Threshers Limit Yankees to 3 Hits in Split
TAMPA, Fla. - Brandon Leibrandt led the Threshers to a two-hit shutout in a 7-0 victory in game one, but the Tampa Yankees returned the favor in blanking Clearwater 1-0 in the nightcap of a doublehader at George M. Steinbrenner Field on Tuesday.
The Clearwater pitching staff surrendered just three hits combined between the two contests, but the Threshers (31-21) dropped to four games back of the Dunedin Blue Jays in the FSL North with 18 games remaining.
Chace Numata extended his hit streak to 13-straight, collecting an RBI double in game one and singling in the fifth inning of game two. The streak is the second-longest for a Thresher this year behind Andrew Pullin's 16-gamer.
Leibrandt (2-1) was nearly untouchable in game one. The lefty set down each of the first 11 men to bat and carried a no-hitter into the fifth, before Connor Spencer's one-out single through the right side.
That would be the only knock against the Threshers starter, who hurled five scoreless innings. He permitted just the single and two walks while striking out five.
Clearwater got on the board in the first, after Jiandido Tromp ripped a double to left to start the ballgame against Josh Rogers (8-5).
With two outs Aaron Brown came through, delivering a single to right-center to bring home Tromp. The run off Rogers snapped his streak of 20-straight scoreless innings.
Clearwater rallied to extend the advantage in the fifth. Tromp got it going by lacing a deep double to the track in center, and Josh Tobias pushed down a bunt that was airmailed by the pitcher Rogers for a two-base error, allowing Tromp to cross the plate and Tobias to take second.
Carlos Tocci worked a walk, and an out later Numata doubled home Tobias to make it a 3-0 lead. The Yankees went to the bullpen and called upon Andrew Schwaab to take over, and Derek Campbell greeted him with a sacrifice fly as Clearwater went up 4-0.
The Threshers continued to pour it on in the sixth. Herlis Rodriguez walked and Austin Bossart pulled a single through the right side, and Tromp followed with his third hit of the ballgame as he brought home Rodriguez with a single. Tobias capped the scoring with a two-run double to the left-field corner, boosting Clearwater to the 7-0 lead.
Austin Davis took it the rest of the way out of the bullpen, working around a leadoff walk and single in the sixth to hurl two scoreless innings.
The Threshers carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning in game two, but the Yankees (28-24) grabbed the game's first run early without the aid of a hit.
After three walks opened the bottom of the second against Ranfi Casimiro (8-9), Devyn Bloasky grounded into a double play, pushing home Zack Zehner to put Tampa up 1-0.
The Yankees held the lead, but were without a hit until the sixth inning. Wes Wilson led off the frame against Matt Hockenberry with a broken bat bleeder on the left side of the infield, which would be the only hit of the ballgame for Tampa.
Justus Sheffield (2-0) worked around three hits and a walk in holding the Threshers scoreless. Clearwater put two men on with one out in the seventh against Dillon McNamara, but the Yankees closer induced a double play to end it and earn his 11th save.
The series continues on Wednesday as the Threshers battle the Yankees at 7 p.m. Shane Watson (4-5) will take the hill against Yefrey Ramire (2-5), and the game will be broadcast live on threshersbaseball.com and the TuneIn app starting at 6:45 p.m.