Gwinnett edges Jacksonville, seeks series win behind strong pitching matchup

Rowdy Tellez broke Thursday’s opener open with one swing, crushing a 431-foot three-run homer in the seventh inning to lift Gwinnett past Jacksonville 6-5 at Gwinnett Field. The Stripers’ comeback from a 2-0 deficit pushed them to 16-8, while the Jumbo Shrimp slipped to 11-13 in a game that turned on the sort of high-leverage moment that tends to decide one-run series.

The win came in the first game of a six-game homestand for Gwinnett, which is also using its Georgia Peaches alternate identity from April 24-26. It was another sharp reminder that this matchup has already been defined by momentum swings, not comfortable margins. Gwinnett followed Wednesday’s 11-9 comeback, when it erased deficits of 4-0, 6-2 and 9-4, and the Stripers have now answered Jacksonville’s recent 7-0 win with back-to-back comeback victories. That kind of volatility makes every late inning feel like a referendum on bullpen command, defensive clean work and whether a lineup can convert traffic into damage.

Friday brings another premium pitching matchup. Jacksonville is set to start 22-year-old left-hander Robby Snelling, who entered with a 1-1 record, a 1.89 ERA, 31 strikeouts in 19.0 innings and a 0.95 WHIP. Drafted by the San Diego Padres in Competitive Balance Round A, 39th overall in 2022, Snelling has built a 25-21 career record and a 3.10 ERA in the minors, numbers that suggest he can control a game if he is sharp early. Gwinnett counters with right-hander Lucas Braun, who came in at 1-0 with a 2.45 ERA.

That sets up a rematch that should again hinge on the details that show up in narrow games: whether Jacksonville can seize spots with runners on, whether Gwinnett’s bullpen can protect a lead after the middle innings, and which club makes the cleaner plays behind its pitchers. For Gwinnett, the challenge is keeping one of Triple-A’s best starts rolling. For Jacksonville, the task is simpler and more urgent: turn a close loss into the kind of response that can stop a skid before it deepens.