Lynch Homers in 5-2 Loss to Daytona

TAMPA, Fla. -- Tim Lynch crushed his first home run of the season, but the Tampa Tarpons (6-8) fell short in the rubber game against the Daytona Tortugas (10-4), 5-2, on Thursday night at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
Freicer Perez made his third start with Tampa and allowed three earned runs in the third. Dilson Herrera tripled into the right field corner and scored on a base hit by TJ Friedl. Mitch Nay followed with an opposite field blast to right for a two-run homerun.
Perez (L, 0-2) let up just one more hit following the homer by Nay and completed five innings for the first time this season. The 6-8 right-hander allowed six hits and two walks whiles striking out three and threw 57 of 97 pitches for strikes.
Tampa put a runner at second base in each of the first three innings, but could not score against Daytona starter Ryan Olson until the fourth. Isiah Gilliam legged out an infield single and scored when Lynch (2-for-4, HR, 2RBI, R) hit a line drive over the wall in deep right-centerfield, cutting the deficit to 3-2.
Olson (W, 3-0) bounced back with a scoreless fifth and worked around a pair of singles by Gilliam and Lynch in the sixth to earn his second-straight quality start. The righty held the Tarpons to two earned runs on six hits in six innings, walking two while striking out seven and threw 60 of 85 pitches for strikes.
Daytona regained its three-run lead with a pair of runs off LHP Phillip Diehl in the sixth. Bruce Yari drew a four-pitch walk and scored on a triple to the wall in right-centerfield by Malik Collymore. A passed ball allowed Collymore to cross the plate for a 5-2 cushion.
RHPs Joel Kuhnel (H, 1)(2.0IP, 2K) and Jesse Stallings (SV, 2)(1.0IP, 2K) combined to throw three perfect innings in relief of Olson.
Diehl faced the minimum in the seventh and eighth before RHP David Sosebee struck out a pair in a 1-2-3 ninth.
Gilliam (2-for-4, R) extended his hitting streak to nine games and Angel Aguilar (1-for-4, 3B) tripled in the second to extend his streak to six games..
The home stand continues with a weekend series against the Clearwater Threshers. RHP Jonathan Loaisiga (2-0, 0.00) will face LHP McKenzie Mills (0-1, 4.50) in the opener on Friday at 6:30 p.m. Live play-by-play audio will be available on the Tarpons Radio Network.
On "Thirsty Fish Friday," fans can enjoy seafood specials all night long, including: $7 popcorn shrimp combo, $8 Buffalo popcorn shrimp combo, and $9 beer battered fish. Fans can also enjoy $3 16oz. draft Budweiser/Bud Light, $1 small fountain drinks and 1/2 price wine from 6pm-8pm.