TAMPA, Fla. - Trailing by seven runs after four innings, the Yankees stormed back and scored nine unanswered runs for a 13-11 win over the Threshers on Monday night at George M. Steinbrenner Field.Kyle Holder and Donny Sands each collected a pair of two-out, run-scoring hits as Tampa (28-15, 67-46)
TAMPA, Fla. - Trailing by seven runs after four innings, the Yankees stormed back and scored nine unanswered runs for a 13-11 win over the Threshers on Monday night at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
Kyle Holder and Donny Sands each collected a pair of two-out, run-scoring hits as Tampa (28-15, 67-46) logged its biggest comeback win of the season. Holder (3-for-4, 2 2B, BB, 4RBI, 2R) tallied a career-high 4 RBI while Sands (3-for-5, 2B, 3RBI) drove in three runs in his first game since being promoted from Single-A Charleston.
Clearwater (23-21, 61-53) opened the scoring with an unearned run in the first. Mark Laird singled, went to second on a groundout and to third on a passed ball before scoring on a sacrifice fly by Cornelius Randolph.
Tampa jumped ahead against Threshers' starter Edgar Garcia in the home half. Hoy Jun Park doubled and moved to third on a broken-bat single by Trey Amburgey . Estevan Florial legged out an infield single, scoring Park. Amburgey later scored on a wild pitch and Florial crossed the plate on an RBI double by Holder, giving Tampa a 3-1 lead.
Erik Swanson made the start in search of another "W" after earning the win in each of his last four starts. The right-hander would not be able to keep his streak alive.
Edgar Cabral snuck a home run over the short porch in right to leadoff the third. Four of the next five Threshers collected singles. Jan Hernandez lined a two-run triple and scored on the ensuing double by Derek Campbell. One out later, Cabral got his second at-bat of the frame and lined an RBI single.
Emmanuel Marrero kept the inning alive with a walk and both he and Cabral scored when Laird sharply lined a ball by the first base bag for a two-run, three-base error. LHP Caleb Frare relieved Swanson and issued a walk before getting a strikeout to end the inning, which featured nine runs on eight hits for Clearwater.
Swanson allowed a career-high 10 runs (seven earned) on nine hits in two and two-third innings. The 23-year-old allowed one walk and did not record a strikeout while throwing 33 of 48 pitches for strikes.
Amburgey drew a leadoff walk in the third and later scored on a groundout by Chris Gittens. Clearwater got that run back in the fourth with a base hit and a quartet of walks, taking an 11-4 lead.
The Yankees chipped away in the fifth when Park doubled and scored on a groundout by Florial. Gittens followed with a home run to right field, cutting the deficit to 11-6.
Garcia settled for a no-decision, yielding six earned runs on six hits in four and two-third innings. The righty walked two, struck out three and threw 52 of 88 pitches for strikes.
LHP James Reeves retired the first five batters he faced and went on to scatter two hits and a hit-batter over two and a third innings, striking out six. LHP Trevor Lane (W, 2-1) got the final two outs in the seventh before facing the minimum in the eighth.
Tampa completed the comeback in the sixth, scoring five runs off the Clearwater bullpen. Angel Aguilar and Park drew back-to-back, one-out walks. Amburgey ripped a single to left, scoring Aguilar. One out later, Gittens took a pitch off the helmet and stayed in the game, loading the bases. Holder followed with a two-run double and Sands knotted the score at 11-11 with a two-run single.
More clutch hitting gave the T-Yanks the lead in the eighth against RHP Luke Leftwich (L, 0-6). Amburgey reached on a bobble at shortstop, stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error. Two strikeouts later, Holder lined a go-ahead, RBI single into center. Sands followed by hooking a double into the right field corner, scoring Holder for a 13-11 lead.
RHP Joe Harvey (SV, 1) notched the save by retiring the side in order in the ninth.
Park (2-for-4, 2 2B, BB, 3R) and Amburgey (2-for-4, BB, RBI, 4R) had multi-hit games. Gittens (1-for-4, HR, HBP, 2RBI, 2R) slugged his eighth home run and his first since June 3rd. Florial (1-for-5, 2RBI, SB) has hit safely in all six games since rejoining Tampa.
The series continues on Tuesday when RHP Taylor Widener (5-7, 3.99 ERA) faces RHP Seranthony Domínguez (3-1, 2.49 ERA) at 7:00 p.m. On BOGO Burgers Tuesday, fans can enjoy a "buy one, get one free" deal on burgers all night. For tickets and promotional information, call (813) 673-3055 or visit www.tybaseball.com.
