Florida Battles Command in Loss to Tampa
Published on May 11, 2018 under Florida State League (FSL1)
Florida Fire Frogs News Release
TAMPA, Fla. - The Florida Fire Frogs struggled on the mound in Friday's 7-1 loss to the Tampa Tarpons at George M. Steinbrenner Field on Friday night, as the visitors set a team-record with 11 walks from its pitching staff in the defeat.
Joey Wentz (1-2) set a career mark with six free passes in just 1.2 innings of work in the start. The southpaw allows five runs on two hits, the six walks and strikeout in the losing effort. Of the 20-year-old's 64 pitches, only 28 found the zone for strikes.
The lefty allowed a run in the first without giving up a hit. One-out base-on-balls to Greg Bird and Billy McKinney led to a strikeout of Isiah Gilliam, but a hit-by-pitch to Brandon Wagner loaded the bases for Hoy Jun Park, who drew an RBI free pass on a full count.
Wentz walked Timmy Robinson to start the second inning in front of a groundout to first by Telling Deglan, but walked Estevan Florial before Bird's RBI single to right put Florida (14-21) in a 2-0 deficit.
McKinney grounded into an RBI fielder's choice to put the Fire Frogs behind by three, and Gilliam's two-run home run to left opened up a four-run difference. Wentz then walked Wagner, ending the night for the starter.
The road team did get a run back in the third inning on an RBI double from Taylor Murphy (2x3, 2B, RBI, BB), pushing across Marcus Mooney (1x3, R, BB), but Tampa brought the lead back to five with an RBI walk from Troy Bacon to McKinney with the bases loaded in the bottom half of the frame. Bacon finished with three free passes issued in 2.1 relief innings.
Connor Johnstone worked three scoreless innings of relief for the Fire Frogs on Friday. Justin Kelly allowed a run on two his and two walks in his lone inning of work in the eighth.
Phillip Diehl (1-1) earned the win for the Tampa (19-16), as the left-handed reliever shutout Florida through 2.2 innings out of the bullpen.
Florida goes for the series victory in the rubber match of the three-game set against Tampa at George M. Steinbrenner Field on Saturday night. RHP Ian Anderson (0-2, 3.81) toes the rubber for the Fire Frogs against RHP Albert Abreu (0-0, 2.70). First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m., with coverage starting at 6:15 p.m. on the Florida Fire Frogs Broadcasting Network.
The Fire Frogs return to Osceola County Stadium for a six-game homestand starting Monday, May 14, with four games against the Mets, and three games against the Clearwater Threshers.
For ticket and promotional information, please visit floridafirefrogs.com.
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