Globe iconLogin iconRecap iconSearch iconTickets icon
Single-A Affiliate
The Official Site of the Lakeland Flying Tigers Lakeland Flying Tigers

Flying Tigers Claw Back, Avoid Sweep on International Cat Day

Anthony Castro. Lakeland Flying Tigers v Clearwater Threshers. Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium. Lakeland, Fla. May 8, 2018. (Photo by Tom Hagerty.) (Tom Hagerty)
August 8, 2018

Lakeland, FL - Anthony Castro pitched six innings of one-run baseball before lightning sent the game into a nearly two-hour weather delay as Lakeland avoided a series sweep with a 5-1 victory over Fort Myers.

Lakeland, FL - Anthony Castro pitched six innings of one-run baseball before lightning sent the game into a nearly two-hour weather delay as Lakeland avoided a series sweep with a 5-1 victory over Fort Myers.

After going 21 innings without scoring a run since Sunday, the Flying Tigers offense broke out with three in the first against Miracle starter Clark Beeker. Three straight singles to start the game loaded the bases with none out for Dylan Burdeaux, who hit a sacrifice fly to score AJ Simcox. Jose Azocar then hit a ground ball to third that went between the legs of Jose Miranda, allowing Danny Pinero and Troy Montgomery to cross the plate and put Lakeland up 3-0.
Fort Myers right fielder Alex Kirilloff singled to lead off the second and scored on a sacrifice fly by Robby Rinn, cutting the deficit to two. The second-inning run proved to be the only blemish of the night for Castro, who allowed just five hits over six innings.
The Flying Tigers responded in the third inning with an RBI single off the bat of new addition Herlis Rodriguez, pushing the margin back to three. The lead increased to 5-1 in the sixth, after Rodriguez tripled and was knocked in by Jose Azocar. At the end of the inning, lightning and severe weather in the area caused a 1 hour, 45-minute weather delay.
When the game resumed in the top of the seventh, the Flying Tigers bullpen slammed the door closed. Burris Warner threw two scoreless innings and Eduardo Jiménez preserved the lead in the ninth, sealing the win for Lakeland.
Up Next: Gregory Soto (6-5, 4.45 ERA) and the Flying Tigers will travel to Palm Beach to take on the Cardinals at 6:30 p.m. in the first of a four-game set.
The Flying Tigers will return to Publix Field for the first of a seven-game homestand against the Daytona Tortugas on Monday, August 13 at 6:30 p.m.