Garcia Solid in 4-1 Loss to Palm Beach
May 20, 2016 - Florida State League (FSL1)
Clearwater Threshers News Release
CLEARWATER, Fla. - Elniery Garcia gave Clearwater six solid innings, but Austin Gomber held the Threshers bats at bay as Palm Beach topped Clearwater, 4-1 in the series opener at Bright House Field.
Garcia (3-2) settled in after a rocky start to the first, and gave the Threshers (26-15) six innings in the start. The lefty permitted three runs - two earned - on six hits and a pair of walks.
Casey Turgeon and Darren Seferina opened the ballgame with back-to-back hits off Garcia, before Orlando Olivera hit into a fielder's choice. Seferina was forced out at second, but Scott Kingery's high relay to first landed out of play allowing Turgeon to score the game's first run.
Casey Grayson followed by depositing a double into left, scoring Olivera to make it 2-0 Cardinals (18-24).
Clearwater answered in the bottom half, as Kingery greeted Gomber with his league-leading 12th double of the season to lead off the frame.
With one down, Phillies rehabber Cody Asche chopped a base hit through the right side, and Andrew Pullin followed by sending a soft liner into right to score Kingery and cut the deficit to 2-1.
Asche finished 1-for-3 with a walk in his fifth rehab game with the Threshers, as the Phillies outfielder works his way back from an oblique injury.
Gomber (4-2) induced a lineout from Zach Green, and doubled Asche off third to end the inning. The lefty would not permit a run the rest of the way, giving Palm Beach (18-14) seven innings of one-run ball in the win.
Gomber retired nine straight before Pullin knocked a single to right-center with two outs in the sixth. After the first inning, Clearwater did not have a runner in scoring position the remainder of the ballgame.
Pullin finished with two of the Threshers' five hits, going 2-for-4 with an RBI. The 22-year-old outfielder has driven in nine runs in ten games this season.
Yacksel Rios was perfect in his one inning of relief, making his first appearance for the Threshers this season after starting the year in Double-A Reading. Joe DeNato permitted an unearned run in the eighth, when Seferina tripled and scored on an errant pickoff throw by catcher Gabriel Lino, and Alexis Rivero tossed a scoreless ninth.
Clearwater will look to pull even in the four-game set on Saturday, as Tyler Viza (5-1) takes the hill against Jack Flaherty (0-4) with first pitch at 6:15 p.m. The game can be heard live on the Threshers Broadcast Network starting at 6 p.m.
Florida State League Stories from May 20, 2016
- Hitting Keeps Churning, Crabs Down Tigers - Charlotte Stone Crabs
- Marauders Walk-Off on Wild Pitch in Tenth - Dunedin Blue Jays
- Tampa Cruises to 8-2 Win in Fort Myers - Fort Myers Mighty Mussels
- Marauders Score Walk-Off Win - Bradenton Marauders
- Tortugas Blank Mets 1-0 - St. Lucie Mets
- Garcia Solid in 4-1 Loss to Palm Beach - Clearwater Threshers
- Yankees Pound Hammerheads with Season-High 16 Hits - Tampa Yankees
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
