Threshers Drop Finale With Cardinals on Sunday

Clearwater and Palm Beach split season series after loss

Clearwater Threshers in game 2 of a double header against the Bradenton Marauders at Spectrum Field in Clearwater Florida July 23 2019. (Nathan Ray)

By Thaddeus Krzus

August 11, 2019

JUPITER, Fla. - The Clearwater Threshers dropped the final game of the four-game set against the Palm Beach Cardinals, 4-1, on Sunday afternoon at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. The defeat handed the teams a season split, with both squads taking four out of the eight games against each other in

JUPITER, Fla. - The Clearwater Threshers dropped the final game of the four-game set against the Palm Beach Cardinals, 4-1, on Sunday afternoon at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. The defeat handed the teams a season split, with both squads taking four out of the eight games against each other in 2019.

Clearwater (60-59, 24-29) threatened early with a Matt Vierling single to start out the second inning. The base runner swiped second with Madison Stokes at the plate, but only advanced as far as third as Stokes grounded out and Dalton Guthrie flew out to center to move the runner up 90 ft. Luke Miller drew a free pass to put runners at the corners, but Nick Matera grounded into a force out to end the inning.
Jack Perkins (0-2) gave up two runs in the bottom of the frame on a two-run shot off the bat of Juan Yepez. The home run would be the only damage against the right-handed starter, who tossed a season-high five innings in the loss.
The Threshers got a run across against Diego Cordero (2-4) in the fourth inning to pull within a run.
Jhailyn Ortiz singled to third to lead things off, and moved up to second on a single from Vierling. A Stokes fly out to right helped move Ortiz up to third, and was followed by a fielder's choice from Guthrie to keep runners at the corners.
Miller drove a single to the gap in right-center to bring home Ortiz, but Guthrie was cut down at the plate trying to tie the game.
Palm Beach (53-62, 18-33) tacked on two runs against the visitor's bullpen in the finale, as the home team tripled twice in the eight against Michael Gomez to stretch the lead back out to two, and drew a bases-loaded walk from Kyle Arjona in the ninth to give the game its final score.
Clearwater heads back to Spectrum Field for a four-game series against the first-place Dunedin Blue Jays beginning Monday night. The series opener will be a road game for the Threshers, while the final three contests with be home games. It has yet to be determined who will take the mound for either side in the series opener. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m., with coverage beginning at 12:45 p.m. with Threshers Live! The Pregame Show.