Florida Fire Frogs Game Notes: August 9, 2018
August 9, 2018 - Florida State League (FSL1)
Florida Fire Frogs News Release
TODAY'S GAME: Game one of a three-game series against the Fort Myers Miracle (MIN) at Osceola County Stadium...Game four of a seven-game homestand against the Palm Beach Cardinals and the Miracle (0-3)...Florida is coming off a three-game series sweep at the hands of the Cardinals at home after posting a 1-6 mark during the previous seven-game road trip...Third, and final, series (11 games) between Florida and Fort Myers in 2018, with Florida trailing the series 2-4...The Fire Frogs split four games with the Miracle at Osceola County Stadium in 2017.
TODAY'S STARTING PITCHER: 22-year-old Tucker Davidson makes his 22nd start of the season in the series opener against the Fort Myers Miracle on Thursday night...The Amarillo, Texas native entered the 2018 season as the 13th- (Baseball America) and 23rd- (MLB.com) ranked prospect in the Atlanta Braves organization, and is currently 25th (MLB.com)...The southpaw suffered his ninth loss of the season in a 7-1 defeat to the Miracle on Aug. 3...The 6-foot-2 hurler allowed two runs on two hits, while setting a career high with six walks and striking out six...Of the six free passes, four came in a 37-pitch first inning...Thursday will be Davidson's third career start against the Miracle...The Midland College product has allowed six runs on eight knocks, 11 walks and eight punchouts across 6.2 frames for an 0-2 record against the Minnesota Twins' affiliate.
FLORIDA SUFFERS SWEEP TO PALM BEACH: The Florida Fire Frogs tied a team record by lifting off four home runs on Wednesday afternoon, but suffered a 16-10 defeat at the hands of the Palm Beach Cardinals to close out the three-game set at Osceola County Stadium. Florida has now been swept five times this season in a series lasting more than one game.
The big inning came in the second, when the combination of Huascar Ynoa and Daniel Lietz yielded 12 runs on nine hits and three walks. The output was the most allowed in any inning in team history, topping the previous mark of seven, which was set three times during the team's inaugural campaign in 2017.
BRAXTON'S BOMBS: For the second time this season, Braxton Davidson lifted off twice in one game...The slugging first baseman is now tied for third in the Florida State League with 18 long balls, and is tied for fourth with 58 RBI after a four-RBI performance.
DON'T WRITE IN PEN: For the fifth time this season, the Fire Frogs turned to a position player to take the mound. On Wednesday, Florida used two non-pitchers to hurl against Palm Beach, as Luis Salazar summoned both Kurt Hoekstra and Marcus Mooney to toss the final two frames...Hoekstra started the game as the designated hitter, and finished as the third baseman...Mooney started at second and finished on the mound...Jordan Rodgers started at the hot corner, but took over at second in the last inning...The Atlanta Braves' affiliate also made a defensive change in the seventh inning behind the plate, replacing William Contreras with Lucas Herbert.
ROSTER MOVE: Prior to Wednesday's finale against Palm Beach, Ian Anderson was transferred to Double-A Mississippi, with RHP Daysbel Hernandez taking the Braves' third-ranked prospect's (MLB.com) spot...Anderson appeared in 20 games for the Fire Frogs, posting a 2-6 record, but putting up the second-best ERA in the Florida State League with a 2.52...The third overall pick in the 2016 draft paced the league with 118 strikeouts and a 1.13 WHIP...He was twice named Pitcher of the Week in the Florida State League, with both honors coming within the last month (July 2-8 and July 30-Aug. 5).
ANDERSON NAMED PITCHER OF THE WEEK: For the second time in less than a month, Florida Fire Frogs starting pitcher Ian Anderson has been named the Pitcher of the Week for the week of July 30 - Aug. 5 in the Florida State League...This is the Rexford, N.Y. native's third career Pitcher of the Week award, with the first coming in May, 2017, and the second earned in July of this season...The 20-year-old becomes the first Florida player to earn multiple weekly honors in a season.
The Atlanta Braves' third-ranked prospect (MLB.com) held the Charlotte Stone Crabs hitless through 7.2 innings of work at Charlotte Sports Park on Aug. 1. The right-hander did walk a man, but struck out five in the longest outing of his career...Since the start of July, the third overall pick of the 2016 draft has allowed just three runs - two earned - over 29.2 innings on 13 hits, five free passes and 37 strikeouts.
BUILDING THE PIPELINE: MLB Pipeline revealed its updated prospect rankings, and nine Atlanta Braves farmhands cracked the top-100...Of the nine, seven either currenlty played, or have previously played for the Fire Frogs: Kyle Wright (24), Ian Anderson (38), Austin Riley (43), Cristian Pache (57), Luiz Gohara (61), Touki Toussaint (76), and Drew Waters (98).
Florida State League Stories from August 9, 2018
- Lewis Delivers Late, Miracle Win In Extras - Fort Myers Mighty Mussels
- Bradenton Drops Fourth in a Row - Bradenton Marauders
- Cobras Battle, Fall in Extras to Open Series - Florida Fire Frogs
- Brito Goes 3-For-4 in Threshers Loss - Clearwater Threshers
- Ruta, Aguilar Homer Early in 5-3 Victory - Tampa Tarpons
- McKay's walk-off sac fly stuns Blue Jays in 10 - Charlotte Stone Crabs
- Llanes Stellar in 4-1 Win at Clearwater - St. Lucie Mets
- Tortugas Rained out Thursday - Daytona Tortugas
- Florida Fire Frogs Game Notes: August 9, 2018 - Florida Fire Frogs
- Annual Florida State League/Miami Marlins Scholarship Winners Announced - Tampa Tarpons
- Tampa Tarpons Game Notes: at Bradenton - Tampa Tarpons
- Stone Crabs Game Notes - Thu, Aug 9 vs Dunedin - Charlotte Stone Crabs
- Annual Florida State League/Miami Marlins Scholarship Winners Announced - Tampa Tarpons
- Feeding Frenzy Monday with Restaurant Samples on August 13 - Clearwater Threshers
- Miracle Drop Series Finale In Lakeland, 5-1 - Fort Myers Mighty Mussels
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