Painter Fans Three in Return but Threshers Can’t Complete Comeback 

WP: Adrian Herrera (2-0, 4.76)

LP: Andrew Painter (0-1, 13.50)

SV: Luis Reyes (1)

BOX SCORE

CLEARWATER, FL – Phillies top prospect Andrew Painter struck out two of the first four batters he faced in his first minor league start since 2022, but the Clearwater Threshers (4-3) couldn’t come back from an early nine-run deficit in a 15-10 loss to the Daytona Tortugas (4-3) on Friday night at BayCare Ballpark. The Threshers look to snap their skid in another home showdown against Daytona on Saturday.

After two strikeouts from Painter in the top of the first, his catcher, Eduardo Tait, took an 0-2 pitch over the right field wall for a solo home run that gave the Threshers the lead in the bottom of the first. Daytona struck back with seven runs on five hits in the second, chasing Painter from the and taking a six-run lead. The Tortugas added three more runs in the top of the fourth to take a 10-1 lead.

Tait was hit by a pitch to lead off the sixth inning, with the Threshers still trailing by nine. Aroon Escobar followed with a double to the gap, plating Tait from first and allowing Escobar to advance to third on the throw home. Two batters later, Brady Day hit a fly ball to right, scoring Escobar to cut the deficit to seven runs.

Weston Wilson led off the seventh inning by drawing a walk, and Tait followed with a walk before Escobar loaded the bases after getting hit by a pitch. Joel Dragoo walked in the first run of the seventh by drawing a bases loaded walk.

Two bases-loaded balks from Nelfri Payano scored Tait and Escobar before Carter Mathison cleared the bases with a two-run home run, cutting the deficit to two runs after seven. Daytona added one more run in the top of the eighth to spur another Threshers rally in the home half.

Avery Owusu-Asiedu walked to lead off the eighth inning and moved to second on a wild pitch by Tortugas reliever Victor Diaz. After Tait drew his second walk in a row, Escobar singled in Owusu-Asiedu to cut the deficit back down to two runs. During Dragoo’s at bat, Diaz threw a wild pitch and Tait broke for home. Daytona’s catcher, Diego Omaña, threw the ball back home over the glove of the pitcher, allowing Tait to score and sending Escobar to second, cutting Daytona’s lead to one run. The Threshers left the bases loaded and headed to the ninth down one run.

Daytona stormed back in the ninth, posting four runs in the top of the ninth inning. They held Clearwater scoreless in the bottom half, sealing a 15-10 defeat of the Threshers.

Andrew Painter (0-1) allowed two runs on two hits in 1.1 innings of work with one walk and three strikeouts but took the loss. Erik Ritchie allowed five runs on four hits with one walk and one strikeout in 0.2 innings. Enrique Segura allowed three runs (one earned) in 5.0 innings, striking out seven, and allowing one walk and three hits. Raymon Rosario surrendered five runs on three hits with two walks and two strikeouts in 1.1 innings of work. Saul Teran finished the final 0.2 innings with two hits allowed and one strikeout.

Both of Tait’s home runs in this series have given the Threshers a first-inning lead...Segura turned in the longest outing by a Threshers’ reliever since Mavis Graves went 6.0 against Daytona in May of 2024...Beltran’s ninth-inning single was his first hit of the season...Clearwater scored nine of their ten runs in the final four innings...Escobar extended his hit streak to five straight games...He is the first player in the Florida State League to reach 10 RBIs in 2025...The Threshers return home on Saturday, April 12, to continue their first home series of the 2025 season against the Daytona Tortugas...First pitch on Friday night will be at 6:30 pm...You can purchase Threshers tickets at ThreshersBaseball.com/tickets or by calling 727-467-4457…The Box Office at BayCare Ballpark is also open daily to purchase tickets…The hours are 10 AM-5 PM Monday through Friday and 10 AM-3 PM on Saturdays.