BRADENTON, Fla. - A night after Bradenton rallied late for a comeback win, the Tarpons got payback as Diego Castillo lined a game-winning, two-run single in the ninth as Tampa came from behind to defeat the Marauders, 2-1, on Saturday night at LECOM Park.RHP Janson Junk started for Tampa (2-3,
BRADENTON, Fla. - A night after Bradenton rallied late for a comeback win, the Tarpons got payback as Diego Castillo lined a game-winning, two-run single in the ninth as Tampa came from behind to defeat the Marauders, 2-1, on Saturday night at LECOM Park.
RHP Janson Junk started for Tampa (2-3, 30-41) and logged his longest out of the season, holding the Marauders to one earned run on four hits in six and a third innings. The 23-year-old struck out three, walked none and threw 54 of 81 pitches for strikes.
The lone run allowed by Junk came on a home run hit by Dylan Busby with two outs in the fourth. It was Busby's 15th home run of the season, tying him with Dermis Garcia atop the leaderboard in the Florida State League.
RHP Nicholas Economos started for Bradenton (3-3, 39-33) and struck out the side in the first while retiring the first eight batters he faced before David Metzgar singled in the third. After walking Estevan Florial , Economos got a flyout by Isiah Gilliam to strand the runners.
Jason Lopez singled and advanced to second on a wild pitch with two outs in the fourth, and Metzgar did the same with two outs in the fifth, but Economos preserved the shutout.
Economos finished his outing with a perfect sixth, completing six shutout innings. The 23-year-old scattered three hits and one walk while striking out five on 86 pitches (57 strikes).
RHP Hunter Stratton relieved Economos in the seventh and worked around a walk by Pablo Olivares . Omar Carrizales hit a leadoff double in the eighth, and advanced to third on a groundout by Metzgar, but Stratton struck out Florial and Gilliam to strand the runner.
Stratton returned for the ninth and Garcia drew a one-out walk before advancing to second on a wild pitch. Lopez lined a single into left-center, pushing Garcia to third. Sandy Mota pinch-ran for Lopez, and Stratton walked Olivares, loading the bases for Castillo.
On an 0-2 pitch, Castillo lined a ball into right-center, scoring Garcia and Mota for a 2-1 lead. Carrizales followed with a liner to right, but right-fielder Cal Mitchell made a diving catch and doubled Olivares off of second for an inning-ending double-play.
RHP Matt Wivinis entered for Tampa in in the bottom of the ninth and Lolo Sanchez legged out an infield single before advancing on a throwing error by Castillo at shortstop. Wivinis (SV, 4) struck out the next three batters - Mitchell, Busby and Lucas Tancas - to end the game.
RHP Hobie Harris worked around a double and notched a strikeout while completing the seventh. RHP Kyle Zurak (W, 2-3) tacked on a punchout in a perfect eighth.
Lopez (2-for-4) logged his second-straight multi-hit game. Metzgar (2-for-3) also had a multi-hit game. Castillo (1-for-4, 2RBI) picked up his 13th and 14th RBI of the season.
Tampa will look to salvage a split of the series in the finale on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. RHP Ben Heller expected to join the Tarpons as part of a Major League Rehabilitation Assignment and "open" for RHP Miguel Yajure (3-6, 2.62). RHP Brad Case (1-0, 4.09) is scheduled to start for Bradenton. Live play-by-play of the action will be available on the Tampa Tarpons Baseball Network.
