Ruta, Gilliam, Palma Homer as Tarpons Take Rubber Game

TAMPA, Fla. -- Ben Ruta , Isiah Gilliam and Alexander Palma all homered to back yet another quality start by Nick Green as the Tampa Tarpons (34-29) earned a 4-2 win in the rubber game over the Bradenton Marauders (31-27) on Sunday afternoon at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
The Tarpons took two-of-three over Bradenton, scoring 24 runs on 38 hits (including seven home runs) in the series. Tampa leads the Florida State League with 53 homers.
Ruta wasted no time, smashing a leadoff homer in the bottom of the first off Bradenton starter Mike Wallace. It was the 24-year-old's second in the series and fourth in 18 games since joining the Tarpons.
Green retired the first six batters he faced before Hunter Owen homered off the scoreboard in left to tie the game at 1-1. An error and a pair of walks loaded the bases with two outs, but Green struck out Albert Baur to limit the damage.
Gilliam stepped up with one out in the fourth and squared up the first pitch from Wallace, crushing an opposite field home run over the wall in left-center. The 21-year-old's eighth of the season gave Tampa a 2-1 lead.
Eduardo Torrealba and Dom Thompson-Williams followed with back-to-back singles, placing runners on the corners. With Kellin Deglan at the plate, Thompson-Williams broke for second. Torrealba then ran home as the catcher, Arden Pabst, threw down to second. Thompson-Williams beat the throw as Torrealba scored.
After two quick outs in the bottom of the fifth, Palma cued up a first-pitch offer from Wallace and smashed one over the right field wall for his second homer of the series and his sixth of the season.
Wallace (L, 3-2) allowed a career-high three home runs while yielding four earned runs on eight hits in six innings. The righty walked one, struck out five and threw 59 of 89 pitches for strikes.
The defense helped Green face the minimum in the sixth when shortstop Diego Castillo made a lunging, spinning play for the first out, Torrealba a diving catch to his right at second base and Gilliam a diving catch into shallow right field.
Green (W, 5-2) completed six innings for the fifth-straight time, logging his eighth quality start of the season. The right-hander allowed one earned run on three hits, two walks and a hit-batter, striking out three while throwing 62 of 92 pitches for strikes.
Lucas Tancas greeted LHP Phillip Diehl with a leadoff home run in the seventh. Diehl (H, 4) proceeded to retire the next six batters, striking out five along the way.
RHP Andrew Schwaab (SV, 1) struck out one in a perfect ninth to end the game.
Ruta (2-for-4, HR, RBI, R), Palma (2-for-3, HR, BB, RBI, R) and Gilliam (2-for-4, HR, RBI, R, SB) all logged multi-hit games. Thompson-Williams (1-for-3, SB) failed to record an RBI for the first time in seven games. Hoy Jun Park (0-for-0, BB) drew his league-leading 35th walk before getting replaced at second base by Torrealba (1-for-2, R, SB, CS).
Up next, Tampa begins a four-game series with the Clearwater Threshers at Spectrum Field. RHP Nick Nelson (2-2, 4.00) is scheduled to make the start against RHP Connor Seabold (2-4, 4.37) in the series opener on Monday at 7:00 p.m. Live play-by-play audio will be available on the Tarpons Radio Network.
Following the All-Star Break, the Tarpons will play three games in Fort Myers before returning home to kick off the second half of the season against the Jupiter Hammerheads on Thursday, June 21st at 6:30 p.m.