Carolina Mudcats Defeat Jacksonville Suns Using John Raynor Grand Slam

MLN Newswire - www.mlntherawfeed.com – JACKSONVILLE, FLA. – John Raynor hit a grand slam homerun, part of a six-run seventh inning, as the Carolina Mudcats (11-4) pulled away from the Jacksonville Suns (5-10) late with a 9-5 victory in front of 11,837 Friday night at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville.
 
Carolina reliever Jesus Delgado (1-0) picked up the win with three perfect innings. Suns starter Mario Alvarez (0-2) fell in the loss after six innings, the longest outing from a Jacksonville starter in 2008.
 
Carolina opened the scoring against Alvarez in the first inning when Lee Mitchell singled home two runs with two out for a 2-0 Mudcats lead. The Mudcats opened the second inning with a bang as Lorenzo Scott led off with his second homerun in as many days, opening a 3-0 Carolina advantage.
 

ADVERTISEMENT The Suns climbed back in the game in the fourth and fifth innings against Carolina starter Brett Sinkbeil. A Rene Rivera sacrifice fly scored Greg Jacobs to get Jacksonville on the board trailing 3-1. A Juan Gonzalez combined with an error from Carolina shortstop Manuel Mayorson allowed Russell Mitchell to score for a 3-2 Mudcats lead. Jacksonville tied the game in the fifth inning when Russell Mitchell’s sacrifice fly scored Ivan DeJesus for a 3-3 score.
 
Suns starter Mario Alvarez settled in after the second inning homerun, putting down 15 of the next 16 batters. The Mudcats then broke through against the right-hander in the seventh inning. A single, walk and fielder’s choice with an error loaded the bases with no outs, knocking Alvarez out of the game for reliever Zach Hammes. An Andrew Jenkins single drove home a run for a 4-3 Mudcats lead. John Raynor then belted a grand slam homerun over the left-centerfield wall for an 8-3 Carolina advantage. Gaby Sanchez later grounded out to drive home Chris Coghlan for a 9-3 Carolina lead.
 
The Suns rallied for two runs in the ninth inning off of reliever Jacob Marceaux, as an RBI walk from Aldolfo Gonzalez and double play grounder from Adam Godwin plated the final runs of the game.

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