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Big Innings Sink Marauders Again in Tuesday Loss

July 27, 2021

BRADENTON, Fla. — A disastrous start and a rocky finish sunk the Marauders Tuesday night at LECOM Park, as Bradenton pitching could not corral Dunedin bats in an 11-6 loss. The loss was the third in a row for the Marauders (43-29), matching the team’s season high. Bradenton has now

BRADENTON, Fla. — A disastrous start and a rocky finish sunk the Marauders Tuesday night at LECOM Park, as Bradenton pitching could not corral Dunedin bats in an 11-6 loss.

The loss was the third in a row for the Marauders (43-29), matching the team’s season high. Bradenton has now lost eight of its last 10 games. The Marauders recorded 15 hits—one shy of the club’s season high, but left 11 runners on base.

Right-hander Nick Garcia (5-3) was charged with a career-high seven runs (four earned) across two and one-third innings. Garcia threw 34 pitches in the first inning and yielded to the bullpen in the third after throwing 68 total pitches and seeing the Marauders’ deficit grow to 7-0.

The game began on a dropped popup by first baseman Ernny Ordonez, which allowed Dasan Brown to reach second base. A wild pitch and a throwing error by Marauders (43-29) shortstop Dariel Lopez plated Dunedin’s first run, and another Garcia wild pitch later allowed Miguel Hiraldo to score from third base for a 2-0 Blue Jays (32-40) lead.

The Blue Jays came out swinging in the second inning, collecting four hits, including RBI-doubles by Zach Britton and Harry Ray and an RBI-groundout by Orelvis Martinez. Dunedin knocked Garcia out in the third inning, as back-to-back singles opened a second straight inning, and Lopez misplayed a grounder at short on the next at-bat, allowing both runners to score for a 7-0 Dunedin lead.

Maikol Escotto opened the bottom of the third with a solo homer off Jays starter Naswell Paulino, producing the Marauders’ first run. Bradenton went on to load the bases on three walks, but Paulino struck out Eli Wilson to end the threat.

Alexander Mojica contributed an RBI-single in the fifth for Bradenton’s second run. Two Marauders relievers, meanwhile—Alex Roth and Ryan Troutman—had combined to hold Dunedin scoreless since the third inning. Roth tossed a season-high two and two-thirds scoreless frames before Troutman took over to begin the sixth.

The score remained 7-2 Dunedin into the bottom of the eighth, where Bradenton’s bats came alive against reliever Andrew Bash (4-1). Ordonez doubled, Daniel Rivero singled, and Hudson Head smacked an RBI-double off the wall in right-center. Lopez followed with a two-out bloop-single to right field but was thrown out at second base attempting to stretch his hit into a double, cutting the rally short after the Marauders had trimmed the deficit to 7-5.

After three scoreless innings, Troutman struggled in the ninth. The right-hander walked Martinez and allowed a two-run homer to Ray, and after walking Mack Mueller, he surrendered an RBI-triple to Hugo Cardona. After a groundout back to the mound, catcher Kyle Wilkie entered the game and allowed Cardona to score on a Brown single before getting Britton to fly out to right field.

The Marauders showed life in the bottom of the ninth, as Jack Herman slugged a one-out solo homer to center field off Gabriel Ponce, but after a Mojica single, Wilson popped out and Ordonez grounded into a game-ending fielder’s choice.

The series continues Wednesday with first pitch scheduled for 6:05 p.m. RHP Luis Ortiz will start for the Marauders against RHP Trent Palmer for the Blue Jays.

For more information about the Bradenton Marauders, please call (941) 747-3031, visit BradentonMarauders.com, or email [email protected].

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