Florida Fire Frogs Game Notes: May 5, 2018
Published on May 5, 2018 under Florida State League (FSL1)
Florida Fire Frogs News Release
TODAY'S GAME: Game two of a three-game series against the Tampa Tarpons (NYY) at Osceola County Stadium (1-0)...Game five of a six-game homestand against the Palm Beach Cardinals and the Tampa (2-2)...Florida dropped all 12 games against the then-Tampa Yankees in 2017, including 0-6 at home...The Fire Frogs and Tarpons will meet 10 times in the first half of 2018, with all matchups occuring in the month of May...The two teams will not face each other in the second half until the end of August.
TODAY'S STARTING PITCHER: 20-year-old Joey Wentz starts the the middle game of the three-game series against the Tampa Tarpons on Saturday night...The 6'5" lefty entered the 2018 season as the 10th-ranked prospect in the Atlanta Braves organization, according to MLB.com...The Shawnee Mission East High School product lasted just 2.2 against the Lakeland Flying Tigers on April 29, surrendering three runs on four hits and five walks in the no-decision...Saturday will be Wentz's first career start against the Tarpons.
FLORIDA EDGES TARPONS WITH WALK-OFF VICTORY: A mysterious power was on the Florida Fire Frogs side at Osceola County Stadium on Friday, as the home team came away with a 3-2, 10-inning victory over the Tampa Tarpons on Star Wars Night. The walk-off was the first win over the Tampa squad in Florida's short history, spanning across 13 contests, and was the first extra-inning victory for the Atlanta Braves High-A affiliate this season (1-4).
Garrison Schwartz played the role of "hero," as the right fielder sent a 1-0 pitch from David Sosebee on a line to right, plating Marcus Mooney from third for the game-winning run. Chad Sobotka needed just one inning of work for his second win of the year. The right-handed reliever worked a perfect 10th, punching out Keith Skinner to end the frame.
Tucker Davidson allowed a run in the fourth on a two-out RBI single from Diego Castillo, but that was on only blip on the 22-year-old starter's line. The product of Midland College tossed a season-high 5.1 innings in the opener, striking out a season-best seven along the way.
FRESH OUT OF THE 'PEN: The trio of Justin Kelly, Sean McLaughlin and Chad Sobotka combined to toss the final 4.2 innings in the series opener, holding the Tarpons hitless on a walk and four strikeouts. Kelly walked Isiah Gilliam in the sixth, but induced an inning-ending double play from Alexander Palma, and McLaughlin had Angel Aguilar reach on an error in the eighth. Sobotka's lone baserunner was Diego Castillo, who started the 10th inning as the runner placed at second to start the inning.
ALE-ALEJANDRO!: Alejandro Salazar picked up two more hits on Friday night, stretching his hitting streak to a team-high eight games...The infielder is batting .433 (13-for-30) during the stretch, which includes five-consecutive two-hit performances...The 21-year-old has seen his average jump 65 points from .260 to .325...The streak comes on the heels of a three-game hitless stretch, in which the native of Venezuela 0-for-10.
MULTI-HIT MAGIC: Jordan Rodgers collected his second three-hit performance this week, going 3-for-4 against the Palm Beach Cardinals on May 2 and going 3-for-4 against the Tarpons on Friday night...The 22-year-old infielder has only had two games this year in which he has not had two-or-more hits in a game when he does pick up a knock, with five multi-hit games and two one-hit nights.
Florida State League Stories from May 5, 2018
- 3-1 Won, the Soundtrack of the Jack Saturday - Daytona Tortugas
- Threshers Fall on Star Wars Night, 7-3 - Clearwater Threshers
- Bats Break out in 8-6 Win over Bradenton - Charlotte Stone Crabs
- Mets Snap Skid, Defeat Cardinals 7-4 - St. Lucie Mets
- Anderson Strong, But Jupiter Evens Series - Fort Myers Mighty Mussels
- Pitching Dominates in 3-0 Shutout over Tampa - Florida Fire Frogs
- Florida Fire Frogs Game Notes: May 5, 2018 - Florida Fire Frogs
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