McElvain Twirls Gem, But Bats Go Quiet in 2-0 Defeat
BRADENTON, FL—Chris McElvain struck out nine over 5.0 scoreless frames and the Daytona Tortugas held the Bradenton Marauders to just two hits, but the Tortuga offense was silenced as the Marauders took game three of the series 2-0 on Thursday night at LECOM Park. Bradenton (8-4) won their sixth straight,
BRADENTON, FL—Chris McElvain struck out nine over 5.0 scoreless frames and the Daytona Tortugas held the Bradenton Marauders to just two hits, but the Tortuga offense was silenced as the Marauders took game three of the series 2-0 on Thursday night at LECOM Park.
Bradenton (8-4) won their sixth straight, handing Daytona (5-7) their seventh straight loss as the Tortugas matched a season low in hits and were shut out for the first time in the 2023 campaign.
From the beginning, the game had the makings of a pitcher’s duels, though it came about in different ways. McElvain was locked in from the start, striking out four of the first six batters he faced while retiring the first seven men overall.
On the other side, Daytona logged baserunners in each of the four innings Alessandro Ercolani worked. However, the Tortugas failed to mount a serious threat despite those runners and the game remained scoreless.
In the fourth, Bradenton mounted a threat against McElvain. The first two hitters singled—as it turns out, the only two Marauders hits of the night—before the right-hander buckled down. After a strikeout, a double steal moved two into scoring position with one out. McElvain, though, mowed down the next two hitters with two more punchouts, ending the threat.
Two-on, no outs? No problem for @McelvainChris as he K's the next three hitters. This K looking is #7 in 4.0 scoreless for the righty!
— Daytona Tortugas (@daytonatortugas) April 20, 2023
0-0 through 4 pic.twitter.com/RjoQtcZR1a
In the fifth, Daytona mounted a two-out threat against reliever Joshua Loeschern. Carlos Jorge blooped a single to left and the inning continued when Victor Acosta’s fly to left was dropped, putting runners on the corners. However, Cam Collier grounded out to end the threat.
McElvain returned for the fifth, becoming the first Daytona starter to make it to the fifth this season. After a pair of strikeouts, his fourth and fifth in a row, to begin the inning, a two-out walk extended the inning. However, he induced a groundout to finish his outing.
McElvain went 5.0 innings, allowing two hits, no runs, two walk, and nine strikeouts, which is also the high-water mark for a Tortuga pitcher this year.
In the sixth, the bullpen took over and the tide turned for Bradenton. Four walks and a hit batter led to two Bradenton runs, with the Marauders not even putting the ball in play during the rally. Jean Correa came on with the bases full and one out, though, and extinguished the fire by inducing a 4-6-3 double play.
Correa ran into trouble of his own doing in the seventh, hitting two and walking one to load the bases with one out. However, a fielder’s choice and a strikeout allowed him to escape. He then followed it up with a 1-2-3 eighth, ending a 2.2-inning scoreless outing with a strikeout.
However, Daytona could not muster a rally. A one-out single in the eighth by Acosta was the only baserunner for the Tortugas after the fifth inning and Bradenton cruised to the finish line, securing a 2-0 win.
The Tortugas will play game four in Bradenton against the Marauders on Friday night. RHP Jared Lyons (0-0, 1.29) gets the ball for Daytona against RHP Thomas Harrington (1-0, 7.04) for Bradenton. First pitch is at 6:30 with pregame on the Tortugas Radio Network and Bally Live with the Voice of the Tortugas Brennan Mense at 6:15 from LECOM Park in Bradenton.
Daytona Tortugas single-game tickets and ticket packages are on sale now at daytonatortugas.com, (386) 257-3172, or the box office at 110 East Orange Ave.
ABOUT THE DAYTONA TORTUGAS
The Daytona Tortugas are the Single-A Affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds and a member of Minor League Baseball’s Florida State League. The Tortugas play at Jackie Robinson Ballpark in downtown Daytona Beach, Fla. Jackie Robinson Ballpark also plays host to Bethune-Cookman University, the Jackie Robinson Ballpark Museum, and many community events and initiatives of all sizes throughout the year.