th in the International League in 2019 with a 60–79 record.
Norfolk is managed by Gary Kendall, who returns for his second season with the Tides. Before joining the Tides in 2019, Kendall was the manager for the Bowie Baysox for eight seasons, setting the franchise managerial record for career wins at 570. Kendall led the Baysox to three postseason appearances, including the franchise’s lone Eastern League Championship in 2015.
Norfolk is 0–12 in their last 12 Opening Days. Their last Opening Day win was on April 5, 2007, when they beat Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The Tides have also not been over .500 since August 30th, 2018. That is 978 days since Norfolk has had a winning record.
The Tides are home to six of the top 20 prospects in Baltimore’s farm system including Keegan Akin, who lead the International League in strikeouts in 2019.
PITCHING MATCHUP:
Conner Greene (0–0, 0.00 ERA)
Connor Greene will make his first start as a Norfolk Tide on Opening Day. Greene was acquired during Minor League Free Agency in December of 2020. Previously, Greene was in the Kansas City Royals farm system, playing for the Omaha Storm Chasers (AAA) and the Northwest Arkansas Naturals (AA). The 26-year-old is from Santa Monica, California and resides in Naples, Florida.
Braxton Garrett (0–0, 0.00 ERA)
Braxton Garrett gets the call for Opening Day for the Jumbo Shrimp. Garrett started one game for Jacksonville at the end of the 2019 season in which he got off to a rocky start. The lefty greatly improved over 2020 and was even called up to the Marlins at the end of the season. While in Miami, Garrett started two games, went 1–1 with a 5.87 ERA. He enters the 2021 season as the Marlins №7 prospect according to MLB.com. In 2019, Garrett was named the 2019 Marlins Spring Training Ping Pong Champion. Garrett is from Foley, Alabama and currently resides in Florence, Alabama.
LINEUP:
1. Brian Miller, CF
2. Lewin Diaz, 1B
3. Eddy Alvarez, SS
4. Jesús Sánchez, RF
5. Joe Dunand, 3B
6. Luis Marté, 2B
7. Brian Navarreto, C
8. Bryson Brigman, DH
9. Corey Bird, LF
News from the Troupe:
- Twelve players from the 2019 Double-A Jumbo Shrimp are on the Triple-A Opening Day roster.
- Today’s starter, Braxton Garrett, made his big-league debut last season for the Marlins against the Philadelphia Phillies on September 13. He pitched five innings and gave up one run off three hits. Garrett struck out six batters in the game and was awarded the win.
- Eddy Alvarez had the best batting stats of the team in 2019. Alverez hit .324/.408/.559 during his last stint in the minors. In 2020, the Marlins called him up to The Show, where he played 12 games in the shortened 60-game season. The Jumbo Shrimp expect him to be a leader in the batter’s box for the team this season.
- Al Pedrique will take over as manager for the Jumbo Shrimp in 2021. This year will be Pedrique’s 14th season as Minor League manager, and he boasts a 857–742 record. Pedrique has also spent seven seasons on a major league coaching staff, including a stint in 2004 as the Arizona Diamondbacks interim manager.
BROADCAST INFORMATION:
Tuesday’s game will be broadcast in the following ways:
Radio: ESPN 690 AM
Online Stream: MiLB.TV
Phone/Tablet: ESPN690.com, JaxShrimp.com, MiLB First Pitch App
