Trouble in the water: Tarpons drop both games of twin bill to Threshers

TAMPA, Fla. - The water was a bit choppy Thursday at George M. Steinbrenner Field as the Tampa Tarpons (19-21) dropped both ends of a doubleheader against the Clearwater Threshers (27-13). The story of the day was the offense. Tampa seemingly could not get theirs going, putting up a total of five runs across the 14 innings of play. The Threshers pounced on Tampa’s pitching, erupting for 15 runs over the course of the two games.

GAME 1

Clearwater’s offense did not skip a beat after posting 10 runs last night and came out swinging in the opener. Cristian Pache walked and advanced to third on a base hit to left by Justin Crawford. After Crawford swiped second, Bryan Rincon brought in the game's first run with a SAC-fly to right field. The SAC-fly would have brought in another run if it were not for RF Cole Gabrielson, who took a page out of Garrett Martin’s book by recreating his Superman dive from Wednesday night, to hold Clearwater to one run on the play.

Ryan Leitch padded the Threshers' lead in the second. Leitch launched a moonshot over the leaping try of LF Daury Arias. The long ball had a launch angle of 36 degrees, giving Clearwater a 2-0 lead.

CF Tayler Aguilar belted a third-inning solo shot into the cabanas to cut Tampa’s deficit in half. The homer traveled 395 feet and left the bat at 98.9 MPH.

The floodgates opened in the fourth inning. Clearwater got to RHP Hayden Merda (3.2IP, 7H, 9R, 4BB, 2HR) in the frame, pushing nine runs across to put the game on ice.

Despite the eleven-run deficit, Tampa showed fight in the seventh. SS Brenny Escanio led off the inning with a solo shot. After Gabrielson singled, Aguilar lifted his second homer of the day to the seats in right.

GAME 2

Clearwater's offense did not slow down to start the nightcap. Zach Arnold reached on an infield single. He stole second base, and the throwdown was wild, which put him on third base. Arnold then came around on a wild pitch to give Clearwater the early lead.

In the third, Chad Castillo crushed a solo shot to add to the Threshers’ lead. It was Castillo’s eighth of the year to put Clearwater ahead by two.

RF Garrett Martin picked up Tampa’s first hit in the fifth inning when he lined a double off the leaping glove of Ty Penner at third base. He moved up to third on a groundout and scored when Clearwater unleashed a wild pitch.

Jordan Viars singled against a shifted infield to open the sixth. After moving to second on a balk and advancing to third on a groundout, Viars crossed the plate on a broken bat single from Ricardo Rosario to cushion the Threshers' lead.

Tampa set themselves up to rally in the seventh when SS Brenny Escanio won a footrace to first base on an infield bouncer. With one out, CF Daury Arias walked to bring the winning run to the plate, but the Tarpons' comeback effort went to the wayside when they bounced into a double play to end the game.

The Tarpons have an off day tomorrow but will be back at GMS Field Saturday night against the Clearwater Threshers. After making a spot start with Hudson Valley, RHP Sean Hermann will return to the mound for Tampa with first pitch at 6:30 p.m.