Merite’s Four-Strikeout Frame Highlights 9-3 Loss to Tarpons

TAMPA, Fla. — Ryjeteri Merite authored a rare four-strikeout first inning, but the Tampa Tarpons broke through for seven runs over the next two frames and defeated the Daytona Tortugas, 9-3, on Friday night at George M. Steinbrenner Field.

Tampa hit three home runs against Daytona pitching while J.T. Etheridge and the Tarpons bullpen held the Tortugas to three hits, evening the six-game series at two games apiece.

The Rundown

Ryjeteri Merite opened his night by producing one of the rarest pitching innings in baseball. The left-hander struck out Yostin Pena and Luis Puello to begin the first before walking Anthony Potestio. Luke Pettitte then struck out swinging but reached first on a wild pitch dropped third strike, giving Merite a third strikeout without recording the third out. After another wild pitch moved the runners up, Merite struck out Diego Castellanos to finish a four-strikeout inning and strand two runners.

It marked the first four-strikeout inning by a Tortugas pitcher in nearly three years.

Tampa broke through in the second. Tyce Armstrong walked and moved to second on Merite's third wild pitch of the game before Merite struck out Blake Cyr, his fifth strikeout in just 1.1 innings. Dusty Revis entered from the bullpen and Brando Mayea greeted him with a two-run home run to right field, putting the Tarpons ahead, 2-0.

The Tarpons broke the game open one inning later. Puello was hit by a pitch before Potestio doubled him home. After Castellanos singled, Armstrong doubled into the left-center-field gap to score two more. Cyr then followed with a two-run home run to right field, completing a five-run inning and extending Tampa's advantage to 7-0.

Daytona finally got to J.T. Etheridge in the fourth. Ichiro Cano was hit by a pitch and, after a strikeout, Rafhlmil Torres singled to put two aboard. Drew Davies followed with a two-out RBI single to center field, scoring Cano and trimming the deficit to 7-1.

Tampa answered immediately in the bottom of the inning when Pettitte launched a two-out solo home run to right field, the Tarpons' third homer of the night, to make it 8-1.

Revis settled down from there, retiring Tampa in order in the fifth before the Tarpons added another run in the sixth. Luis Escudero singled and advanced to second on an error before Puello singled him to third. Potestio followed with a sacrifice fly to push Tampa's lead to eight.

Luis Pimentel took over in the seventh and delivered two scoreless innings, allowing no hits or walks while striking out two to keep the deficit at 9-1.

The Tortugas generated one final push in the ninth. Cano drew a leadoff walk before Adolfo Sanchez drove a 0-1 pitch over the right-field wall for a two-run home run, his fourth at the Single-A level. Davies followed with a walk, but Tampa retired the next two hitters to close out the 9-3 final.

Stat of the Game

4 — Merite struck out four batters in the first inning, becoming the first Tortugas pitcher to record four strikeouts in a single inning since Graham Osman did so Sept. 6, 2023, at St. Lucie.

Notes

• Daytona fell to 54-64 overall and 33-19 in the second half.
• The Tortugas fell to 13-7 in August.
• Daytona fell to 7-13 on Fridays.
• The Tortugas fell to 42-45 in night games.
• Daytona fell to 19-39 on the road.
• The six-game series is tied, 2-2.
• Daytona and Tampa are tied, 5-5, in the season series.
• The Tortugas fell to 40-51 against right-handed starters.
• Daytona fell to 1-49 when trailing after seven innings.
• The Tortugas improved to 38-23 when hitting a home run.
• Daytona improved to 29-12 when homering with runners on base.
• The Tortugas fell to 8-49 when scoring fewer than five runs.
• Daytona fell to 11-50 when being outhit by its opponent.
• Merite recorded four strikeouts in the first inning, the first four-strikeout inning by a Tortugas pitcher since Graham Osman on Sept. 6, 2023, at St. Lucie.
• Merite struck out five batters while recording just four outs, finishing with 5 K over 1.1 innings.
• Merite threw three wild pitches, the first Tortugas pitcher to do so in a game since Mike Villani on July 5 at Bradenton.
• Revis allowed eight earned runs, the first Daytona pitcher to allow at least eight earned runs in a game since Stharlin Torres allowed eight on June 16 at St. Lucie.
• Sanchez hit his fourth home run at the Single-A level.
• Sanchez recorded his second multi-RBI game of the season.
• Pimentel extended his scoreless-inning streak to 5.0 innings.
• Pimentel extended his scoreless-outing streak to two appearances.
• Cano extended his on-base streak to 12 games.
• Davies extended his on-base streak to 16 games.
• Davies extended his hitting streak to six games.
• Levu extended his on-base streak to six games.
• Sanchez extended his on-base streak to nine games.

Up Next

The Tortugas continue their six-game series against the Tampa Tarpons on Saturday, August 22 at George M. Steinbrenner Field. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET.