Spinners Spoil CT Tigers Sweep, 6-3

NORWICH, Ct. - For the third straight day, the Connecticut Tigers (2-1) jumped out to an early lead against the Lowell Spinners (1-2), but on Sunday afternoon at Dodd Stadium, the Red Sox affiliate finally had an answer with six unanswered runs to spoil a season-opening sweep by the Tigers, 6-3.

Gio Arriera  (Loss, 0-1) suffered the first defeat by a Tigers starter this season after Lowell tagged him for three runs in the third inning including a two-run triple by Jared Duran and a go-ahead run during the fifth inning on a Connecticut fielding error in left field. Arriera struck out six Spinners but left after 4 2/3 innings with six hits and four earned runs against.

Duran led all hitters with three extra-base hits including two triples. His three-bagger in a two-run ninth inning capped off his 3-for-5 day at the plate with three runs scored and two runs batted in.

The Tigers scored all three of their runs in the second inning against Lowell starter Yorvin Pantoja. Following a single and an error, Moises Nunez  made his Connecticut Tigers debut and roped a two-run double to the wall in left. Two batters later, Jose King  added to the damage with an RBI fielder's choice to make it 3-0 Tigers.

Pantoja took the no-decision after leaving the game in the fifth inning with an apparent leg injury he suffered while attempting to field a bunt single by Darwin Alvarado . The Tigers failed to a record a hit in the final 5 1/3 innings against Lowell relievers and Victor Garcia (Win, 1-0) scooped the victory after replacing Pantoja with 2 1/3 innings of scoreless work. 

No Tigers recorded multiple hits on Sunday but Connecticut set a new season high with three stolen bases. Daniel Gonzalez  and Mitchell Stalsberg  combined for 3 1/3 innings of shutout relief in their 2018 debuts. 

On Monday, the Tigers hit the road for their first road series in 2018 with the opener of a three-game series in Burlington, Vermont against the Lake Monsters. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. 19-year-old, right-handed pitcher Wilkel Hernandez , who the Detroit Tigers acquired in a 2017 trade with the Los Angeles Angels for infielder Ian Kinsler, will make his first start for a Tigers affiliate against Vermont veteran lefty Jhenderson Hurtado.

Tune in to the Norwich Courtyard by Marriott Connecticut Tigers Radio Network with Kevin Gehl for all three games of the road trip, beginning Monday at 6:50 p.m. on 1310 AM WICH and CTTigers.com. 

The Connecticut Tigers are the New York-Penn League affiliate of the Detroit Tigers at Dodd Stadium in Norwich, Connecticut. Individual tickets for all 2018 home games, season memberships to "The Club," ticket mini-plans, and Tigers team merchandise are now on sale at Dodd Stadium, over the phone at 860-887-7962, and online at CTTigers.com.