BRADENTON, Fla. -- The Tampa Tarpons tallied 13 more hits en route to a 5-2 win to take a 3-0 lead in the four-game series over the Bradenton Marauders on Saturday night at LECOM Park. For the third-straight night, Tampa (23-26, 58-61) scored first. Angel Aguilar opened the scoring with
BRADENTON, Fla. -- The Tampa Tarpons tallied 13 more hits en route to a 5-2 win to take a 3-0 lead in the four-game series over the Bradenton Marauders on Saturday night at LECOM Park.
For the third-straight night, Tampa (23-26, 58-61) scored first. Angel Aguilar opened the scoring with a solo homer in the second. Jason Lopez followed with a single and Estevan Florial later walked. A passed ball moved both runners into scoring position and Diego Castillo delivered a two-out, two-run single, giving the Tarpons a 3-0 lead.
RHP Albert Abreu returned from the disabled list and made his first start with Tampa since June 28th. The 22-year-old held Bradenton (15-31, 50-61) scoreless until the Marauders rallied in the fourth.
Hunter Owen, Jason Delay and Casey Hughston strung together three-straight singles, with Owen scoring on the hit by Hughston to begin the frame. A sacrifice bunt pushed the tying runs into scoring position before a wild pitch scored Delay. After a walk by Brett Pope, Abreu got a 5-4-3 double play from Raul Siri to preserve a 3-2 lead.
Abreu allowed two earned runs on five hits, one walk and one hit-batter in four innings, striking out four on 62 pitches (41 strikes) in a no-decision.
After the second inning, RHP Gavin Wallace (L, 2-2) held Tampa scoreless for the rest of his outing. The 22-year-old logged a quality start, yielding three runs (two earned) on nine hits in six innings, walking one while striking out five on 91 pitches (68 strikes).
The Tarpons added insurance off RHP Deivy Mendez in the seventh when Florial doubled and scored on a liner off the first base bag and into right field by Dom Thompson-Williams .
Thompson-Williams later homered off LHP Blake Weiman with two outs in the ninth to put Tampa ahead by three. It was Thompson-Williams's 16th homer and 11th since joining the Tarpons.
RHP Garrett Whitlock (W, 5-3) piggybacked with Abreu and retired 15 of the 18 batters he faced, yielding one hit, one walk and one hit-batter over five scoreless relief innings. The 22-year-old tallied eight strikeouts on 70 pitches (44 strikes).
Isiah Gilliam (3-for-5, 2B) paced the offense with his seventh three-hit game of the season. Thompson-Williams (2-for-5, HR, 2RBI, R) extended his hitting streak to nine games. Florial (2-for-4, 2B, BB, 2R) and Castillo (2-for-5, 2RBI) also had multi-hit games.
The series concludes with a Sunday matinee at 1:00 p.m. RHP Deivi Garcia (0-0, 0.77) is scheduled to start against RHP Pedro Vasquez (0-1, 5.40). Live play-by-play audio will be available on the Tarpons Radio Network.
