Tortugas Win Battle of Division Leaders

DAYTONA BEACH, FL -The Daytona Tortugas tagged rehabber RHP Dan Straily for seven runs in their 9-3 win over the Jupiter Hammerheads Friday night at Radiology Associates Field at Jackie Robinson Ballpark, in front of 3,198 fans.  
It only took two batters for the Tortugas to carve in to Straily. Following a walk to TJ Friedl, Straily gave up a two-run blast to another player with big league experience, Dilson Herrera, for the early Tortugas 2-0 lead. The home run, the first for Herrera, was measured at 441 feet.
The Hammerheads would get one back a half inning later against starter RHP Ryan Olson. Jarrett Rindfleisch drove in Boo Vazquez with a single to cut the lead to 2-1.
In the top of the third, the Tortugas would blow the game open, batting around and scoring 5 runs.  Herrera led off the inning with a single, and came into score on a Taylor Trammell triple. Trammell then scored on a Luis Gonzalez sacrifice fly to make it 4-1. After Tyler Stephenson worked a one-out walk, he would come around to score on Mitch Nay's first home run of 2018 to put the Tortugas up 6-1. Daytona would add a seventh run in the inning when Bruce Yari scored on an error.
The lead ballooned to 9-1 in the bottom of the sixth against Jupiter's bullpen. After Friedl led off the inning with a double, he came in to score on one from Trammell.  Then, with Trammell standing on second, RHP Alejandro Mateo's attempted pick off throw sailed in to center field, allowing Trammell to score from second.
Jupiter cut into the lead with a Riley Mahan solo home run in the eighth to make it 9-2, and would add another un in the ninth on a Brian Miller RBI double.
Olson (2-0) won his second straight start to begin the year, tossing 6 innings, while allowing five hits and one earned run.  He also struck out 6 and walked only one.
Straily (0-1), on rehab from the Miami Marlins, took the loss for Jupiter in his 2018 debut. He went just 2 2/3 innings, allowing 5 hits and 7 runs (6 earned), while walking three and striking out just one.
The Tortugas will look to make it nine in a row Saturday night, as Wennington Romero (0-0, 0.00 ERA) will make his second start of the season. On Sunday, he tossed seven innings, taking a perfect game into the seventh. He will be opposed by LHP Sean Guenther for the Hammerheads.
First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM, with coverage beginning at 6:50 PM with The Metcare Pregame Show on AM 1230, AM 1490, and FM 106.9 WSBB.
NOTES: The Daytona Tortugas have won 8-straight games, their longest streak since August, 2013… Luis Gonzalez extended his hitting streak to 18 straight, dating back to 2017. It's the longest streak of his career, and the longest active in Minor League Baseball… The Tortugas have hit 5 home runs with Ryan Olson on the mound and just 2 when others start… Dilson Herrera is 3-for-3 with a 2-run HR off pitchers with big leaguer experience, but just 2-for-24 against everyone else… The Tortugas are outscoring opponents 49-23 in 2018… 4 different Tortuga hitters had a multi-hit game… Daytona is 5-0 when they steal a base.