FSL1 Charlotte Stone Crabs

Stone Crabs Snap 11-Game Losing Skid

Published on August 14, 2015 under Florida State League (FSL1)
Charlotte Stone Crabs News Release


BRADENTON, FL - On July 30, the Stone Crabs played 19 innings in Lakeland in a five and a half hour game that resulted in a wild 5-4 win. As it happens, they wouldn't win again for another 15 days and 11 games. On the brink of notoriety by matching the longest losing streak in franchise history, the Stone Crabs turned back the clock and delivered a much needed 3-1 win on Friday night at McKechnie Field. Roommates Brent Honeywell and Chih-Wei Hu combined to throw a gem, and late home runs from Armando Araiza and Yoel Araujo sealed the deal as the `Crabs also snapped a six game slide against their division rivals.

Honeywell had a challenge in front of him because he had only pitched in three games since July 18 because of an assortment of rainouts. So too did the Stone Crabs lineup, as lefthander Cody Dickson countered after picking up his 10th win in Port Charlotte last weekend. In an odd twist, the first inning featured a setback because Andrew Velazquez came out in the middle of his at bat after aggravating his left shoulder on a swing. After Jace Conrad took his spot in the order, Dickson retired the side for the first of four consecutive 1-2-3 innings.

For the first five innings, the Marauders only had two baserunners without a hit. In the first, Harold Ramirez drew a two out walk but was picked off on a lightning fast move from Honeywell for the final out. Reese McGuire then came up in the second and reached on catcher's interference when his backswing caught a piece of Armando Araiza with two outs. Starting with an inning-ending groundout by Wyatt Mathisen, Honeywell would set down 12 in a row as both offenses went quickly through the night.

Granden Goetzman had the only hit thanks to a leadoff single into right that started the second. He then led off the fifth after Dickson retired eight straight, bunting the first pitch up into his face to draw blood and force himself out of the game. Down two players, Araujo's first at bat resulted in a flyout to deep center for the first out. Araiza opened the sixth with a single back up the middle, and advanced to second on Braxton Lee's sacrifice bunt. Conrad's grounder to second ricocheted off Michael Fransoso for an error, and Kean Wong came through with a single into left to put the `Crabs up 1-0.

Honeywell's (4-2) final inning in the sixth saw Justin Maffei double to left center for the Marauders first base hit. With the tying run at second, Austin Meadows grounded out to second to end the righthander's night after throwing 81 pitches. Chih-Wei Hu entered from the bullpen for the first time all year, striking out the first two Marauders hitters in the seventh before Jin-De Jhang pulled a double down the right field line. McGuire then bounced one to Pat Blair at short for the final out in one of Blair's best defensive performances all season.

Dickson (10-6) came out for the eighth for the first time in his career, and Araiza took him deep to left with one out for his fourth home run and a 2-0 lead. Junior Lopez got the call in the ninth, getting two groundouts on just three pitches before Araujo lanched his fifth home run over the left center field wall to tack on a run and make it 3-0. Going for his first career save, Hu surrendered a leadoff single to Maffei but got Meadows to ground into a force out for the heart of the order. Ramirez went down looking for the second out and Steranka singled to left to get the Marauders on the board and bring the tying run to the plate. In the rematch, Jhang flied out to right to end the losing streak at 11 games and set up the final regular season meeting between the Stone Crabs and Marauders.

The series concludes on Saturday, August 15 at 6:30 PM when German Marquez (5-11, 3.62 ERA) takes on Clay Holmes (0-1, 1.86 ERA). 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 August 14, 2015


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