BRADENTON, Fla. - Jose Pujols reached base four times on Wednesday, but the Bradenton Marauders put up nine runs in the second inning in sending Clearwater to a 9-1 loss in the first half finale at LECOM Park.Pujols walked twice and picked up a pair of singles, while Grenny Cumana
BRADENTON, Fla. - Jose Pujols reached base four times on Wednesday, but the Bradenton Marauders put up nine runs in the second inning in sending Clearwater to a 9-1 loss in the first half finale at LECOM Park.
Pujols walked twice and picked up a pair of singles, while Grenny Cumana added two hits and is now batting .538 through his seven games.
Nick Fanti (3-3) set the side down on eight pitches in the first, but the Marauders (35-30) batted around and tallied nine runs in the second.
A pair of walks opened the frame before Hunter Owen was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Jason Delay doubled home two with Bradenton's first hit of the ballgame. Lucas Tancas followed with a three-run homer to left to make it 5-0.
After a single and a walk, Adrian Valerio doubled home a run, and after Felix Paulino took over, an RBI grounder and a two-run homer from Alfredo Reyes made it 9-0 Marauders.
Paulino went on work 3.2 innings in relief, and held Bradenton to a run on three hits while striking out two.
Grant Dyer took over in the sixth and tossed two scoreless, permitting one hit and picking up three strikeouts. Ismael Cabrera turned in a hitless eighth.
Clearwater (32-36) avoided the shutout, pushing home a run off Jordan Jess in the ninth.
Pujols battled his way through a 10-pitch at-bat before lining a single to right, and Cumana followed by pulling a sharp single past third. With runners at the corners, Jose Gomez hit into a fielder's choice, permitting Pujols to cross the plate.
The Threshers will kick off second half play on Thursday when they return home to host the Dunedin Blue Jays at 7 p.m. Connor Seabold will take the hill in the opener, and the game will be broadcast live on threshersbaseball.com starting at 6:45 p.m.
