TAMPA, Fla. - After rallying back from 3-0 deficits in back-to-back games, the Tampa Tarpons failed to come from behind on Wednesday night as the Charlotte Stone Crabs evened the series with a 5-3 win at George M. Steinbrenner Field.Charlotte (12-14) opened the scoring when Garrett Whitley drew a two-out
TAMPA, Fla. - After rallying back from 3-0 deficits in back-to-back games, the Tampa Tarpons failed to come from behind on Wednesday night as the Charlotte Stone Crabs evened the series with a 5-3 win at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
Charlotte (12-14) opened the scoring when Garrett Whitley drew a two-out walk and scored on a double by Zach Rutherford in the second.
Troy Tulowitzki (1-for-1) started at shortstop in his second rehab game but left after lining a single in the first, leaving for pinch-runner Max Burt . Miguel Andújar (1-for-4, 2RBI) got four at-bats as the designated hitter in his second rehab game.
Oswaldo Cabrera doubled and scored as Burt reached on a throwing error by shortstop Vidal Brujan, tying the game for Tampa (11-15) in the third.
Thomas Milone opened the fourth with a bunt single and scored on the ensuing double by Moises Gomez. A base hit by Jim Haley placed runners on the corners, and Gomez scored on a sacrifice fly by Whitley. An infield single by Rutherford put runners back onto the corners, and Haley scored on a groundout by Mac Seibert.
RHP Shawn Semple (L, 0-1) retired the final five batters he faced in his first start since returning to Tampa. The 23-year-old allowed four runs on seven hits in five innings, walking two while striking out three on 84 pitches (59 strikes).
Whitley crushed a two-out, solo homer to left off RHP Hobie Harris in the sixth. Harris retired nine of the 11 batters he faced over three innings, stranding a one-out triple in the eighth.
RHP Riley O'Brien (W, 2-0) logged a quality start for the Stone Crabs, yielding one unearned run on five hits in six innings. The 24-year-old issued one walk and one hit-batter while striking out six on 88 pitches (52 strikes).
RHP Chandler Raiden relieved O'Brien in the seventh and Diego Castillo reached on Brujan's second throwing error of the game. Pablo Olivares followed with a walk and Tampa loaded the bases on a two-out infield single by Burt before Andújar lined a two-run single into center.
The Tarpons were held without a baserunner for the final two innings by RHP Benton Moss (SV, 1). It was the 26-year-old's first professional save.
Dermis Garcia (2-for-4) had the lone multi-hit game for Tampa, extending his on-base streak to 15 games. Castillo (1-for-4, R) extended his hitting streak to 15 games and is batting .333 (19-for-57) in that span.
A day after celebrating his 21st birthday, RHP Miguel Yajure (1-3, 4.43) will get the start in the rubber-game against RHP Brian Shaffer (0-0, 1.37) on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. Live play-by-play audio will be available on the Tampa Tarpons Baseball Network.
On "Taco Thursday," fans can enjoy an all-you-can-eat Taco and Nacho bar for $10, House Margaritas for $6 and Coronas for $4 from 6:00-8:00 p.m.
