Bullpen Roughed Up in 18-6 Loss

The Threshers rallied back from an early deficit to pull even in the seventh inning on Wednesday, but the Stone Crabs plated 14 runs off the Clearwater bullpen in sending the Threshers to an 18-6 loss at Charlotte Sports Park.
Arquimedes Gamboa and Raul Rivas finished with two hits, while Adam Haseley extended his hit streak to seven and Austin Listi pushed his on-base streak to eight in the loss.
The 18 runs were the most allowed by a Clearwater pitching staff since August 7, 2014, when the Threshers suffered an 18-2 loss to the then-Daytona Cubs.
Clearwater (3-10) plated the game's first run in the opening half inning, when Gamboa tripled and scored on a Haseley RBI groundout.
An inning later, the Stone Crabs (5-8) grabbed the advantage, with a pair in the second and another in the third off Clearwater starter Connor Seabold.
Seabold would not factor in the decision, after the right-hander worked five innings and permitted four runs on seven hits and two walks. He struck out four on the evening, throwing 62 of his 91 pitches for strikes (68%).
Clearwater cut the deficit to one in the fourth inning. After Haseley reached on an error on first baseman Nate Lowe to start the frame, a groundout, wild pitch, and RBI grounder off the bat of Austin Listi pushed Haseley home to make it a 3-2 game.
The Stone Crabs grabbed a run in the fifth on Robbie Tenerowicz's RBI single, but Clearwater would again rally back late.
In the seventh, Listi drew a one-out walk, and Henri Lartigue followed with a ground-rule double that hopped over the wall in left. After Curtis Taylor (2-0) took over for starter Brandon Lawson, Rivas singled home Listi to again bring it to a one-run deficit.
Rivas was caught stealing for the second out, but Kevin Markham worked a walk, and Luke Williams came through with a single to center to score Markham with the tying run.
Charlotte blew it open in the bottom half.
The Stone Crabs loaded the bases against Jeff Singer (0-3), and Clearwater turned it over to Aaron Brown with one out.
Charlotte cashed in on all three thanks to a Lowe single and an error on Markham in right, followed by a Jesús Sánchez two-run homer. The Stone Crabs continued to pour it on, plating five runs off Brown to open up a 12-4 lead. Charlotte added six more in the eighth off Alexis Rivero to land at 18-4.
The Threshers filled the bases in the bottom of the ninth on a Rivas single plus walks to Markham and Williams. Mickey Moniak hit into a double pla, pushing home Rivas, and Haseley singled in Markham to make it 18-6 before Deivy Mendez got Darick Hall to ground to short to end the game.
Clearwater will try for the series win in the rubber match on Thursday, when Adonis Medina (1-1) takes the hill against Kenny Rosenberg (0-0). First pitch is set for 6:35 p.m.