Clearwater strikes for seven unanswered to take down Tampa, 10-8

TAMPA, Fla. - It was a heartbreaking ending for the Tampa Tarpons (19-19), who took a five-run lead into the seventh inning against the Clearwater Threshers (25-13) Wednesday night at George M. Steinbrenner Field. However, the bullpen could not hold the lead, giving up seven unanswered runs in the loss. 2B Beau Brewer picked up three hits in the loss while driving in one run.

After posting a 2.95 ERA in the Florida Complex League this season, RHP Cam Schlittler (4.1IP, 5H, R, 2BB, 4K) made his second start as a member of the Tarpons. Schlittler was impressive in 4.1 innings of work, racking up four strikeouts—two with his slider and two with his fastball. The slider averaged 2359 RPM on the night, while the fastball averaged 2339 RPM.

SS Brenny Escanio picked up Tampa’s first base hit of the night, leading off the second inning with a single to center field. After RF Garrett Martin and CF Tayler Aguilar got plunked, the bases were loaded for DH Cole Gabrielson, who brought in the game’s first run when he grounded into a double play.

Clearwater answered in the third inning, starting with a ground-rule double from Ryan Leitch. With one away, Leitch came around to score on a game-tying single off the bat of Emaarion Boyd.

1B Josh Moylan led off the home half of the fourth with a 105.1 MPH single back up the middle. Martin walked, and Aguilar reached on an error to load the bases for Tampa. Gabrielson bounced into a fielder’s choice to bring home the first run of the frame, and Brewer hit an RBI single to center field to plate Martin. 3B Kiko Romero kept the inning alive with a ground-rule double over the wall in right field to score Gabrielson.

RHP Ocean Gabonia relieved Schlittler with one out in the fifth. The first two batters he faced reached base. Gabonia tried a pickoff to second base, but the ball deflected off Escanio’s glove and trickled into center field, allowing Boyd to score and moving Cristian Pache up to third. With Pache on third, Justin Crawford pulled Clearwater to within one with a SAC-fly to right field.

Daniel Harper took over on the mound for the Threshers in the fifth and lacked control early. He walked C Omar Martinez and Moylan on nine pitches. With some help from the miscommunication of Clearwater’s outfielders, Martin dropped a ground-rule double over the wall in right-center to give Tampa a two-run lead. The Tarpons added one more run in the frame on a SAC-fly from Aguilar.

With one out in the sixth, Romero picked up his second hit of the game, lining a 101.7 MPH single to center. After walks to LF Coby Morales and Moylan, Escanio came through with a bases-loaded single back up the middle to bring home two runs and extend Tampa’s lead to five.

Wednesday’s web gem came in the seventh inning from Martin down the right-field line. Boyd lifted a shallow fly ball down the line that had an xBA of .400 line. Martin came flying in to make a Superman catch that left the crowd stunned. Despite the superb play, Clearwater would still rally for three runs in the inning. Pache singled, and Crawford delivered the damage, blasting a 399-foot homer to cut the lead to three. Cole Moore brought in the third run of the frame, doubling into the right-field corner and bringing home Zach Arnold, who singled before him.

The Threshers completed their comeback in the eighth, starting with a Ty Penner lead-off walk. Leitch followed up the walk with a ground-rule double. A balk scored the first run of the inning, and Troy Schreffler put Clearwater on top with a mammoth 437-foot long ball.

Moore launched his first round-tripper of the season in the top of the ninth for an insurance run to give Clearwater a two-run advantage. Tampa was able to bring the tying run to the plate after Brewer singled to start the bottom half, but the top of the order went down in order to end the night.

The Tarpons will play two tomorrow against the Threshers at GMS Field. The first game of the doubleheader is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. with RHP Hayden Merda on the mound.