Daytona slugger leads the way as Tortugas snap three-game skid
JUPITER, Fla—Ariel Almonte moved into third place in Tortugas history with his 17th home run of the season and drove in two runs to lead a 5-2 victory over the Jupiter Hammerheads on Saturday night at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium.
Daytona (15-11, 46-46) bounced back from three straight losses to Jupiter (15-14, 51-44), in large part to a pair of two-run innings and by stranding 12 Hammerhead baserunners.
Jupiter immediately tried to strike against Daytona starter Ben Brutti in the first. Two singles put runners on the corners with one out. After a strikeout, a walk loaded the bases, but a groundout ended the frame.
Jupiter again threatened in the second as the Hammerheads had runners reach on a single, walk, and hit batter. However, Diego Omana threw out Jordan McCants trying to steal second, aiding Brutti in stranding two more runners.
Daytona then stranded a pair of singles in the third, and Jupiter finally capitalized. With one out, an error was followed by a double, putting two on for J.T. Mabry, who drove Kemp Alderman with a groundout to short, putting the Hammerheads ahead 1-0 with an unearned run.
In the fourth, though, Daytona struck against Jupiter starter Jake Brooks.Almonte jumped on the very first pitch from Brooks in the inning and lined it 110 MPH as it landed 397 feet away over the wall in right-center for his 17th home run of the season. The Tortugas weren’t done, though, as Carlos Sanchez walked with one out, moved to third on an infield single from Jack Moss, then scored on a two-out RBI single from Diego Omana to put Daytona in front 2-1.
Graham Osman took over for Brutti to begin the fourth and ran into trouble with a walk and an error, putting two on with one outs. However, he retired the next two to end the inning and preserve the lead.
Daytona then added to the lead in the fifth. Sammy Stafura tripled with one out and scored on an RBI single by Almonte. After a fielder’s choice, Sanchez singled Esmith Pineda to third, who scored on a Malvin Valdez infield single to push the lead to 4-1.
Osman dodged a leadoff single in the fifth and a one-out hit in the sixth with little trouble and appeared to be on his way to a quick seventh. However, Mabry singled with two outs and went to second on a wild pitch. Jordan McCants then legged out a dribbler to first, but home plate was left unoccupied and Mabry scored from second to close the gap to 4-2.
Nonetheless, Osman (3-2) worked 4.0 innings for the second straight outing, allowing one run on four hits with a pair of strikeouts and one walk, leaving in line for the win as he handed off a two-run lead to Anyer Laureano in the eighth.
Daytona added an insurance run in the ninth as Stafura reached on an infield single, then came home on a throwing error. Laureano did the rest, setting down all six batters he faced, striking out three of them as he earned his second save of the season, nailing down a 5-2 win.
Daytona will finish the series against the Jupiter Hammerheads on Sunday afternoon. First pitch from Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium will be at noon with pregame coverage on the Tortugas Radio Network with the Voice of the Tortugas, Brennan Mense beginning at 11:45 a.m.