Flaherty keeps Cubs streaking

Down by one with the potential winning run on first base in the 10th inning, Ryan Flaherty wasted no time.

Flaherty launched the first pitch he saw over the right-field fence Saturday as the Daytona Cubs extended their winning streak to 13 games with a 6-4 triumph over the Bradenton Marauders.

The walk-off blast was the second of the night for Flaherty.

"We got a couple runners on and I had a chance to do something," he said. "I was waiting on a pitch up in the zone against the sidearmer [Noah Krol], and he threw me a first-pitch fastball.

"In that situation, I was just looking to swing at anything he left up. It felt great."

Daytona had taken a 1-0 lead on the 24-year-old third baseman's solo shot in the first. Red-hot Rebel Ridling doubled in a pair in the fourth to make it 3-0.

The Cubs only allowed four hits through seven innings and looked to be cruising to their 13th straight win. But the Marauders tied the game with a three-run eighth, then took the lead in the 10th on Calvin Anderson's sacrifice fly.

But after Krol fanned Junior Lake for the first out in the bottom of the inning, David Macias walked and D.J. LeMahieu singled the tying run into scoring position.

Flaherty, the 41st overall pick in the 2008 Draft, turned on Krol's first offering and hit his sixth homer of the season and second in the last two nights.

Daytona has not lost since a 9-4 defeat against Fort Myers on July 17. Since then, the Cubs have swept four-game series from Charlotte, St. Lucie and Palm Beach.

"I think [the streak] is all about chemistry and having confidence, no matter what the score is," Flaherty said. "They scored three in the eighth and one in the 10th, so it's a good sign that we were able to bounce back and get the win.

"We just need to stay consistent and try to stay on a roll. We can only take one game at a time, but we'd obviously like to keep riding the streak. When it's over, we'll put it behind us and get back to business."

James Leverton improved to 3-0, despite allowing one run on two hits in the 10th. Daytona's Trey McNutt struck out seven over five shutout innings in his first start since developing a blister on his throwing hand on July 20.