Wagner Clubs 13th Homer in 7-4 Loss

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Brandon Wagner homered for the second-straight game, but the Threshers tallied 13 hits and went on to complete a four-game sweep with a 7-4 win over the Tampa Tarpons (34-33) on Thursday night at Spectrum Field.
For the third time in the series, Clearwater (31-34) scored two runs in the opening inning. A hit-batter and a pair of singles loaded the bases with no outs. After a strikeout by Edgar Cabral, Mickey Moniak jumped on the first pitch he saw and pulled at two-run single into right.
Garrett Whitlock limited the damage by retiring the next two batters. The Threshers put two more aboard in the second, but Whitlock induced a double play to escape. Austin Listi led off the third with a double and scored on a pair of wild pitches by Whitlock, giving Clearwater a 3-0 lead.
Nick Fanti retired 11 of the first 12 batters he faced in his fifth start with the Threshers. A base hit by Wagner broke up the no-hitter with two outs in the fourth. Isiah Gilliam followed with a single to center, but was thrown out stretching for second by Moniak.
After stranding a one-out double in the fourth, Whitlock ran into another jam in the fifth. Cabral drew a one-out walk and scored when Moniak drilled a double to the wall in left-center. Henri Lartigue followed with an RBI single, ending Whitlock's outing.
RHP Will Carter entered in relief and got Raul Rivas to ground into an inning ending double play.
Whitlock (L, 2-1) allowed five runs (four earned) on nine hits and a hit-batter in four and a third innings. The right-hander walked two, struck out five and threw 58 of 88 pitches for strikes.
Ben Ruta singled to open the sixth and advanced to third when Diego Castillo doubled off the top of the right field wall. One out later, Wagner crushed a two-out, three-run home run fair inside the right field foul pole, cutting the deficit to 5-3.
Carter stranded a leadoff single in the sixth, but Tampa went down in order against RHP Felix Paulino in the seventh.
Fanti (W, 3-2) logged his third-straight quality start, yielding three earned runs on five hits in six innings. The southpaw walked one, struck out three and threw 58 of 85 pitches for strikes while tallying his third-straight win.
Clearwater got three-straight two-out singles from Moniak, Lartigue and Rivas in the seventh. Lartigue stole second before scoring on Rivas' two-run single into left.
Ryan Lidge and Ruta both singled to begin the eighth and advanced on a groundout by Castillo. Lidge scored on a sacrifice fly by Alexander Palma , but Paulino stranded Ruta by getting Wagner to ground out.
Carter stranded a pair of two-out walks in the eighth to keep it a three-run game, but Paulino (SV, 1) fired a perfect ninth to end the game.
Gilliam (1-for-4) extended his hitting streak to 11 games. Ruta (2-for-4, R) logged a multi-hit game.
Wagner (2-for-4, HR, 3RBI, R) homered for the second-straight night and currently leads all Yankees minor leaguers with 13 home runs. The 22-year-old will compete in the Home Run Derby on Friday at 6:30 p.m. at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
On Saturday, Tampa will host the 57th Florida State League All-Star Game at 6:30 p.m. Castillo and Wagner, along with RHP Nick Green , RHP Adonis Rosa and LHP Trevor Lane , will represent the Tarpons on the North Division Roster. Live play-by-play audio will be available on the Tarpons Radio Network.
Following the All-Star Break, the Tarpons will play three games in Fort Myers before returning home to kick off the second half of the season against the Jupiter Hammerheads on Thursday, June 21st at 6:30 p.m.