Globe iconLogin iconRecap iconSearch iconTickets icon
Single-A Affiliate
The Official Site of the Tampa Tarpons Tampa Tarpons

Back-to-Back Jacks and a Triple Play Help Tarpons Sweep July 4th Doubleheader

Tampa Pitchers Shut Down Jupiter to Clinch Series Victory
Austin Wells rounds the bases after smashing a go-ahead home run in Tampa's 5-1 win in Game 2 of a doubleheader on July 4th. (Mark LoMoglio)
July 4, 2021

TAMPA, Fla. – On a day that featured shutdown pitching, back-to-back home runs and a triple play, the Tampa Tarpons swept a doubleheader to close out the series against the Jupiter Hammerheads on Sunday afternoon at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Tampa claimed four-of-five games to win the series. Jupiter (23-30)

TAMPA, Fla. – On a day that featured shutdown pitching, back-to-back home runs and a triple play, the Tampa Tarpons swept a doubleheader to close out the series against the Jupiter Hammerheads on Sunday afternoon at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Tampa claimed four-of-five games to win the series.

Jupiter (23-30) jumped ahead in the first when Nasim Nuñez lined an infield single off the foot of RHP Beck Way, stole second, took third on a groundout and scored on a wild pitch. Tampa (36-16) answered with three-straight two-out singles off RHP Eury Perez in the second, capped by an RBI single by Jesus Bastidas to tie the game at 1-1.

Way faced one batter over the minimum while holding the Hammerheads to one run on two hits in three innings, tallying four strikeouts on 38 pitches (25 strikes). Perez finished four innings, yielding one run on four hits and one walk, striking out six on 81 pitches (50 strikes).

Fast forward to the bottom of the sixth, Trevor Hauver worked a leadoff walk against RHP Joey Steele (L, 0-1), and Jake Sanford followed with a base hit into center before Carlos Narvaez hit a go-ahead RBI single into center, scoring Hauver for a 2-1 lead.

LHP Edgar Barclay struck out the side in the fourth before adding two more punchouts while working around a hit in the fifth. RHP Wellington Diaz (W, 3-0) struck out a pair in a perfect sixth to earn the win.

Victor Mesa Jr. lined a leadoff single in the seventh but was erased on a double play groundout by Monte Harrison induced by RHP Nelvin Correa. Joe Dunand followed with a base hit to center, but Correa (SV, 4) struck out Diowill Burgos to preserve the win.

Nasim Nuñez lined a single to right off RHP Jhonatan Muñoz to start Game Two, but Muñoz stranded the runner by retiring the next three hitters. Muñoz then worked around a two-out walk in a scoreless second to finish his outing with two scoreless innings, yielding one hit and one walk while striking out three on 24 pitches (15 strikes).

LHP Ryan Anderson relieved Muñoz in the third and hit Davis Bradshaw with a pitch to start the frame. Bradshaw took second on a wild pitch and third on a groundout before scoring on a sacrifice fly by Mesa Jr., giving the Hammerheads a 1-0 lead.

Anderson allowed a leadoff hit by Dunand in the fourth but stranded the runner by getting the next three batters to ground out, completing his two innings of work. LHP Michael Giacone followed with a pair of strikeouts in a perfect fifth.

RHP Matt Givin started for Jupiter and held the Tarpons in check over five scoreless innings, striking out eight batters while scattering one hit and two walks on 72 pitches (43 strikes).

RHP Enrique Santana (W, 1-0) took over on the mound for Tampa in the sixth and found trouble after an infield hit by Mesa Jr. and a walk by Harrison began the inning. The runner took off before a liner to right by Dunand, and Sanford made a diving catch before throwing back into the infield for what would be a 9-3-6 triple play to end the frame.

In the bottom of the sixth, Anthony Volpe and Austin Wells greeted reliever Evan Brabrand (L, 0-1) with back-to-back home runs to put the Tarpons ahead, 2-0. Hauver followed with a single, and two more runs scored on back-to-back doubles by Sanford and Andres Chaparro. Narvaez then singled and, one out later, Chaparro scored on a base hit by Pat DeMarco for a 5-1 lead.

RHP Sean Boyle struck out the side in a perfect seventh to close the game.

Up next, the Tarpons take on the Dunedin Blue Jays in a six-game series at TD Ballpark starting on Tuesday, July 6. RHP Yoendrys Gomez is expected to start the series-opener for Tampa.

The Tarpons will return home to host the Lakeland Flying Tigers on Tuesday, July 13 at 6:30 p.m. On Tail Waggin’ $2 Tuesday, fans can enjoy $2 select concession items through the 2nd inning AND bring your dog to the game with the purchase of a $2 dog ticket.