FSL1 Daytona Tortugas

Cubs sweep doubleheader with Lakeland

Published on June 22, 2009 under Florida State League (FSL1)
Daytona Tortugas News Release


The Daytona Cubs came out soaring over the Lakeland Flying Tigers at Joker Marchant Stadium as they defeated the Flying Tigers 10-2 in their first game back from the All-Star break.

The Cubs did not waste any time getting on the board as right fielder Brandon Guyer followed a Starlin Castro single with a double to center field. Castro scored from first to give Guyer his second RBI as a Cub. Lakeland starter Mauricio Robles (0-1) then loaded the bases with a walk to Robinson Chirinos and an infield single by Jake Opitz. First baseman Jovan Rosa took advantage with a line drive to left field to give Daytona a 2-0 advantage.

Lakeland cut the lead in half in the bottom of the first inning. Outfielders Chris White and Jeremy Laster delivered back-to-back one-out singles. Cubs starter James Leverton got Devin Thomas looking for the second out, but gave up a single to designated hitter Chris Carlson that brought home White.

Daytona touched up Robles for three more runs in the top of the third inning. Guyer led off with a base hit to left field. All-Star catcher Robinson Chirinos brought Guyer home with his fifth triple of the season to the gap in left-center. Opitz continued his recent tear with a broken-bat single to score Chirinos. The final run of the inning would come on a balk by reliever Lester Oliveros with the bases loaded.

The Cubs offense was not finished as they plated four more runs in the sixth inning. Chirinos picked up his second RBI on the day after he doubled home Castro. Rosa, Nathan Samson picked up RBI on consecutive singles that scored Guyer and Chirinos. Jericho Jones picked up his first RBI on the year when he hit a sac fly that scored Opitz which gave the Cubs a 9-1 lead.

Leverton (4-7) allowed just one earned run in five and two thirds innings of work and struck out a couple of Tigers along the way. It was the lefty's second straight win since losing five straight games at one point during the season.

The Cubs and the Tigers would each score a run late but the Cubs pitching held on to seal the victory in the first game of the double header.

The Cubs (33-31) made a late inning charge to defeat the Flying Tigers (27-35) 5-4 in the nightcap of the double header.

Game two started just like game one, with the Cubs putting up two runs in the opening frame. Second baseman Nathan Samson delivered a single right back up the middle. After a fly out by Guyer, Opitz came through again for Daytona with a double down the left field line that scored Samson from first base. With Opitz at second, Rosa picked up his third RBI of the day with a line drive into right field to put the Cubs out in front, 2-0.

Lakeland would answer right back with two runs of their own in the bottom of the first inning. The Flying Tigers led off the inning with three straight base hits including a run-scoring ground-rule double by catcher Jordan Newton. With Chris White at third, Michael Bertram picked up an RBI on a slow ground ball to the shortstop Marwin Gonzalez.

Lakeland took the lead in the bottom of the third inning, as it was the top of the order doing it again. Second baseman Justin Henry led off with a single and moved around to third before Newton brought him in with his second double of the game.

The Cubs tied it back up with a single run in the top of the fifth inning. With reliever Brett Jacobson on the mound, Jonathan Wyatt led off the inning with a single and reached second on a Jacobson balk. Tony Campana had a bunt single to advance Wyatt to third. Samson grounded out to the right side, which allowed Wyatt to come in and tie the ball game.

The score would remain at 3-3 until the bottom of the sixth inning. With two outs in the bottom of the sixth Chris Carlson hit a solo home run over the left field wall.

The Cubs had some life left in them as they scored two runs in the top of the seventh off Tiger closer Scott Green (3-2) to regain the lead.

With one out Jonathan Wyatt singled through the right side and then advanced to third on a Campana double down the left field line. With the infield in Samson hit a high chopper over the head of Bertram at third base that drove in Wyatt to tie the game. Guyer singled up the middle, which scored Campana and gave the Cubs a one run lead.

Todd Blackford (1-0) came into relieve Luke Sommer in the eighth, and finished off the Tigers in the ninth to pick up his first win with the Cubs in 2009.

The Cubs and Flying Tigers will play again tomorrow with a start time set for 10:30 a.m.

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Florida State League Stories from June 22, 2009


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