Yankees Take Series Finale Over Marauders, 5-3
TAMPA, Fla. -- Chance Adams tossed five shutout innings and Mike Ford collected two more RBI as the Tampa Yankees (6-2) defeated the Bradenton Marauders (3-5), 5-3, on Thursday night at George M. Steinbrenner Field. The T-Yanks took the series by winning three games out of four.
Adams (1-0) held the Marauders to two hits and a walk and tallied a career-high seven strikeouts in his first win of the season. The right-hander threw 48 of his 73 pitches for strikes.
Jorge Mateo drew a leadoff walk in the first and scored when Miguel Andujar shot a line drive double into the left field corner. Andujar crossed the plate on a base hit to left by Ford, giving Tampa an early 2-0 lead.
Bradenton starter Colton Brewer walked Zack Zehner to begin the second. One out later, Michael O'Neill reached on a two-base error when Logan Hill missed a catch on a fly ball to deep left field. Both scored when Mateo crushed a ground-rule double off the warning track and over the wall in right-center field.
The Yankees added one more run off Brewer in the fifth. Mateo singled and stole second before scoring on a two-out, RBI single by Ford.
Brewer (0-2) allowed five runs (two earned) on five hits in five innings, walking two while striking out three.
Bradenton took advantage of a shaky outing by LHP Jacob Lindgren in the seventh. Jerrick Suiter walked and advanced on a wild pitch before tagging up to third on a fly out. A second wild pitch allowed Suiter to score.
In the eighth, Lindgren walked the first two batters before RHP Dillon McNamara entered in relief. A passed ball by Santiago Nessy placed the runners at second and third. McNamara retired the next three batters, but a run scored on a groundout by Jordan Luplow.
The Marauders brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth when Chase Simpson singled and Michael Suchy walked. After a 4-6-3 double play, Tomas Morales lined an RBI single to right before the game ended on a fielder's choice ground ball by Elvis Escobar.
McNamara (SV, 1) earned his first save of the season, allowing a run on two hits and a walk in two innings.
Mateo (2-for-3, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R, SB) added his fourth stolen base of the season. Ford (2-for-3, BB, 2 RBI) leads the league with 14 RBI. Andujar (1-for-4, 2B, RBI, R) has hit safely in six-straight games. RHP Matt Marsh (1 IP) tossed a 1-2-3 sixth inning.
Up next, the T-Yanks hit the road for a four-game series with the Charlotte Stone Crabs at Charlotte Sports Park, beginning Friday at 6:35 p.m. RHP Gabe Encinas (0-0, 0.00 ERA) is slated to start for the Yankees against RHP Greg Harris (0-1, 4.50 ERA) for the Stone Crabs.
The next home game for Tampa will be on Tuesday, April 19th when the Dunedin Blue Jays arrive for a three-game set. Every Tuesday Tampa Yankees home game, fans can Buy 1 Ticket, Get 1 Ticket FREE. **2 for 1 Tickets can ONLY be purchased at the George M. Steinbrenner Field Box Office.