TAMPA, Fla. - The Clearwater Threshers and Tampa Tarpons exchanged blows on Friday night, but it was the visitors who came away with a 5-4 victory at George M. Steinbrenner Field. The win extends the Threshers' road winning streak to a season-high, six games.
TAMPA, Fla. - The Clearwater Threshers and Tampa Tarpons exchanged blows on Friday night, but it was the visitors who came away with a 5-4 victory at George M. Steinbrenner Field. The win extends the Threshers' road winning streak to a season-high, six games.
Kyle Glogoski took the initial hit with a two-run second. The right-hander struck out Dermis Garcia to start the inning, but allowed an infield single to Diego Castillo. The New Zealand native set down Steven Sensley on strikes, but issued a free pass to Leonardo Monina, leading to Jason Lopez's two-run double.
Clearwater (48-36, 12-6) responded with an RBI double from Matt Vierling in the third frame, driving home Simon Muzziotti all the way from first on a hit-and-run. The two-bagger extended the Notre Dame product's on-base streak to 11 games.
The road warriors grabbed their first lead in the fourth when Danny Mayer roped a two-run shot over the wall in left for his seventh home run of the season.
Tampa (35-48, 7-10) jumped back out in front against Glogoski with two more runs in the fifth. Lopez reached on an error with one out and moved up to third on David Metzgar's double to left. Estevean Florial tied things up with a sacrifice fly to center, and Pablo Olivares pushed across the go-ahead run with a single to right.
Rodolfo Duran did not let the one-run deficit last long, as the backstop sent the first pitch of the sixth inning from Janson Junk out to left for his third blast of the season.
The score remained even at four heading into the eighth when Madison Stokes lifted Anderson Severino's first-pitch fastball out to left for the 5-4 advantage.
Oscare Marcelino (2-0) and Zach Warren (SV, 5) were sharp out of the bullpen for Marty Malloy, as the two relievers allowed just one base runner on an error through the final four innings.
Marcelino worked two perfect frames and struck out a pair for his second win of the season, while Warren earned his fifth save in six chances with two hitless stanzas.
The Threshers take aim at the series victory in game three of the four-game set against the Tampa Tarpons from George M. Steinbrenner Field on Saturday night. RHP Colton Eastman (4-3, 3.00) get the call for Clearwater against Tampa's RHP Miguel Yajure (4-6, 2.21). First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m., with coverage starting at 6:15 p.m. with Threshers Live! The Pregame Show.
