FSL1 Charlotte Stone Crabs

Leiter Hurls Complete Game Shutout in 5-0 Threshers Win

Published on July 20, 2014 under Florida State League (FSL1)
Charlotte Stone Crabs News Release


CLEARWATER, FL (July 19, 2014) - The only thing that wound up being bright on Sunday afternoon was another chance to watch Jeremy Hellickson continue his rehab in his second start with the Stone Crabs. Surprisingly, Hellickson wasn't the best pitcher at Bright House Field on this day. But Mark Leiter Jr. was, and the son of Mark Sr. and the nephew of Al made the family proud across nine scoreless innings in a 5-0 shutout. It marked the first time all season an opposing starter went the distance against the `Crabs, who kicked off an eight-game roadtrip with the loss.

Hellickson pitched out of trouble in the first following a pair of singles and a walk to Brian Pointer that loaded the bases. He then overmatched Harold Martinez with a strikeout to retire the side less than a week after fanning 11 in six innings with Montgomery in Double-A. The 2011 American League Rookie of the Year retired the Threshers in order in the second before they came a calling in the next inning.

J.P. Crawford's one out single came before Art Charles sent a slow roller to second that hopped off the mitt of Tommy Coyle to put a pair of runners on base. Pointer then wasted no time in lashing a double the other way down into the left field corner to clear the bases and put the Threshers on top 2-0. They added two more earned runs in the fourth thanks to doubles by Chris Serritella and catcher Corey Bass that made it 3-0. Crawford improved to 3-for-3 with two outs when he lined a single into right for a 4-0 lead.

Charlotte got leadoff base hits from Patrick Leonard and Justin O'Conner in the second and fifth, respectively. Leiter then got the next three hitters in the second to strand Leonard following his double. With O'Conner aboard after a single, Maxx Tissenbaum popped out to short before Marty Gantt rolled a 3-2 pitch into an inning-ending double play around the horn.

Jose Molina entered for Hellickson (0-1) in the sixth less than two nights after striking out three Tigers in one inning at Charlotte Sports Park. Serritella led off with a hard liner to deep right that Gantt leapt for at the warning track, only to watch the ball fall from his mitt after colliding with the wall. The lefthander answered back with two quick outs, but Roman Quinn picked up his first base hit with an infield single up the middle to drive in the final run and extend the lead to 5-0.

For the rest of the 2 hour and 17 minute game, the question was how long would Leiter remain in there. He pitched around doubles to Johnny Field and Leonardo Reginatto in the sixth and seventh, striking out Tissenbaum for the second time on an 0-2 pitch for the final out in the seventh with Reginatto at third base. Needing just six pitches in the eighth, the righthander came out for the ninth looking for his first complete game in his second pro season. The New Jersey native struck out Field before Coyle rumbled his second triple in as many days down into the right field corner. Threshers manager Nelson Prada had the bullpen up and running, but it wasn't necessary after Leiter struck out the next two hitters to complete all nine innings with eight total punchouts.

The second game of this series begins Monday night when Jordan Harrison (0-1, 4.22 ERA) meets Jordan Guth (1-3, 2.58 ERA) at 7:00 PM. You can follow all the action by listening to the game on www.stonecrabsbaseball.com via TuneIn Radio, or tuning into 91.7 FM-WVIJ in the Port Charlotte area. The Stone Crabs Pregame Show starts at 6:40 PM on the Stone Crabs Radio Network!

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Florida State League Stories from July 20, 2014


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