FORT MYERS, Fla. - The Tampa Yankees (16-11, 55-42) scored four runs in the fourth and added two more in the seventh before holding on to beat the Fort Myers Miracle (18-9, 51-44) in the series-opener, 6-4, on Friday night at Hammond Stadium.After scheduled starter Ian Clarkin was traded to
FORT MYERS, Fla. - The Tampa Yankees (16-11, 55-42) scored four runs in the fourth and added two more in the seventh before holding on to beat the Fort Myers Miracle (18-9, 51-44) in the series-opener, 6-4, on Friday night at Hammond Stadium.
After scheduled starter Ian Clarkin was traded to the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday, the T-Yanks relied on their bullpen to get through the game.
Raynel Espinal made his first start of the season after earning the save with a perfect relief inning on Wednesday in Port Charlotte. The right-hander last started a game on 8/22/16 with rookie-level Pulaski.
Fort Myers opened the scoring with a run off Espinal in the third. Tanner English reached on a hit-by-pitch and stole second before back-to-back singles by Sean Miller and Brandon Lopez allowed English to cross the plate.
Espinal allowed one earned run on four hits and a hit-batter in three and a third innings, walking one while striking out two and throwing 34 of 51 pitches for strikes.
The Yankees rallied against Miracle starter Sean Poppen in the fourth. Nick Solak singled into center and Trey Amburgey reached on a hit-by-pitch before both scored on a triple to the wall in right-center by Tim Lynch . Gosuke Katoh followed with his own RBI triple, knocking the ball off the right field wall. Two outs later, Sharif Othman drilled a double into the right field corner, scoring Katoh for a 4-1 Tampa lead.
Poppen (L, 2-1) tossed a scoreless fifth before ending his night. The righty allowed four earned runs on six hits and a hit-batter in five innings, walking two while striking out four and throwing 55 of 90 pitches for strikes.
RHP Matt Frawley (W, 1-0) entered in the fourth and stranded runners on the corners before yielding a run in the fifth, when English and Miller lined back-to-back doubles. Frawley bounced back with a scoreless sixth to wrap up his Tampa debut. The right-hander joined the T-Yanks from Single-A Charleston prior to the game.
Tampa added insurance off LHP Michael Theofanopoulos in the seventh Othman singled to right and Jeff Hendrix legged out a bunt single to start the frame. Later, a walk by Solak loaded the bags and Amburgey drilled a single off the left field wall, scoring Othman and Hendrix and giving the Yankees a 6-2 cushion.
LHP James Reeves worked around a pair of singles and a walk while striking out two and keeping the Miracle off the board in the seventh and eighth. Fort Myers managed to bring the tying run to the plate in the ninth against RHP Jordan Foley .
Shane Kennedy lined a leadoff double into center and advance to third on a wild pitch. English drew a walk and, one out later, Kennedy scored on a sacrifice fly by Lopez. Jermaine Palacios pushed English to third by reaching on an infield single and later took second on defensive indifference. A second wild pitch scored English before Foley got Mitchell Kranson to ground out, closing the game.
Alexander Palma (2-for-4) and Othman (2-for-4, 2B, RBI, R) had multi-hit games. Amburgey (1-for-4, 2RBI, R) and Lynch (1-for-4, 3B, 2RBI, R) had multi-RBI games.
The series continues on Saturday when RHP Erik Swanson (2-2, 3.36 ERA) squares off against RHP David Fischer (4-6, 4.15 ERA) at 6:05 p.m. Live audio will be available on the Tampa Yankees Radio Network beginning at 5:55 p.m.
