CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Jose Pujols came into the game in the eighth inning and quickly got it done with a grand slam, as the Threshers defeated the Fire Frogs 4-2 on Pitch for Pink night at Spectrum Field.Florida pushed a run across in the first, after Cristian Pache lined a
CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Jose Pujols came into the game in the eighth inning and quickly got it done with a grand slam, as the Threshers defeated the Fire Frogs 4-2 on Pitch for Pink night at Spectrum Field.
Florida pushed a run across in the first, after Cristian Pache lined a double into left field to start off the ballgame. He advanced to third on an error on pitcher Romon Rosso, and Garrison Schwartz grounded into a double play, but was good enough to score the run and put Florida up 1-0.
The Fire Frogs (14-15)(43-52) loaded the bases on three consecutive two-out walks in the sixth, but in his Clearwater Threshers debut, Johnathan Hennigan got Isranel Wilson to ground out to second baseman Jose Gomez who was perfectly positioned in the shift to strand the base runners.
Hennigan held the Fire Frogs scoreless in his 1.1 innings of relief and recorded one strike out in his first appearance in a Threshers uniform.
Things turned around for the Threshers in the bottom of the eighth.
Luke Williams drew a four-pitch walk to lead off the inning, and Kyle Martin pushed an opposite field single through the left side to put two men on with no outs. Gomez put down a sacrifice bunt to move up the runners, and a walk by Kevin Markham loaded the bases.
Pujols, who entered as a defensive substitution for the rehabbing Roman Quinn, launched a grand slam over the fence in left field to put the Threshers ahead, 4-1.
The grand slam was the first for a Clearwater Thresher this season, and the home run was Pujols' 14th of the season, which is tied for the third-most in the Florida State League.
Florida cut the deficit to 4-2 in the top of the ninth after Wilson drew a leadoff walk, and Kevin Josephina's single through the right side followed by a Lucas Herbert grounder plated the run, but the scoring halted there, giving the Threshers a 4-2 win.
Addison Russ came in to close out the ballgame for the Threshers, giving up one run on two hits and one walk in one inning of relief to earn his second save of the season.
Rosso started and tossed 5.2 innings, permitting just an unearned run on five hits. He walked four and struck out one in the no-decision.
Jakob Hernandez (3-0) earned the win for the Threshers, as the lefty did not allow a run on just one hit while striking out one in an inning of relief.
The series wraps up Saturday as the Threshers seek the series win. Adonis Medina (8-3) gets the nod for the Threshers against Jeremy Walker (2-9) in the last meeting of the season` between Clearwater and Florida. Kirsten Karbach will be on the call for the Threshers Broadcast Network with the pregame show beginning at 6 p.m.
