FSL1 Charlotte Stone Crabs

Hellickson and Hanigan Lead 'Crabs to 4-1 Win

Published on June 8, 2014 under Florida State League (FSL1)
Charlotte Stone Crabs News Release


TAMPA, FL - There's been a different kind of energy in the ballpark when the Stone Crabs have welcomed Messrs. Colome, Cobb, and Zobrist for rehab assignments. In individual performances, the pitchers shined while the jack-of-all-trades held court by simply taking practice swings in the dugout. On Saturday night, the duo of Jeremy Hellickson and Ryan Hanigan was on display not too far from where they call home at Tropicana Field. Hellickson's three shutout innings and Hanigan's two-run home run were sweet notes as the Stone Crabs salvaged a split in the four-game series with a 4-1 win before 4,945 at George M. Steinbrenner Field.

After a perfect first inning, Hellickson put the first two Yankees on in the second following a walk to Dante Bichette and a single by Matt Snyder. Zach Wilson then bounced into a 4-6-3 double play, and with Bichette at third, Hellickson would fan Yeicok Calderon to retire the side for his second strikeout. The Stone Crabs didn't have much success in the first two innings against Jaron Long, who had three strikeouts the first time through the order.

With one out in the top of the third and Marty Gantt at first, Tommy Coyle reached on a fielder's choice groundout to keep the inning going for Hanigan. Long's first mistake was a hanging curveball that the catcher punished off the scoreboard in left field for a 2-0 lead. Hellickson left after a 1-2-3 third inning, and Reinaldo Lopez emerged from the bullpen for the first time for a night of long relief. In the fourth, a leadoff double by Cito Culver brought up Greg Bird, whose sailing fly ball to left nearly took off on Jonathan Quionez. But he steadied himself to make a shoestring catch as he was falling to the ground before Lopez got two groundouts to hold the 2-0 lead.

Long's next mistake came with one out in the fifth inning when Coyle crushed a 3-2 pitch into the seats in right to put the Stone Crabs up 3-0. One night after being dominated by the Yankees bullpen, they opened the sixth against Stefan Lopez with a Kes Carter double to right center. Josh Sale's groundout to second got him to third, and with two outs, Tyler Goeddel hit a slow roller into center field for an RBI single and a 4-0 advantage.

Tampa made it interesting in the home sixth after Jake Cave's grounder to short was thrown away by Leonardo Reginatto for an error. Culver's sacrifice bunt got the runner to second before Lopez completely lost control and walked Bird and Bichette to load the bases for Snyder. Another walk on four pitches brought in the Yankees first run and left the tying runs on base for Wilson, but the 2-0 pitch resulted in a groundball that produced an inning-ending 5-4-3 double play. Lopez (4-2) escaped, and over the final three frames, the Yankees wouldn't get another runner into scoring position.

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Florida State League Stories from June 8, 2014


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