Threshers Cruise Past Mets for Third-Straight Win 

WP: Josh Bortka (1-2, 8.44)

LP: Austin Troesser (1-4, 4.94)

BOX SCORE

PORT ST. LUCIE, FL – Three different players drove in two runs for the Clearwater Threshers (30-13) as they became the first minor league team below AAA to reach 30 wins in an 8-1 victory over the St. Lucie Mets (14-29) on Friday night at Clover Park. The Threshers look to clinch the series victory on Saturday evening.

Bryson Ware drew a four-pitch walk to start the game and moved to second on a one-out single by Luis Caicuto. Dakota Kotowski loaded the bases with a walk and Devin Saltiban plated Ware with a single to make it 1-0 Threshers in the top of the first.

Kotowski went to the opposite field with one out in the top of the third inning, taking Mets starter Austin Troesser deep for a solo home run that made it 2-0 Threshers.

Avery Owusu-Asiedu bunted his way on to lead off the seventh and moved to second on a walk by Ware. Aidan Miller doubled them both home to double the Threshers lead before the first out in the seventh. He tagged up to third on a flyout and scored on a passed by by Mets catcher Ronald Hernandez to bring the Threshers lead up to 5-0.

St. Lucie got on the board on an RBI groundout in the home half of the seventh to cut the Threshers lead to 5-1. The Threshers responded in the eighth, beginning with a one-out single by Jordan Viars. He moved to second when Owusu-Asiedu was hit by a pitch from Mets hurler Cristofer Gomez. Miller walked to load the bases and moved to third on a two-run single by Caicuto. After Gomez was replaced by Miguel Alfonseca, a wild pitch allowed Miller to score from third and bump the Threshers lead to 8-1.

The Mets put two runners in scoring position in the ninth, but a pop fly ended the game, sealing the Threshers’ third-straight win 8-1.

George Klassen allowed five hits without surrendering a walk or a run in 3.0 innings with five strikeouts and a no-decision. Josh Bortka tossed 2.0 scoreless innings with one hit allowed and four strikeouts. Jonathan Petit allowed one run on two hits and two walks with two strikeouts in 3.0 innings of work. Saul Teran threw a scoreless ninth, allowing one hit and one walk.

Kotowski is the first Thresher to 20 RBIs in 2024...Miller drove in two to overtake him for the team lead at 21...Viars is the third Thresher with an on-base streak of 15 games this season...Friday’s appearance for Teran was his first of the season without a win or a save...Kotowski is the first Thresher to homer in back-to-back games this season...All three four of his homers for Clearwater have come on the road...The Threshers continue a six-game series against the St. Lucie Mets on Saturday, May 25...First pitch will be at 6:10 PM at Clover Park...You can purchase tickets for the Threshers season at ThreshersBaseball.com/tickets or by calling 727-467-4457…The Box Office at BayCare Ballpark is also open daily to purchase Threshers tickets…The hours are 10 AM-5 PM Monday through Friday and 10 AM-3 PM on Saturdays.