TAMPA, Fla. - In a game that featured four lead changes, Clearwater hit a trio of home runs and outlasted Tampa, 5-4, to take a 2-0 lead in the four-game series on Friday night at George M. Steinbrenner Field.Tampa (7-10, 35-48) opened the scoring with some timely hitting off RHP
TAMPA, Fla. - In a game that featured four lead changes, Clearwater hit a trio of home runs and outlasted Tampa, 5-4, to take a 2-0 lead in the four-game series on Friday night at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
Tampa (7-10, 35-48) opened the scoring with some timely hitting off RHP Kyle Glogoski in the second. Diego Castillo singled and stole second before a two-out walk by Leonardo Molina , and both scored on a double into left-center by Jason Lopez for a 2-0 lead.
RHP Janson Junk tossed a perfect first and stranded a pair of runners in the second before Clearwater (12-6, 48-36) struck in the third. Simon Muzziotti drew a one-out walk and scored on the ensuing double to right-center by Matt Vierling, cutting the lead to 2-1.
Rodolfo Duran lined a double off the base of the left field wall to open the fourth and, one out later, scored on a two-run home run by Daniel Mayer, putting the Threshers ahead, 3-2.
Glogoski retired eight-straight batters before Lopez reached on a throwing error by shortstop Daniel Brito with one out in the fifth.
David Metzgar followed with a double down the left field line, and Lopez scored on a sacrifice fly by Estevan Florial to tie the game. Pablo Olivares followed with a two-out single to right, scoring Metzgar from second to put the Tarpons back in front, 4-3.
Glogoski allowed four runs (two earned) on four hits in five innings, yielding one walk while striking out four on 76 pitches (48 strikes).
The lead was short-lived as, after Junk fired a 1-2-3 fifth, Duran jumped on the first pitch he saw in the sixth and delivered a leadoff home run to tie the game at 4-4.
Junk retired seven of the final eight batters he faced through six innings, yielding four earned runs on five hits. The 23-year-old walked three, struck out four and threw 49 of 88 pitches for strikes.
LHP Anderson Severino (L, 1-1) tossed a perfect seventh before Madison Stokes led off the eighth with a first-pitch home run to right-center, giving the Threshers a 5-4 lead.
Later in the inning, Clearwater loaded the bases, but Severino escaped on a double-play, as Dalton Guthrie flew out to shallow center and Florial threw Luke Williams out at the plate while attempting to tag and score from third.
RHP Oscar Marcelino (W, 2-0) tallied a pair of strikeouts while retiring all six batters he faced in the sixth and seventh. LHP Zach Warren (SV, 5) threw a perfect eighth and got three strikeouts while stranding the tying run in the ninth.
RHP Kyle Zurak tacked on a punchout while retiring the side in order in the top of the ninth for Tampa. Molina (0-for-3, BB) extended his on-base streak to 11 games. Lopez (1-for-3, 2B, 2RBI, R) snapped an 0-for-11 skid. Cabrera (0-for-4) snapped a seven-game hit streak.
The series continues on Saturday when Tampa's three-day July 4th celebration concludes with 'Merica Land of the FREE Night. RHP Miguel Yajure (4-6, 2.21) is expected to start against RHP Colton Eastman (4-3, 3.00). Live play-by-play of the action will be available on the Tampa Tarpons Baseball Network.
