Arano Debuts, Pen Falters in 9-4 Loss

TAMPA, Fla. - Victor Arano cruised through the front four in his Clearwater Threshers debut on Wednesday night, but the Tampa Yankees plated nine runs from the fifth inning on as the Threshers suffered a 9-4 loss in the series finale at George M. Steinbrenner Field.

Arano, the Phillies No. 23 prospect as rated by Baseball America, had allowed just two baserunners and thrown only 45 pitches through the first four frames, but permitted three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning.

All told, Arano (0-1) surrendered three runs on five hits and a walk, striking out one in five innings in his season debut.

Clearwater (8-6) pushed across the first two runs of the ballgame in the opening frame.

Brodie Greene worked a six-pitch at-bat and came away with a single to center to start, and would advance to second on a wild pitch. With one down, Andrew Knapp lined an opposite-field single to left to bring across Greene with the game's first run.

One out later, Willians Astudillo executed a perfect hit-and-run with Knapp on the move from first, setting Clearwater up with men at the corners after the single through the right side. Aaron Brown then sent a grounder to short, and shortstop Tyler Wade made a wild toss toward second allowing Knapp to come in and score.

Clearwater found itself down a run after the Yankees (7-7) rallied for three off Arano in the fifth, but the Threshers held tight with Tampa until the seventh inning.

With one away, the Yankees connected for three consecutive hits off reliever Lee Ridenhour, who had made quick work of Tampa in the previous frame.

Cody Forsythe then entered and was greeted by a Mark Payton RBI single that made it a 5-2 game, and one out and a walk later, Matt Snyder knocked home two more with a single to push the deficit to 8-2 for the Threshers.

Ridenhour was charged with three runs, while Forsythe permitted two runs - one earned. Neither hurler had surrendered a run this season before Wednesday night's game.

Clearwater mounted a final attempt in the eighth when Mitch Walding singled up the middle to start, and Angelo Mora followed by driving a triple over the head of left fielder Ericson Leonara. Greene then grounded to short to bring home Mora, and reached when Wade misplayed the chopper.

Reliever Evan Rutckyj then induced a pair of grounders to end the inning.

The Threshers continue the six-game road swing on Thursday when they open a three-game series at Lakeland at 6:30 p.m. The call can be heard live on threshersbaseball.com beginning at 6:15 p.m.