Florida Fire Frogs Game Notes: June 28, 2018
June 28, 2018 - Florida State League (FSL1)
Florida Fire Frogs News Release
TODAY'S GAME: Finale of a three-game series against the Dunedin Blue Jays at Osceola County Stadium (0-2)...Game seven of a 10-game homestand against the Daytona Tortugas, Blue Jays, and Tortugas (1-5)...Florida is coming off a 1-3 series defeat to Daytona to open the second half...Third of four series (10 games) against the Toronto Blue Jays' affiliate, including four at Osceola County Stadium (3-3)...Florida lost the only game played at home against Dunedin on May 29...The Fire Frogs went 5-8 against the Blue Jays in 2017, including
TODAY'S STARTING PITCHER: 20-year-old Kyle Muller makes his ninth start at the High-A level in the finale of the three-game series against the Dunedin Blue Jays...The southpaw made six starts with the Rome Braves, going 3-0 with a 2.40 ERA across 30 innings of work (8er)...The Dallas native earned his third consecutive win in a 3-0 victory over the Dunedin Blue Jays on June 22...The southpaw shut out the Cincinnati Reds' affiliate on five hits, four walks and four strikeouts across six innings of work in his third quality start as a Fire Frog...Thursday will be Muller's second career start against the Blue Jays. The 6-foot-7 hurler blanked Toronto's affiliate across five innings of work at Dunedin Stadium on May 22, scattering six hits, two walks, and punching out four.
WENTZ STELLAR IN EXTRA-INNING LOSS: Joey Wentz continued to roll from his previous outing with six shutout innings against the Dunedin Blue Jays on Wednesday morning, but the southpaw's effort was not enough in the Fire Frogs' 3-2 loss in 10 frames at Osceola County Stadium. The defeat sets Florida's record in series play at 0-2 to start the second half.
Jordan Rodgers brought Florida within a run with a double to the wall in left-center, scoring Schwartz from second. Ray-Patrick Didder and Kevin Josephina both went down on strikes, and Lucas Herbert grounded out to short to end the contest and top the Braves' affiliate's extra-inning record to 3-7.
WONDERFUL WORLD OF WENTZ: Joey Wentz allowed a two-out triple to Kevin Smith in the opening inning, but went on to retire the next nine men he faced before back-to-back knocks from Alberto Mineo and Riley Adams in the fourth...The Atlanta Braves' 10th-ranked prospect (MLB.com) then set down the final six batters to dig in against him to finish out the day.
Over his last two starts, Wentz has not allowed a run to cross the plate, while scattering four hits to go along with a walk and five strikeouts...Wednesday lowered the 6-foot-5 hurler's ERA at home from 0.84 to 0.66 across six games.
START YOUR ENGINES!: Fire Frogs' starting pitchers have been on a tear to start out the second half against Dunedin and the Daytona Tortugas...Joey Wentz, Kyle Muller, Jeremy Walker, Tucker Davidson and Ian Anderson combined to allow nine runs, but only six have been earned across 33 innings (1.64era).
LET'S GET SOME RUNS!: The Fire Frogs had chances to break the game open throughout Wednesday's contest, but left the bases loaded in the second, sixth and ninth innings, and also left runners in scoring position in the third and fourth...Through the first six games of the second half, Florida has just eight hits 52 chances with runners in scoring position, including 2-for-16 in the middle match against Dunedin...One of the hits (Cristian Pache's infield single in the ninth) did not bring a run home, and nine of the 14 outs recorded were via strikeout.
The 14 runners left on base on Wednesday tied for the second-most in team history, matching the total from April 14, 2017 against the St. Lucie Mets (L, 7-3)...The team record for most left on base in a single game also came against the Mets on July 22, 2017, when the Fire Frogs stranded 16 men in a 15-inning, 5-4 victory.
Florida State League Stories from June 28, 2018
- Tortugas Hand Threshers First Loss of Second Half, 9-3 - Daytona Tortugas
- Tampa Flattened by Fort Myers in Rubber Game, 13-0 - Tampa Tarpons
- Late Lead Slips Away in Loss to Dunedin - Florida Fire Frogs
- Threshers Fall in Finale, 9-3 - Clearwater Threshers
- Barnes Superb Again As Miracle Blank Tampa, 13-0 - Fort Myers Mighty Mussels
- Florida Fire Frogs Game Notes: June 28, 2018 - Florida Fire Frogs
- Tampa Tarpons Game Notes: vs. Fort Myers - Tampa Tarpons
- Free Hometown USA Celebration at Dunedin Stadium on July 3rd - Dunedin Blue Jays
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