Late Lead Evaporates in 10-8 Loss
Published on July 24, 2018 under Florida State League (FSL1)
Clearwater Threshers News Release
The Threshers combined for five extra-base hits on Tuesday night, but saw a late lead slip through the cracks in a 10-8 loss to the St. Lucie Mets at First Data Field.
Jose Pujols launched his 15th home run of the season, and the Threshers pounded out 11 hits in the loss. St. Lucie (12-18) (39-58) rallied for four runs in the bottom of the seventh to even up the series at a game apiece. The Threshers were ahead by as many as six runs on Tuesday, suffering their largest blown lead of the season.
Clearwater (18-13) (50-49) broke ahead in the first inning, when Henri Lartigue singled with two outs and Pujols followed by cranking a two-run homer to left off Mets starter Joe Cavallaro.
The Threshers doubled that advantage an inning later. Kyle Martin laced a one-out double to center, and with two down, Raul Rivas ripped a triple to center to score Martin. Arquimedes Gamboa laid down a bunt single, pushing home Rivas to make it 4-0.
St. Lucie began to chip away in the home half, getting on the board on a Wuilmer Becerra sacrifice fly off Mauricio Llovera. Luis Carpio cut the deficit in half an inning later, lifting a solo homer to left.
Clearwater managed to extend its lead to 8-2 in the fifth. Rivas opened the inning with a walk, and Gamboa singled to right to place runners at the corners. Mickey Moniak followed with a sacrifice fly, scoring Rivas to make it 5-2.
Lartigue kept it going with a base hit to center, and the Mets called upon reliever Thomas McIlraith to take over. A passed ball advanced the runners, and with two outs, Edgar Cabral knocked a double to center to score Gamboa and Lartigue. Luke Williams reached on an error on third baseman Michael Paez, plating Cabral and pushing the lead to six.
The Mets got all four of those runs back in the home half. Paez redeemed himself with a two-run homer to left, and after a hit batter and a single, Raphael Gladu doubled in a pair to bring it to 8-6.
St. Lucie capped the comeback in the seventh, after three straight walks loaded the bases against reliever Alberto Tirado (1-1). Jakob Hernandez entered, and Dan Rizzie greeted him with a double to center to bring home two and tie the ballgame. After Gladu walked, Becerra's sac fly gave the Mets the lead.
Carpio's single to left brought in Rizzie to push it to 10-8, before left fielder Grenny Cumana threw out Gladu at the plate to end the rally.
The teams will have a quick turnaround as the series finale will take place on Wednesday morning, with first pitch at 10:30 a.m. McKenzie Mills will toe the rubber against David Peterson.
Florida State League Stories from July 24, 2018
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