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Brevard Edged by Tampa to Open Second Half

June 20, 2013 - Florida State League (FSL1)
Brevard County Manatees News Release


TAMPA, Fla. - The Brevard County Manatees started the second half of the season off on the wrong foot with a 3-2 loss to the Tampa Yankees on Thursday night at George M. Steinbrenner Field.

For the Manatees (0-1 second half, 37-31 overall), it was just their seventh loss in one-run games, compared to 19 victories in one-run contests.

Brevard County jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning against Tampa (1-0, 29-40) starting pitcher Michael Pineda, who was in town on a Major League rehab assignment. Three straight singles by T.J. Mittelstaedt, Yadiel Rivera and Mitch Haniger to begin the game put the 'Tees on the board as Haniger's single plated Mittelstaedt.

The Manatees would leave two on in the first but were able to plate another run against Pineda and the Yankees in the second with two outs. Brandon Macias started the rally with a single and that was followed by a walk from Mittelstaedt. Rivera would then reach first on an error by Yankees' third baseman Anderson Feliz that scored Macias to make it 2-0 in favor of Brevard County.

Tampa was able to get on the board against the Manatees and starting pitcher Cody Scarpetta (0-2, 7.45) with two outs in the bottom of the fourth. A solo homer off the bat of Yeral Sanchez cut the lead in half and after the next batter, Anderson Feliz drew a walk, Scarpetta's night was done.

Scarpetta, who went 3.2 innings and allowed two runs, both earned, on three hits. He walked two and struck out three in his third start of the season after coming off of Tommy John surgery last year.

Chad Pierce came in for Scarpetta and preceded to walk Angelo Gumbs and then yielded a ground-rule double to Saxon Butler that plated Feliz and tied the game.

The Yankees led off the bottom of the fifth with back-to-back singles off of Pierce from Mason Williams and Robert Refsnyder to put runners at corners with no outs. Refsnyder would be thrown out by catcher Rafael Neda trying to swipe second, but Ben Gamel drew a walk to make it first and third once again.

Gamel then tried to steal second and he was successful and the second baseman Mittelstaedt - who was playing second for just the second time this season - was unable to catch the ball cleanly. This allowed Williams to score from third to give Tampa the lead.

After Pineda exited the game following four innings of work, Brevard County was unable to touch Tampa's bullpen as the Yankees' relievers combine to strikeout six Manatee hitters in five innings.

Following Pierce's exit from the game after 2.1 innings, Mark Williams was able to keep Brevard in the game with two scoreless innings.

In the top of the ninth, the 'Tees had a chance to tied the game with a runner on third with no outs. Ben McMahan, the runner on third, would be out at home on a Neda fielder's choice for the first out.

Then with Macias at the plate and Neda on first and Lance Roenicke on second, Roenicke was picked off the bag by Tampa catcher Gary Sanchez. Macias would then strike out swinging to end the game. Roenicke was the only Manatee with a multi-hit night as he went 2-for-4. In eight games thus far in June, Roenicke is hitting .444 (12-for-27).

Brevard County and Tampa will continue their three-game series on Friday night at 7:00 p.m. in Tampa. Jacob Barnes (4-2, 3.67) will toe the rubber for the Manatees as he looks to improve on his last three outings, in which he has allowed at least three runs in each of them. The Yankees will counter with southpaw Dietrich Enns (0-0, 0.00) who will be making his Florida State League debut. Enns went 4-1 with a 0.61 ERA in 19 appearances (one start) over 44.1 innings pitched in Class-A Charleston this season.



Florida State League Stories from June 20, 2013


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