Hernandez Powers Threshers to Walkoff Win
July 30, 2017 - Florida State League (FSL1)
Clearwater Threshers News Release
CLEARWATER, Fla. - Jan Hernandez unloaded on a 1-0 pitch in the bottom of the ninth inning, sending the Clearwater Threshers to a 4-2, walkoff win over the Daytona Tortugas on Thursday night at Spectrum Field.
Tied at two in the ninth, Zach Green drew a one-out walk against Ryan Hendrix (0-2), and gave way to pinch runner Emmanuel Marrero .
Hernandez stepped up and crushed one into the bullpens over the left field fence, his career-high 14th home run of the season, to send the Threshers to their sixth walkoff win of the season.
Clearwater (54-49, 16-17) is now even with Daytona at two games apiece in the five-game series.
The Tortugas (39-60, 6-28) plated the night's first run in the third inning facing starter Seranthony Dominguez . A single and an error on shortstop Grenny Cumana opened the inning, before James Vasquez doubled home Alfredo Rodriguez to put the Tortugas up 1-0.
Dominguez worked just three innings, allowing one unearned run on seven hits and a walk while striking out four on 75 pitches.
After the Threshers were held hitless through five innings by Jonathan Crawford, Clearwater rallied to take the lead in the sixth.
Jose Pujols broke up the no-hitter with a double off the wall in center. Down in the count two strikes, Austin Bossart came through with an opposite-field double to score Pujols and tie the game at one.
Carlos Duran chopped a single over third to put runners at the corners, and Grenny Cumana was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Derek Campbell then worked a five-pitch walk to push across the go-ahead run.
Daytona came back to tie it in the seventh. After Tyler Gilbert faced the minimum in his first three innings of relief, Daniel Sweet singled, and with two out he crossed the plate on Reydel Medina 's triple to center. Medina was thrown out at home trying for the inside-the-park home run, as Duran connected with Campbell on the relay to the plate to end the inning.
Gilbert worked a season-high four innings and permitted just one run on two hits in relief. Trevor Bettencourt (1-0) took over in the eighth inning and tossed two scoreless, scattering a pair of hits in the win.
Clearwater will go for the series victory on Friday, when Franklyn Kilome takes the hill against Wyatt Strahan at 6:15 p.m. The game can be heard live on threshersbaseball.com starting at 6 p.m.
Friday is also the first-ever Threshers Con, Clearwater Beach Chamber Night, and 25-cent hot dogs at Spectrum Field, with a post-game concert by the Black Honkeys.
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Florida State League Stories from July 30, 2017
- Blue Jays Rally with Six-Run Eighth Inning - Dunedin Blue Jays
- Early Runs Help Stone Crabs Cruise to 7-1 Win - Charlotte Stone Crabs
- Hernandez Homers for Win - Daytona Tortugas
- Seven-Run 7th Leads T-Yanks to 9th-Straight - Tampa Yankees
- Hernandez Powers Threshers to Walkoff Win - Clearwater Threshers
- Del Rosario Dazzles as Offense Lifts off in big Win - Fort Myers Mighty Mussels
- Yankees Beat Cardinals for 8th-Straight Win - Tampa Yankees
- Marauders Beat Mets on Game-Ending Diving Catch - St. Lucie Mets
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