FSL1 Charlotte Stone Crabs

Stone Crabs Win 4th Straight

Published on July 29, 2014 under Florida State League (FSL1)
Charlotte Stone Crabs News Release


PORT CHARLOTTE, FL (July 29, 2014) - Since enjoying a few days off earlier in the month, the Stone Crabs have entered their best stretch of the 2014 season over the last two weeks. Looking for their first four game winning streak since May 20, they nearly gave away an early 4-1 lead to the Yankees in the second game of this four game series. With the game tied at four in the sixth, Marcus Jensen came in from the bullpen with the bases loaded and two outs. In a sign of things to come, the righthander got Greg Bird to fly out, and over his final three innings would only allow two more baserunners as the Stone Crabs slipped by with a 5-4 win in front of 1,856 at Charlotte Sports Park.

Reinaldo Lopez was coming off wins in consecutive starts for the first time all year, but walked Bird with two outs in the first following a double play off the bat of Aaron Judge. Dante Bichette then hit a sinking line drive into right, but Josh Sale's diving effort came up just short, and Bichette's first triple made it 1-0. Although Lopez walked five batters across five innings, he only allowed one more hit the rest of the way.

Caleb Smith paid by walking Sale on four pitches to open the bottom of the third. A slow grounder to second by Granden Goetzman advanced the tying run to second, and allowed Johnny Field to clobber a game-tying double over the head of Danny Oh in straightaway center. With two cracks at taking the lead, both Tyler Goeddel and Tommy Coyle struck out swinging to retire the side.

In the fourth, a one out single by Maxx Tissenbaum and a walk to Soriano afforded Marty Gantt the luxury of bashing his fifth triple to drive in a pair and give the Stone Crabs a 3-1 lead. Sale then worked the count to 2-2 before pulling a grounder to first to score Gantt and make it a 4-1 game. However, the Yankees swarmed Kevin Brandt in the sixth to tie the score on a rare night in which he didn't have his normal pinpoint control.

Brandt was fortunate to pick off Bichette following a leadoff single because Eric Jagielo cracked a solo home run to right to cut the deficit in half at 4-2. The lone Stone Crabs pitcher selected to the All-Star Game then walked the next two hitters and got a ground ball up the middle off the bat of Trent Garrison that Coyle kicked for an error. A strikeout of Yeicok Calderon with the bases loaded brought up the top of the order, but two more walks tied it at four and ended Brandt's night abruptly. Jensen's first act came by keeping the score tied when Bird flied out to center to end the threat.

Two scoreless innings by the Yankees Chris Smith led to Alex Smith in the home eighth. The flamethrower got Field to ground out to short, but Goeddel got a hold of an 0-1 pitch and drove it over the head of a leaping Judge in right center for his seventh triple. Next up was Coyle, whose deep flyball to center allowed Goeddel to tag and score the go-ahead run. Jensen (5-4) then walked Bird as the tying run in the ninth but retired Bichette and Jagielo with a flyout and a strikeout for the win.

The Stone Crabs will look to take the series on Wednesday night at 6:30 PM when Jared Mortensen (0-0, 0.00 ERA) makes his second start against Tampa's Brett Gerritse (3-5, 3.62 ERA). Fans can enjoy a delicious Kayem hot dog for just $1 during all Wednesday home games! There are still great seats available, so visit www.stonecrabsbaseball.com or call 941-206-HITS (4487) to order your tickets now!

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Florida State League Stories from July 29, 2014


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