Threshers Drop Thriller in Extra Innings

WP: Luis Gastelum (1-0, 4.50)

LP: Wen-Hui Pan (2-1, 2.20)

BOX SCORE:

CLEARWATER, FL – Justin Crawford hit his first career home run and Bryan Rincon sent the game into extras with a clutch ninth-inning single, but the Clearwater Threshers (51-25, 7-4) lost 6-5 in twelve innings to the Palm Beach Cardinals (40-36, 3-8) at BayCare Ballpark on Wednesday. The Threshers and Cardinals resume their series on Thursday evening at BayCare Ballpark.

The Cardinals scored the first two runs of the game on a bases-loaded walk and a sacrifice fly in the top of the second. They added two more runs in a five-hit sixth, with RBI singles doubling their lead to 4-0.

Emaarion Boyd was hit by a pitch to lead off the home half of the sixth. On an 0-1 count Pete Hansen allowed a two-run blast from Crawford to cut the lead in half to 4-2.

The game stayed at 4-2 until the ninth, when a rally began with a one-out walk to Matt Alifano. Troy Schreffler and Boyd went back-to-back with base hits off Cardinals reliever Tanner Jacobson to load the bases. With two outs, Rincon tied the game at four, driving in two runs on a single to right that sent the game into extra innings.

The tenth and eleventh finished scoreless, but the Cardinals broke a 4-4 tie with two runs in the twelfth to make it 6-4. Crawford started as the extra runner on second base and advanced to third on a groundout. With one out, Ricardo Rosario singled off Cardinals reliever Luis Gastelum to bring Crawford home and bring the Threshers within one. Ryan Leitch singled with two outs to extend the game, but a strikeout ended the game as the Threshers fell 6-5.

Eiberson Castellano allowed two runs on two hits in 2.0 innings with three walks and one strikeout in a no-decision. Seth Nightingale threw 3.0 scoreless frames with one hit, and allowed two walks and three strikeouts. Braeden Fausnaught allowed two runs on five hits with three strikeouts in 2.0 innings of work. Josh Bortka tossed 2.0 scoreless and hitless frames with six strikeouts. Wen-Hui Pan (2-1) took the loss in 3.0 innings with seven strikeouts, walking one and allowing two runs on two hits.

Nightingale set a career-high with 3.0 innings pitched...Crawford's homer was the first of his career...Rosario extended his hit streak to six games...He has driven in seven runs over the course of his streak...Cardinals starter Hansen was ejected after facing three batters in the sixth...Pan tied the mark set by Jonh Henriquez for most strikeouts by a Threshers reliever in 2023 with seven...Bortka struck out a career-high six in his first game with the Threshers since April...Threshers pitchers struck out a season-high 20 batters in the longest game of the season...The Threshers continue their six-game series against the Palm Beach Cardinals on Thursday, July 6th... First pitch is at 6:30 pm EST... You can purchase tickets for Threshers games at ThreshersBaseball.com/tickets or by calling 727-467-4457.