LAKELAND, FL - The Daytona Tortugas suffered their second straight lopsided loss in Lakeland, losing 7-1 at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium on Tuesday night. It's the second time this season the Tortugas lost back-to-back games by six runs or more. The Flying Tigers sent nine to the plate
LAKELAND, FL - The Daytona Tortugas suffered their second straight lopsided loss in Lakeland, losing 7-1 at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium on Tuesday night. It's the second time this season the Tortugas lost back-to-back games by six runs or more. The Flying Tigers sent nine to the plate and scored six times off LHP Wennington Romero in the fourth to blow the game open.
Three straight two-out singles in the second led to the first Lakeland run. AJ Simcox extended the inning, moved to second on a Dylan Burdeaux hit, stole third and scored on an Austin Athmann single.
Lakeland scored a touchdown in the fourth. After Romero allowed back-to-back singles to open the inning, he struck out the next two, but a two-out walk to Athmann extended the frame and loaded the bases. Derek Hill came up and drew a walk to force in a run, doubling the lead to 2-0. Luke Burch doubled the lead again, making it 4-0, after hitting a ground-rule double to right center field. Chad Sedio extended the lead to 7-0 after his three-run, inside-the-park home run off Romero.
Ibandel Isabel hit a two-out, two-run home run to left center field off LHP Gregory Soto, rounding out the scoring at 7-1. Isabel became the first slugger in the Florida State League to reach 30 home runs since Brandon Sing in 2004. According to Baseball-Reference, Isabel is one of just five players in the FSL to reach 30 home runs since 1946. He is now just two shy of the Daytona franchise record and three away from the FSL record.
RHP Michael Fulmer made a rehab start for the Flying Tigers and retired all six Tortugas he faced. The 2016 American League Rookie of the Year struck out four and induced a fly out and ground out.
Soto (7-6) earned the win in relief. The lefty allowed just one run on six hits in seven innings with five strikeouts. Romero (8-8) suffered the loss. He allowed all seven runs on 10 hits in 5 innings with a pair of walks and a pair of strikeouts.
LHP Scott Moss (14-3, 3.69) will get the ball for the Tortugas tomorrow night. Moss sits atop the Minor League Baseball leaderboard with 14 victories. He will be opposed by RHP Spenser Watkins (8-4, 2.31).
First pitch Wednesday is scheduled for 6:30 PM with coverage beginning at 6:20 PM with the Metcare Pregame Show on AM 1230, AM 1490, and FM 106.9 WSBB.
NOTES: The Tortugas fall to 0-37 when trailing after 8 innings… Daytona has lost back-to-back by 6+ runs for the first time since 7/12-7/13… Ibandel Isabel also extended his hit streak to a career-best 11 straight. He is 19-for-45 (.422) during that span… Randy Ventura extended his on-base streak to 28-straight with an eighth inning single. It is the longest active streak and third longest in the FSL that started this season… All three of Michael Beltre's hits in the series are extra base hits. He has 2 doubles and a triple in 7 at-bats… John Sansone recorded hits in back-to-back games for the first time since 7/11-7/13… RHP Ryan Hendrix has struck out 70 hitters in 45 innings… RHP Michael Byrne has tossed five straight scoreless outings, matching the longest streak of his young career… Since 6/4, LHP Wennington Romero is 2-7 with a 6.20 ERA, 1.84 WHIP and a .336 Batting Average Against. He has the worst ERA, WHIP, and BAA during that span and his 7 losses are the second most since then.
