Daytona’s three-game winning streak ends in agonizing extra-innings setback
JUPITER, Fla—Carlos Sanchez led off the game with a home run and the Daytona Tortugas led by three runs, but the Jupiter Hammerheads rallied to send the game to extras, then rallied once more when twice down to their final strike in the 11th to steal a 6-5 victory on Satruday afternoon at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium.
Jupiter (1-1, 31-37) has now won three extra-inning games against Daytona (1-1, 30-38), as the Tortugas fell to 2-7 in extra-inning contests this season and came up painfully short in their quest for fourth-straight win.
In the top of the first, Daytona got off and running right away, as Sanchez blasted the very first pitch of the game from Walin Castillo over the left field wall for a solo home run. His fourth roundtripper of the season put the Tortugas ahead 1-0.
Daytona starter Kenya Huggins allowed a leadoff single in the first, but erased it on a 3-6-3 double play. In the second, though, his first pitch of the inning was lined over the left-field fence by Andres Valor for a solo homer, evening the score at 1-1.
After a scoreless third, Daytona rallied to chase Castillo. Ryan McCrystal led off with the first of his three hits on the day, which was followed by a walk. After a wild pitch advanced both runners, Myles Smith singled in McCrystal to put the Tortugas in front. Castillo then retired the next two, but Luis Reyes came up clutch by looping a bloop single to right that scored two runs, stretching the lead to 4-1.
Huggins worked around a leadoff single in the third to finish out 3.0 innings of one-run ball before handing the ball off to JP Ortiz, who retired three in a row after a leadoff walk, then worked out of a two-on, one-out jam in the fifth.
In the sixth, Reyes walked and Iverson Espinoza singled to put runners on the corners with one out. Daytona, though, could not cash in those runners. Jupiter then turned around and began their comeback bid with a two-run home run by Cody Schrier that cut the deficit to one run.
An inning later, Jupiter pulled even in bizarre fashion. After a leadoff walk to Victor Ortega, a flyout followed, but the ball was tossed out of play without time being called, moving Ortega to third. He scored one batter later on a sacrifice fly by Andrew Salas, squaring the game at 4-4.
Neither team seriously threatened in the eighth or ninth innings, and so the game moved into extra innings, where Daytona failed to score in the tenth, but Tortugas right-hander Gabe Starks polished off 3.0 scoreless innings by retiring all three batters he faced in the inning, keeping the winning run on base and sending the game an inning deeper.
In the 11th, Daytona played small ball, using a sacrifice bunt from Reyes to move automatic runner Luis Leones to third, then a squeeze bunt from Espinoza to bring him home.
In the bottom of the frame, Ben Brutti emerged from the bullpen and began his outing with two strikeouts on a combined seven pitches. One strike from victory, Schrier rolled a weak infield single to third, putting runners on the corners. After a walk loaded the bases, Brutti jumped ahead Ortega 1-2—again one strike from victory—but Ortega looped a soft liner off Brutti’s glove that deflected into center field, scoring two runs to lift Jupiter to an improbable 6-5 victory and sticking Daytona with a gut-wrenching defeat.
Daytona will finish the six-game series against the Jupiter Hammerheads at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium on Sunday afternoon. First pitch from Jupiter will be at 12:30 p.m. while pregame coverage on Tuesday with the Voice of the Tortugas, Brennan Mense, will begin on the Tortugas Radio Network at 12:20 p.m.
Tickets for every Tortugas home game are available on our website, by calling 386-257-3172, or by visiting the Jackie Robinson Ballpark box office at 110 E. Orange Avenue.
ABOUT THE DAYTONA TORTUGAS
The Daytona Tortugas are in their tenth season as the Single-A Affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds and a member of Minor League Baseball’s Florida State League. The Tortugas play at historic Jackie Robinson Ballpark in Daytona Beach, Florida that was recently designated a National Commemorative Site. Jackie Robinson Ballpark also plays host to Bethune-Cookman University, the Jackie Robinson Ballpark Museum, and many community events and initiatives of all sizes throughout the year.
