Tortugas Swept in Rainy Thursday Doubleheader
Daytona on wrong end of twinbill sweep for first time since ‘22
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla—The Tampa Tarpons led nearly the entire way in both games as they downed the Daytona Tortugas 13-2 and 6-3 in a Thursday night doubleheader at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.
Tampa (13-17) pounded out 21 hits over the two contests, as Daytona (13-17) was swept in a doubleheader for the first time since August 24, 2022.
In the first inning of game one, Brian Sanchez tripled for Tampa with one out. Following a strikeout, Sanchez came home on a balk, scoring the first run of the game to give the Tarpons a 1-0 advantage.
After a 1-2-3 first by Tampa’s Griffin Herring in the first, the Tortugas rallied against him in the second. With one out, Bernard Moon tripled down the right field line, then scored on an Esmith Pineda double. With two outs, Diego Omana rolled an RBI single through the right side to put Daytona in front 2-1.
However, the Tarpons immediately responded back in the third. Following a leadoff single, the next two men were retired, but with two outs, the Tarpons put six straight men on base, with RBI hits from Engleth Urena, Dillon Lewis, and Tyler Wilson, plus a passed ball that scored another run. When the dust settled, Tampa had four runs—all with two outs—on four hits in the inning, taking a 5-2 lead.
Right-hander Thomas Farr came on to clean up the damage in the third and did so, then followed with scoreless fourth and fifth frames.
However, Tampa added to the lead in the sixth. With one out, a walk was followed by consecutive singles. Sanchez’s hit through the left side scored Hans Montero to stretch the Tarpon lead to 6-2.
In the seventh, the bottom fell out for the Tortugas. The first eight batters of the inning reached as the Tarpons stroked three hits and also waited out six walks, four of which came with the bases loaded. A total of 12 batters came to the plate, as the Tarpons scored seven runs in the frame to swell their lead to 13-2, which would be the final for game one.
In the second contest, Tampa took advantage of a critical Daytona mistake to jump in front right away. After a pair of one-out walks, a potential double play ball was thrown away, then was compounded by another error on the backup, scoring two runs. A sacrifice fly then brought in a third run, as the Tarpons scored three unearned runs without a hit in the inning.
In the bottom of the first, Kyle Henley drew a leadoff walk, stole second, went to third on a flyout, then scored on a wild pitch from Tampa starter Danny Flatt, trimming the deficit to 3-1.
The Tarpons then re-gained their three-run advantage in the second. Two walks and a double loaded the bases with no outs. The Tortugas were able to limit the damage to just a run, though, which scored on a fielder’s choice to stretch Tampa’s margin to 4-1.
At that point, the skies opened in the middle of the second and play was halted in the middle of the second inning, causing a 50-minute delay.
Following the delay, Daytona reliever Adrian Herrera allowed a leadoff double and walk in the third, but struck out the next three to put up a scoreless frame.
In the bottom of the inning, the Tortugas rallied against Flatt, as Luis Leones led off with a walk, stole second, then scored on a Carlos Sanchez double off the left-field wall. Alfredo Duno then dropped a single into right to score Sanchez, trimming Tampa’s lead to 4-3.
Herrera returned for the fourth, but allowed three straight singles, with Brian Sanchez’s hit bringing in a run. A walk then loaded the bases with no outs, but Herrera buckled down with two strikeouts and a fielder’s choice to prevent any further damage. Tampa, though, now led 5-3.
Daytona’s last major threat came in the fourth, when singles by Luis Reyes, Leones, and Henley loaded the bases with two outs. However, Flatt picked up a strikeout on a 3-2 pitch to end the inning.
Herrera continued his Houdini routine by working around a one-out triple in the fifth with no runs allowed. He topped that in the sixth, striking out two and inducing a flyout to escape a bases-loaded jam. Herrera struck out a season-high seven over 4.0 innings of one-run ball.
However, the Tortugas couldn’t muster another rally after that. Tampa added another run in the ninth on a pair of two-out hits, providing the final tally in a 6-3 win.
Tomorrow will be Margaritaville Night with a Hawaiian shirt giveaway for the first 1,000 fans through the gates. Gates will open at 5:30 p.m. Pregame coverage with the Voice of the Tortugas, Brennan Mense, will begin on the Tortugas Radio Network and MiLB.tv at 6:20 with first pitch is scheduled for 6:20 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.
