FSL1 Charlotte Stone Crabs

'Crabs Bash Bradenton Bullpen for 8-3 Win

Published on April 21, 2015 under Florida State League (FSL1)
Charlotte Stone Crabs News Release


BRADENTON, FL (April 21, 2015) - Since totaling just 18 runs in their first eight games to start the season, the Stone Crabs have looked like a completely different team than the one that left Daytona 4-4. With the pitching staff still very reliable, the offense has turned the corner and used a share of big bursts in the later innings to catapult to the top of the South Division. On Tuesday night, a 2-2 tie was broken by Maxx Tissenbaum's two run double in the seventh. After the Marauders got a run back to make it 4-3, the `Crabs sent all nine to the plate in the ninth to pull away for an 8-3 win.

For the 11th time in the first 13 games, Charlotte struck first in the top of the second against Marauders starter Frank Duncan. Tissenbaum bounced into a 5-4-3 double play following a leadoff single by Jake Bauers. Marty Gantt then drew a walk, and while on the move from first scored on a double down the left field line from Armando Araiza for a 1-0 lead.

In his best performance thus far, Ryne Stanek had one tough inning in the second when he issued his only walk to Erich Weiss with one out. A wild pitch and a Jose Osuna single put runners at the corners for the ever-dangerous Jin-De Jhang. The catcher tied the game with an opposite field single to left and an Edwin Espinal groundout up the middle brought in Osuna from third to give the Marauders a 2-1 lead.

While Stanek cruised through his next three innings by retiring the Marauders in order, the `Crabs were wasting opportunities left and right. After stranding a runner at second from innings two through four, they loaded the bases with one out in the fifth following singles by Juniel Querecuto, Braxton Lee, and Willy Adames. Duncan's first pitch to Bauers produced an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play, and the game remained tied at two courtesy of Kean Wong's fielder's choice groundout in the second.

Facing Brett McKinney in the seventh, Tissenbaum worked the count full with runners at the corners. He went down to drive the payoff pitch over the head of Osuna in right to break the tie and score Bauers and Wong for a 4-2 lead. Buddy Borden soon returned for his second inning of relief after a perfect bottom of the sixth. With one out, Weiss bounced a chopper up the middle for an infield single, moving to second on Adames' errant throw from short that ended up in the dugout. A walk to Osuna and another base hit from Jhang brought in a run and put runners at the corners with one out. Protecting a 4-3 lead, Borden delivered and struck out Espinal and number nine hitter Junior Sosa to send it to the eighth.

Going with their third righthander out of the bullpen, the Marauders chose Ryan Hafner to try and keep the Stone Crabs lead at 4-3 in the ninth. Three singles by Lee, Wong, and Bauers loaded the bases with one out. A four pitch walk to Tissenbaum and another walk to Gantt brought in two more runs to double the gap at 6-3. After Araiza popped out to short, Yoel Araujo fell behind 0-2 but ripped a two-run single into left that made it 8-3 and put the game out of reach.

The series concludes on Wednesday, April 22 at 6:30 PM at McKechnie Field when Chris Kirsch (1-0, 1.69 ERA) meets fellow lefthander Steven Brault (0-0, 5.40 ERA). You can follow all the action by listening to the game on www.stonecrabsbaseball.com via TuneIn Radio, or tuning into 91.7 FM-WVIJ in the Port Charlotte area. The Stone Crabs Pregame Show starts at 6:10 PM on the Stone Crabs Radio Network!

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Florida State League Stories from April 21, 2015


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