FSL1 Charlotte Stone Crabs

Odorizzi's Start Helps Snap Skid

Published on July 6, 2015 under Florida State League (FSL1)
Charlotte Stone Crabs News Release


PORT CHARLOTTE, FL (July 6, 2015) - It took nearly three days, but the Stone Crabs finally earned a lead in their series against the Cardinals. Sunday afternoon's 10-0 drubbing may have been a new low for Michael Johns' team, but it certainly didn't show in Monday night's finale. With Jake Odorizzi rehabbing his strained oblique for presumably the final time, the righthander was impressive across five and two third scoreless innings. And with the shoe on the other foot, the 'Crabs capitalized on four Cardinals errors to snap their four-game losing streak with a 4-0 win before a crowd of 1,392 at Charlotte Sports Park.

The Cardinals got six scoreless innings each of the last two days from starters Luke Weaver and Daniel Poncedeleon, and nearly made it that far again with 2013 first round pick Rob Kaminsky. It took a few innings for the lefthander to get going, and as a result he faced nine Stone Crabs through the first two innings. In his first game back since May 7, second baseman Andrew Velazquez blooped a leadoff single into right to start the third. Jace Conrad then caught everyone off guard with a perfect bunt single to second. They attempted a double steal, but Carson Kelly threw Velazquez out at third. Willy Adames went down swinging for the second out, and Mike Marjama flied out to center to retire the side.

Odorizzi's first inning featured just 12 pitches and nine strikes as he struck out the side. He left a man on in each of the next three innings on a pair of singles and a walk, but the Cardinals stranded a runner at second in the third and fourth. After Brett Wiley opened the fourth with an infield single up the middle, he stole second base. Odorizzi retired the next eight Cardinals hitters, and came out with two away in the sixth with a total of just 73 pitches, including 51 strikes. Chris Kirsch then came in on a night when the bullpen needed a break, and the two-time FSL Pitcher of the Week struck out Wiley for the final out.

Despite winning three consecutive starts, Kaminsky's luck ran out in the bottom of the sixth. Adames reached on a fielder's choice groundout and stole second base after Conrad opened the inning with a single back up the middle. Marjama then lifted a popup right in front of the first base dugout, and Luke Voit hustled over to make a nice catch right on top of the railing. Adames took off to tag to third, and a wide throw from Voit ended up down the left field line for a costly error and a 1-0 'Crabs lead. Kaminsky (6-5) needed just four pitches to get the first two outs in the seventh before Braxton Lee reached on an infield single. An errant pickoff attempt put the center fielder at second, and Velazquez' grounder to shortstop Robelys Reyes was thrown into the first dugout error and another run.

Kirsch (5-4) was in control with the lead, and over the course of the last three innings struck out five while allowing just one single to Reyes in the top of the eighth. In the bottom half, Charlotte came up against Cardinals reliever Josh Lucas. Adames led off with a walk and Marjama followed with his second single on a night when he matched Kean Wong with a 12-game hitting streak for the longest stretch for a Stone Crabs this season. Granden Goetzman's sacrifice bunt set the table for Marty Gantt, who tacked two on to the lead with a two run double for the first extra-base hit of the series.

The Stone Crabs ship out to Port St. Lucie to start a three game series with the Mets at Tradition Field on Tuesday night at 6:30 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 6:10 PM on the Stone Crabs Radio Network!

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Florida State League Stories from July 6, 2015


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