Hamels Strong, Threshers Lose Heart-Breaker
Published on April 12, 2014 under Florida State League (FSL1)
Clearwater Threshers News Release
LAKELAND, FL -- Clearwater came one out away from snapping a six-game losing streak on Saturday night.
With runners on second and third for Lakeland in the bottom of the ninth, the Threshers held on to a 2-1 lead with two out and Jeb Stefan on the hill. Stefan found himself down in the count, 3-1 to catcher Austin Green, who entered the day batting .182 through six games.
Green then turned on the next offering and sent a drive deep to left field, chasing left fielder Pete Lavin back to the wall and landing just out of his reach, sending the Lakeland Flying Tigers to the 4-2 victory.
The Threshers had led from the fourth inning until that point, thanks to a strong outing from rehabbing Major League hurler Cole Hamels.
Hamels scattered six hits in six solid innings, permitting just one run. The former World Series MVP struck out six and did not issue any walks in his second appearance for the Threshers, as Hamels works his way back from shoulder tendinitis.
The lefty finished having thrown 67 pitches, 48 of which were strikes.
Clearwater jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the fourth against Lakeland starter Endrys Briceno.
Art Charles led off the inning with a line-drive single over the head of second baseman Tyler Hanover, and Casey Serna snuck a double down the third base line to set up a pair in scoring position with nobody out.
Willie Carmona followed with a groundout to first base that allowed Charles to score the game's first run, and permitted Serna to move down to third base with one out. Logan Moore then ripped a sinking liner that left fielder Chad Wright ran down with a diving catch, but that allowed Serna to score on the sacrifice fly to make it 2-0 Clearwater.
Lakeland's only run off Hamels came in the sixth inning. A pair of singles set up runners at the corners to start the frame, and Hamels induced a ground ball double play off the bat of David Gonzalez, which allowed a run to score and cut the Threshers lead to 2-1.
Stefan (0-1) was strong in his first two innings of work, as he was making his 2014 season debut. A single and a walk in the ninth however placed the winning run aboard, and Green came through for Lakeland with his first home run of the season to give the Flying Tigers the walk-off win.
Will Startup (1-0) earned the win for the Flying Tigers, working around trouble in all three of his innings to hold the Threshers off the board the rest of the way. Startup allowed three hits and a walk, and struck out two.
Clearwater will look to snap a seven-game skid and salvage game three of the series on Sunday, with first pitch set for 1 p.m. The game can be heard live on threshersbaseball.com beginning at 12:45 p.m.
Florida State League Stories from April 12, 2014
- Cardinals Even Series with 6-2 Win - Charlotte Stone Crabs
- Maron Delivers Walk-Off Single to Beat Miracle, 5-4 - St. Lucie Mets
- Hamels Strong, Threshers Lose Heart-Breaker - Clearwater Threshers
- 'Tees' Comeback Falls Short in 4-2 Loss - Brevard County Manatees
- 'Tees' Comeback Falls Short in 4-2 Loss - Brevard County Manatees
- Maron, Mets Walk-Off, 5-4, in Ten Innings - Fort Myers Mighty Mussels
- Maron, Mets Walk-Off, 5-4, in Ten Innings - Fort Myers Mighty Mussels
- Lyman Handed Tough-Luck Loss as Bradenton Blanks Jupiter - Jupiter Hammerheads
- Mets Plate Three in Eighth, Beat Miracle 6-3 - Fort Myers Mighty Mussels
- Clearwater Shutout, 2-0 in Lakeland - Clearwater Threshers
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