Offense Stays Hot in Rubber-Game Win, 9-6
July 25, 2018 - Florida State League (FSL1)
Tampa Tarpons News Release
Tampa Tarpons dugout congratulates Ben Ruta
(Tampa Tarpons, Credit: Mark LoMoglio)
TAMPA, Fla. -- The Tarpons scored in each of the first five innings and held on to win the rubber game, 9-6, after a late push by the Marauders on Wednesday night at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
For the second-straight game, Tampa (16-16, 51-51) put up multiple runs in the first two frames, making Bradenton starter Gavin Wallace throw 48 pitches in that span.
Ronald Torreyes singled and Isiah Gilliam walked, putting two on with one out in the first. Donny Sands and Steven Sensley followed with back-to-back RBI singles.
Ben Ruta lined a leadoff single in the second and promptly stole second before scoring on a double by Rashad Crawford. Diego Castillo and Estevan Florial both walked, loading the bases. Crawford then scored on a sacrifice fly by Gilliam and Sands followed with a two-run double to the wall in left, giving the Tarpons a 6-0 lead.
Ruta singled, stole second and scored again in the third on a base hit by Castillo. Florial doubled and scored on a single by Gilliam in the fourth, giving Tampa an 8-0 cushion.
RHP Adonis Rosa scattered three hits over four scoreless innings before Bradenton (12-21, 47-51) scored in the fifth. Lucas Tancas doubled and, two outs later, scored when Jared Oliva doubled off the glove of a diving Crawford in shallow center.
Tampa got that run back in the fifth when Ruta teed off on the first pitch from Wallace and crushed it over the wall in right-center for his seventh home run.
Wallace (L, 1-1) allowed a season-high nine earned runs on 11 hits in five innings, walking three while striking out three on 90 pitches (51 strikes). The 22-year-old snapped a streak of eight-straight starts of six-or-more innings pitched.
Rosa worked a perfect sixth and retired the first two batters in the seventh, but left after allowing back-to-back, two-out hits by Garrett Brown and Oliva.
RHP Greg Weissert entered in relief and, after a walk loaded the bases, Albert Baur lined a two-run single. Hunter Owen followed with an RBI double and Mitchell Tolman added a two-run single, cutting the lead to 9-6. RHP Andrew Schwaab relieved Weissert and stopped the bleeding by getting a fly out by Brett Pope.
Rosa (W, 11-3) made a quality start, yielding three earned runs on seven hits in six and two-third innings, tying his longest start of the season. The 23-year-old tallied six strikeouts, walked one batter and threw a season-high 107 pitches (79 strikes).
After Wallace retired the final three batters of the fifth, LHP Jordan Jess fired two perfect innings in the sixth and seventh, striking out a pair. LHP Jake Brentz added two strikeouts while stranding a two-out double by Hoy Jun Park in a scoreless eighth.
The Marauders brought the go-ahead run to the plate when a walk and a pair of singles loaded the bases with one out in the eighth, but Schwaab (H, 3) got Adrian Valerio to bounce into an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play.
RHP Matt Wivinis (SV, 8) worked around a one-out single and picked up a strikeout in a scoreless ninth to close the game.
Torreyes (1-for-4, R) played six innings at shortstop before getting replaced by Park (1-for-1, 2B) in the seventh. Sands (2-for-4, 2B, 3RBI) posted his second-straight multi-hit game. Ruta (3-for-4, HR, RBI, R) has collected three hits in three of his last six games. Gilliam (1-for-2, BB, Sac-F, 2RBI, R) is second in the Florida State League with 58RBI.
Up next, the home stand continues with four games against the Palm Beach Cardinals. RHP Rony Garcia (0-1, 4.50) will start the series-opener on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. The Palm Beach starter is TBA. Live play-by-play audio will be available on the Tarpons Radio Network. On "Taco Thursday," fans can enjoy the all-you-can-eat Taco and Nacho bar for $18, $5 house Margaritas, and $4 Coronas from 6:00-8:00 p.m.
Images from this story
 Donny Sands of the Tampa Tarpons (Mark LoMoglio) |
 Tampa Tarpons dugout congratulates Ben Ruta (Mark LoMoglio) |
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