Threshers Blast By Tortugas 9-5 For Fourth Straight Win

BOX SCORE

CLEARWATER, FL - Powered by a four home run performance, the Clearwater Threshers pushed past the Daytona Tortugas 9-5 for a fourth consecutive victory on Saturday night at BayCare Ballpark.

Right-hander Andrew Painter, the top ranked pitching prospect in the Philadelphia Phillies organization, made his sixth start of the season and allowed three runs on only one hit while walking two and striking out seven in 3.2 innings of work.

The Threshers (17-12) opened the scoring in the first after back-to-back infield singles by Alexeis Azuaje and Yhoswar Garcia set up a three-run blast from Hao Yu Lee to make it 3-0. Lee now leads the team in batting average (.314), RBI (25) and home runs (4).

While the Tortugas (13-19) rallied back to even it 3-3 in the fourth, catcher Anthony Quirion responded in the bottom half with his first homer of the season - a solo shot to put the Threshers back on top 4-3. Quirion finished 2-for-4 with two RBI.

Tied 4-4 in the sixth, Clearwater pushed across three runs on an RBI single from Quirion and a big two-run home run by Micah Yonamine to grab a 7-4 lead.

Right-handers Malik Binns and Konnor Ash tossed the middle innings on the mound for the Threshers, allowing a combined two runs, only one earned on zero hits and striking out five. Binns was later credited with the win and is a perfect 4-0 on the season.

The Threshers tacked on one more in the seventh on an inside-the-park home run by Azujae that rolled to the wall in left-center to make it 8-4, before scratching across another in the eighth on a balk call.

Righty Rodolfo Sanchez entered in the ninth for the Threshers, working a 1-2-3 inning to secure the fourth straight victory, 9-5.

Clearwater and Daytona conclude the six-game series on Sunday afternoon at 12:00 p.m. Left-hander Matt Osterberg is scheduled to start for the Threshers with coverage on the Threshers Broadcasting Network set to begin at 11:50 a.m.