Tortugas nearly give away nine-run cushion, but come through late
CLEARWATER, Fla—Luis Leones reached base six times, Carter Graham homered, five Tortugas drove in multiple runs, and infielder Luis Reyes was on the mound to close out a bizarre and unhinged 15-10 victory over the Clearwater Threshers on Friday night at BayCare Ballpark.
Daytona (4-3) earned their second straight win over Clearwater (4-3), doing so in about the polar opposite fashion as Thursday’s pitcher’s duel, pounding out 14 hits and setting season highs in most offensive categories.
In the first inning, Clearwater took the lead against Daytona starter Ty Floyd. With one out, Eduardo Tait golfed an 0-2 pitch over the right field wall for a solo home run. Floyd bounced back, though, by striking out the next two batters to end the inning.
Daytona then went to work in the second. After a single and a walk, Diego Omana sliced a single to right to drive in Daytona’s first run. Iverson Espinoza rolled an infield hit off the third-base bag to bring in a second run. After a Malvin Valdez sacrifice fly, a wild pitch scored Espinoza for the fourth run of the frame. Carlos Sanchez then lined an RBI single up the middle before Graham put the bow on the inning with a 406-foot drive to center.
When the dust settled, the Tortugas had scored seven runs on five hits, taking a commanding 7-1 lead.
Floyd returned for the second and was plenty sharp after the long inning, striking out the side as he ran his strikeout string to five straight batters. He then returned for the third and spun another 1-2-3 inning, finishing his outing with a strikeout. Floyd allowed one run on one hit with six strikeouts and no walks over 3.0 innings in his second start.
Daytona added to the lead in the fourth. Luis Leones led off with a walk, stole second, then scored on an RBI single by Valdez. After an error extended the inning, Ryan McCrystal boomed a two-run double to extend the lead to 10-1.
Adrian Herrera then entered the contest for the fourth and worked around two hits, leaving two in scoring position. He worked around a leadoff hit in a scoreless fifth as well.
However, things went sideways in the fifth as he began the inning with a hit batter, then allowed an RBI double to Aroon Escobar. Two batters later, a sacrifice fly closed the gap to 10-3. He then departed with two on and two outs for Nelfri Payano, who got the final out in the inning.
Clearwater, roared back in the seventh thanks to a bevy of free baserunners. Two walks and a hit batter loaded the bases with one, before a walk forced in a run. Two straight balks then brought in a couple runs before Carter Mathison sent a drive into the left-field bullpen that capped off a five-run inning, closing the gap to 10-8.
Daytona answered with a run in the eight as Leones led off with an infield hit, the second of his three knocks on the night, then went to third on a Valdez single. He then scored on a double play to make it 11-8.
Victor Diaz, though, labored in the eighth, as a hit batter, two walks, and a single brought in a pair of runs, closing the gap to 11-10. With the tying run at second and go-ahead run at first with two outs, Diaz was pulled and in a surprise to all, the first baseman Reyes took the mound for the first time as a professional. Reyes walked Mathison to load the bases, but then induced a pop-up to end the inning.
In the ninth, the Tortugas answered. Reyes started the rally with a walk, then was one of two who scored two batters later on a two-run double for Omana. Leones’ third hit loaded the bases and Sanchez lined a two-run single up the middle to push Daytona’s lead to five runs.
With a larger cushion, Reyes allowed a leadoff single, then struck out the next two batters, both looking. He then induced a weak roller off the bat of Tait, as the infielder secured the improbable four-out save and with it, a roller-coaster 15-10 victory.
Daytona will play game five of a six-game series on the road against the Clearwater Threshers Saturday night at 6:30 p.m. RHP Kenya Huggins (0-0, 0.00) gets the ball for Daytona while Clearwater will start RHP Marcus Morgan (0-0, 0.00). Pregame coverage with the Voice of the Tortugas, Brennan Mense, will begin on the Tortugas Radio Network at 6:15 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.
