Late Lead Slips Away in Loss to Dunedin
June 28, 2018 - Florida State League (FSL1)
Florida Fire Frogs News Release
KISSIMMEE, Fla. - The Florida Fire Frogs were an out away from avoiding their second series sweep of the season, but defensive miscues in the top of the ninth caused a 3-2 lead to turn into a 4-3 defeat at the hands of the Dunedin Blue Jays on Thursday night at Osceola County Stadium.
Jon Kennedy (4-4) hit John La Prise to start the final frame, but settled down and retired Yeltsin Gudino and Ivan Castillo without allowing the base runner to advance. The southpaw got a fly ball to right-center from Eduard Pinto, but Cristian Pache's last-second leaping effort could not be held on to, allowing La Prise to score the tying run.
Four pitches later, Pache had another chance on a fly ball to left-center, but had the ball carom off his glove and off the wall, plating Pinto to put Florida (1-6, 30-43) behind by a run.
Ray-Patrick Didder (2x4) reached on an infield single with one out against Jake Fishman (SV, 3), and reached second on a ground out to second by Jordan Rodgers (2x4, R, 2B), but Shean Michel's (1x3, RBI) ground out to short ended the night.
The Fire Frogs grabbed an early, 3-0 lead after two innings on Free Beer Thursday. Braxton Davidson (1x4, 2B, RBI) cracked a double off the wall in right to bring across Pache (2x4, R, 2B) in the first, and Garrison Schwartz (0x2, RBI, BB) drove home Brett Cumberland (0x4, R) with a ground out to short in the opening frame.
Michel added on an extra insurance run with an RBI single against Yennsy Diaz in the second inning, plating Rodgers for the 3-0 lead.
Kyle Muller had the crowd roaring with six shutout frames, before finally hitting a wall in the seventh. The lefty surrendered back-to-back doubles to Rodrigo Orozco and La Prise to start the inning, ending the night for the 20-year-old after six-plus frames.
The Dallas native finished the night with two runs allowed on nine hits, a walk and five strikeouts. The quality start was the seventh of the season for the 6-foot-7 hurler, and third consecutive by a Fire Frogs' starter.
Troy Bacon took over and got the first out of the inning on a ground ball to second by Gudino, but had the inherited runner score on a run-scoring triple to the gap in right-center from Castillo.
After a walk to Pinto placed runners at the corners, the Tampa native struck out Kevin Smith on a 3-2 pitch. With the runner going, the batter failed to get out of the way of Cumberland, resulting in a batter's interference to end the inning.
Kennedy worked around a one-out walk in the eight by setting down Kacy Clemens and Orozco to get out of the inning, before yielding the two runs in the ninth.
The Fire Frogs had plenty of chances to extend their lead in the finale, but struggled to string together hits with runners in scoring position for a second straight game. After finishing Thursday 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position, Florida wrapped up the series by going just 4-for-31 with a chance to bring a runner home.
Connor Eller (3-2) earned the win for Dunedin (3-4, 34-41). The right-handed reliever allowed a hit and struck out three through two innings of work.
Florida will look to hit the "reset" button against the Daytona Tortugas in game one of a three-game, weekend series at Osceola County Stadium on Friday night. RHP Jeremy Walker (2-7, 3.89) toes the slab in the opener for the Fire Frogs, while it has yet to be determined who will counter for the Tortugas. First pitch is scheduled for 6:31 p.m., with coverage starting at 6:15 p.m. with the Florida Fire Frogs Pre-game Show on the Florida Fire Frogs Broadcasting Network.
Friday is Latin Night at the ballpark, where the Fire Frogs will transform into Los Coquis to honor the Latin community in both baseball and the Central Florida area.
Florida State League Stories from June 28, 2018
- Tortugas Hand Threshers First Loss of Second Half, 9-3 - Daytona Tortugas
- Tampa Flattened by Fort Myers in Rubber Game, 13-0 - Tampa Tarpons
- Late Lead Slips Away in Loss to Dunedin - Florida Fire Frogs
- Threshers Fall in Finale, 9-3 - Clearwater Threshers
- Barnes Superb Again As Miracle Blank Tampa, 13-0 - Fort Myers Mighty Mussels
- Florida Fire Frogs Game Notes: June 28, 2018 - Florida Fire Frogs
- Tampa Tarpons Game Notes: vs. Fort Myers - Tampa Tarpons
- Free Hometown USA Celebration at Dunedin Stadium on July 3rd - Dunedin Blue Jays
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