Clearwater Avoids Shutout, Drops Finale
May 17, 2015 - Florida State League (FSL1)
Clearwater Threshers News Release
CLEARWATER, Fla. - Angelo Mora turned in a three-hit performance on Sunday afternoon, but a late rally fell short as Daytona slipped past the Threshers in the series finale, 4-2 at Bright House Field.
Down 4-0 in the bottom of the ninth, Clearwater mounted a two-out rally against reliever Joel Bender.
With Dylan Cozens and Aaron Brown aboard on singles, Mora came through to break up the shutout, delivering an RBI single up the middle. Mitch Walding then worked a walk to load the bases, and Chase Harris greeted reliever El'Hajj Muhammad by ripping a single to left to cut the deficit to 4-2.
With that, the Threshers placed the tying run on second base and the winning run on first for top prospect JP Crawford. Muhammad would induce a pop out to third to end the ballgame.
Mora led the offense for Clearwater on Sunday, going 3-for-4 with three singles and an RBI. Harris and Crawford each added two-hit performances as well.
Daytona (22-15) jumped ahead with an early run off David Whitehead (2-5), as Joe Hudson plated Jeff Gelalich with a single in the second.
Whitehead held the Tortugas to just the lone run in his first five innings, before the first three men reached against him to begin the sixth.
A pair of singles and a hit batter loaded the bases, and Yacksel Rios entered in place of Whitehead with nobody out. Daytona brought all three home in the frame, thanks to a wild pitch, a Hudson RBI single, and a Carlton Daal sac fly.
Whitehead would be charged with four runs on seven hits and a walk in five innings of work.
Yoel Mecias made his season debut, tossing two scoreless out of the Threshers pen. The Phillies No. 9 prospect allowed a pair of singles and a walk, striking out one in his first appearance for the Threshers.
Clearwater (17-20) took two of three from Daytona, and will hit the road for seven games beginning with a three-game set at Brevard County. Brandon Leibrandt (3-2) takes the hill for the Threshers on Monday at 6:35 p.m.
Bright House Field will play host to the American Athletic Conference tournament this coming week from Tuesday, May 19 through Sunday, May 24. The Threshers return home to host Fort Myers for four games starting on May 26.
Florida State League Stories from May 17, 2015
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- Clearwater Avoids Shutout, Drops Finale - Clearwater Threshers
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