Bastidas hits two homers, Jacksonville erupts for eight-run fifth in Memphis

The game turned the moment Jacksonville stepped into the fifth inning. Trailing 4-3 after Memphis’ first-inning power burst, the Jumbo Shrimp sent 12 batters to the plate and put up eight runs in one frame, turning a tight road game into a 15-5 blowout at AutoZone Park.

Jesús Bastidas was at the center of the avalanche. The 27-year-old infielder finished 3-for-5 with a double, two home runs and five RBIs, giving Jacksonville the kind of middle-order force that can change a series in one swing. His second homer came during the fifth-inning surge and broke the game open after the Shrimp had already climbed in front. By the end of the night, Bastidas had logged 10 total bases and lifted his season homer total to three.

Jacksonville’s fifth was not a solo act. The Shrimp hit five home runs in all, with Kemp Alderman, Andrew Pintar and Matthew Etzel each joining Bastidas in the power barrage. Jacksonville finished with 15 runs on 14 hits and no errors, a clean offensive and defensive showing once the offense found its rhythm. For Memphis, the inning erased a promising start and exposed how quickly a lead can disappear in Triple-A when one lineup starts stacking quality at-bats.

The Redbirds had opened fast. Joshua Báez and Nelson Velázquez each hit two-run homers in the first inning, giving Memphis a 4-0 lead before Jacksonville answered. But after that opening frame, Memphis managed only one more run. Bruce Zimmermann, who entered 4-0, took the loss after allowing eight runs on eight hits in 4.2 innings, and the Redbirds bullpen also surrendered home runs as the Shrimp kept extending the gap.

The result sent Jacksonville to 21-19 and dropped Memphis to 25-15, while also knocking the Redbirds into a tie atop the International League standings after they had not yet lost a series this season. The game drew 1,790 fans, started at 6:48 p.m. and finished in 3 hours, 2 minutes, but the decisive action came long before the final out. One inning changed everything, and Bastidas made sure Jacksonville did the damage.