Déjà Vu: Tarpons Win Again, 4-1, Behind Strong Pitching

TAMPA, Fla. -- The Tampa Tarpons (32-28) got another strong pitching performance and defeated the St. Lucie Mets (23-31) by another 4-1 margin on Thursday night at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Tampa, which beat St. Lucie by the same score on Wednesday night, wins the series, taking three-of-four.
Ben Ruta doubled off the wall in right-center to begin the bottom of the first. A sacrifice bunt by Diego Castillo advanced the runner to third and a groundout by Alexander Palma allowed Ruta to cross the plate.
Adonis Rosa made his sixth start for Tampa and stranded a pair of leadoff singles in the second, getting two strikeouts before inducing a groundout to end the inning.
J.J. Franco began the third with a double and was sacrificed to third before getting thrown out at the plate. Franco broke for home when Andrés Giménez hit a ground ball to shortstop and Castillo threw to the plate.
Tampa got a pair of two-out hits to double its lead in the third when Ruta tripled to the wall in right-center and scored on a base hit by Castillo.
Rosa (W, 6-1) stranded two more runners in the fourth and went on to retire the final seven batters he faced. The right-hander tallied a season-high seven strikeouts while scattering five hits in six shutout innings. Rosa threw 58 of 85 pitches for strikes, including one hit-batter and no walks.
The Tarpons scored two more runs off St. Lucie starter Gabriel Llanes in the sixth. Palma reached on a hit-by-pitch, stole second and scored on a base hit by Isiah Gilliam . Right-fielder Ian Strom over threw home plate, allowing Gilliam to take third. One out later, Dom Thompson-Williams singled to center for a 4-0 lead.
Llanes (L, 2-6) allowed four earned runs on seven hits in five and a third innings. The righty hit two batters, struck out three and did not issue a walk while throwing 52 of 83 pitches for strikes.
RHP Brian Trieglaff struck out three in a pair of scoreless innings, holding the Mets to one hit in the seventh and eighth.
St. Lucie spoiled the shutout by scoring a run off RHP Matt Wivinis in the ninth. Michael Paez singled and Desmond Lindsay doubled before Anthony Dimino drove in Paez with a groundout. Wivinis ended the game with a pair of strikeouts.
RHP Adam Atkins struck out two in a perfect inning and two-thirds and RHP Alex Palsha stranded two singles while adding a strikeout in a scoreless ninth for the Mets.
Thompson-Williams (3-for-4, 2B, RBI, SB) logged his first three-hit game since joining Tampa. Ruta (2-for-4, 3B, 2B, 2R) and Wagner (2-for-4) also had multi-hit games. Castillo (1-for-3, RBI, Sac-B) has hit safely in six-straight games.
The home stand continues with Bradenton visiting for a three-game series. RHP Albert Abreu (2-2, 4.91) will make the start against LHP Evan Piechota (0-0, -.--) in the opener on Friday at 6:30 p.m. Live play-by-play audio will be available on the Tarpons Radio Network.