Alex Cobb allows three runs in third rehab appearance
PORT CHARLOTTE--- Alex Cobb made his third rehab appearance for the Stone Crabs Friday night, but it was not enough as Charlotte fell to the Fort Myers Miracle 7-3. The Miracle led the entire game, and despite a comeback effort in the ninth, the Miracle controlled for most of the ballgame.
Cobb (L, 0-1) worked 4.1 innings for Charlotte at Hammond Stadium - his longest outing of his three rehab appearances. The Tampa Bay Rays starter allowed three runs (all earned) on five hits with two walks and five strikeouts.
Unfortunately for Cobb, he ran into trouble in the first inning for his second straight start. With one out, Cobb hit Stephen Wickens with a pitch for the first baserunner. After Wickens stole second, Kennys Vargas singled him home with a base hit to right field.
Cobb escaped danger in the second inning, but again struggled in the third. Cobb walked a pair and allowed three hits to the Miracle in the third inning, including another RBI single by Vargas. Cobb stranded the bases loaded however by striking out Aderling Mejia with two outs, but Fort Myers had already added two runs in the inning.
Cobb's best inning of the ballgame came in the fourth. Having already allowed three runs in the first three innings, Cobb worked his lone 1-2-3 inning of the ballgame, striking out a pair. He came back out for the fifth inning, but only faced one batter before Bruedlin Suero came on his place.
Fort Myers starter Taylor Rodgers (W, 10-5) was stellar throughout the ballgame. The mid-season all-star worked 6.1 innings, allowing just one run on four hits and three walks with seven strikeouts. The lone run he surrendered came on an RBI base hit from Hector Guevara with one out in the seventh to chase him from the ballgame.
Cory Williams finished the seventh inning by forcing Luke Bailey to ground into his second double-play of the ballgame. Williams worked a successful eighth inning before Charlotte attempted a comeback effort in the ninth.
Fort Myers added two runs off Matt Ramsey in the eighth inning to add to its lead. Once again it was Vargas with the damage for the Miracle, as he rolled a two-run single to right field with the bases loaded which improved the Miracle lead to 7-1. Vargas finished the evening 4-5 with four RBI and two runs scored. He is now tied with Dustin Lawley for the league-lead with 83 runs batted in this year.
In the ninth, trailing by six runs, Richie Shaffer led off with his 10th home run of the season. Jeff Malm then singled to right center, advanced to second on a wild pitch, and came home on an RBI double from Guevara. Guevara finished the day 2-4 with two RBI.
Jonathan Quinonez then flew out to right field and Bailey grounded out to third before Kes Carter was hit by his second pitch of the ballgame to put two runners on with two outs. That chased Corey Williams from the ballgame and brought on Tyler Jones (S, 4) for the final out. He struck out Willie Argo swinging to end the ballgame.
Despite the loss, Charlotte has won seven of its last ten and remain just a half-game behind the Palm Beach Cardinals for first place in the South.
The Stone Crabs (54-56, 25-18) return home Saturday night to host the Bradenton Marauders for a three game set. First pitch at Charlotte Sports Park is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.