Tampa Tarpons Game Notes: vs. Bradenton
July 24, 2018 - Florida State League (FSL1)
Tampa Tarpons News Release
7/24 Tampa vs. Bradenton - Game 2 (of three) - George M. Steinbrenner Field (Tampa, FL) - 6:30 p.m.
Pitching Matchup: RHP James Marvel (9-5, 3.73) vs. RHP Garrett Whitlock (3-2, 1.90). Live Audio: TuneIn Radio (Tampa Tarpons Broadcast Network).
LAST NIGHT: The Tarpons swam back from a four-run deficit to tie the game in the 7th, but Bradenton scored three runs in the 8th to take the series-opener, 7-4...RHP Nick Green made a quality start (6.0IP, 5H, 4R/2ER, 3BB, 5K, HR...Gleyber Torres (2-for-4, 2B) played all nine innings at second base and made a pair of fielding errors in his second rehab game...Ronald Torreyes (1-for-3) joined the Tarpons from Triple-A SWB and played six innings at shortstop, making one throwing error...Steven Sensley (2-for-4, 2R) and Donny Sands (0-for-4) returned from the disabled list...Angel Aguilar (2-for-4, 2 2B's, RBI, R) hit a pair of doubles...Diego Castillo (1-for-1, 2B, 2RBI) tied the game with a two-run double in the 7th...RHP Kaleb Ort (L, 0-1) tossed a perfect 7th before allowing three runs in the 8th (1.0IP, 1H, 3ER, 2BB, 2K)...RHP Matt Wivinis tallied 5K's in 2.0IP (1H, 0R, 1BB, WP).
AGUILAR STAYS HOT: Angel Aguilar has hit safely in nine of his last 10 games, including multi-hit games in five of his last six. The 23-year-old is batting .400 (10-for-25) with 5RBI over his last six games.
WAGS PROMOTED: On Monday, INF Brandon Wagner was promoted to Double-A Trenton. The 22-year-old leaves Tampa after batting .270 with 20HR and 57RBI in 87 games with the Tarpons. At the time of his promotion, Wagner led the Florida State League in total bases (155), ranked second in home runs, RBI and slugging percentage (.510), and ranked fourth in both runs scored (52) and walks (43).
GLEYBER DAY: On Saturday, the New York Yankees assigned INF Gleyber Torres to the Tampa Tarpons to begin a Minor League Rehab Assignment. Torres has been sidelined with a right groin strain since July 5th, forcing him to miss playing in the 2018 MLB All-Star Game. The 21-year-old made his Yankees oranizational debut with High-A Tampa in 2016, batting .254 (31-for-122) with 19R, 6 doubles, 2 triples, 2HR, 19RBI and 16BB in 31 games with the T-Yanks after being acquired from the Chicago Cubs. Torres is expected to rejoin the Yankees on Wednesday.
STRIKEOUT KINGS: Nick Green (4K), Kaleb Ort (2K) and Matt Wivinis (5K) combined for 11 strikeouts on Monday. Tampa pitchers have tallied double-digit strikeouts in 45 games this season, with the Tarpons going 25-20 in such games. Tampa, by far, leads the Florida State League in strikeouts, totaling 952K entering today. That is 88K more than the team ranked second (Clearwater - 853K). Tampa is averaging 9.52 K-per-game and is on pace for 1,333K, which would crush its own FSL single-season strikeout record set last season with 1,215K.
VS. BRADENTON: Tonight will be the eighth of 16 games scheduled between the Tampa Tarpons and Bradenton Marauders. The Tarpons currently lead the season-series, 5-2, including 2-2 at GMS Field and 3-0 at LECOM Park. In five games against the Marauders, Diego Castillo is batting .357 (5-for-14) with 5R, 2 doubles, 7RBI, 4BB and 1SB.
BABY BOMBERS: The Tarpons currently lead the league with 81 home runs. No other team has more than 72.
SENSLEY'S SOLOS: Prior to joining the Tarpons, Steven Sensley hit 10 home runs in 67 games with Single-A Charleston. The 22-year-old has since added three more homers with Tampa. All 13 of Sensley's home runs have been with the bases empty.
FOR STARTERS: RHP Garrett Whitlock (3-2, 1.90) will make his 10th start with Tampa...Last time out, made a relief appearance (starting a 4/29 suspended game) for Double-A Trenton and earned the win in his Thunder debut on 7/18 (5.0IP, 3H, 0R, 5BB, 0K, 89P/51S)...Spent time on the disabled list (5/26-6/3) after getting hit by a comebacker in a start at Florida on 5/25...Began the season with Single-A Charleston, going 2-2 with a 1.13 ERA (40.0IP, 23H, 5ER, 1HR, 2HB, 7BB, 44K) in seven starts with the RiverDogs...held opponents scoreless for 26-straight innings between his third start 4/17 and his seventh start on 5/11...left Charleston ranked second in the South Atlantic League in ERA and WHIP (0.75).
VS. BRADENTON: Whitlock earned the win vs. the Marauders in Tampa on 6/9 (5.0IP, 5H, 1ER, 1BB, 3K, 1HB, 91P/54S).
2017: Made his professional debut between the GCL Yankees West and Rookie-level Pulaski, combining to go 1-0 with a 3.77 ERA (14.1IP, 14H, 7R/6ER, 0BB, 22K, 1HR) in five games (three starts)...began the season in the GCL, recording 14K in 8.2IP over three starts (4H, 2R/1ER)...finished the year with two relief appearances at Pulaski (1-0, 7.94 ERA, 5.2IP, 5ER).
Personal: 22-years-old, 6-5, 190 - Snellville, GA...Selected by the Yankees in the 18th round in 2017 out of the University of Alabama-Birmingham...Pitched two seasons at UAB (2016-17), going 7-11 with two saves and a 3.56 ERA (111.1IP, 115H, 61R/44ER, 45BB, 90K) in 42 games (eight starts)...graduated from Providence Christian Academy (Ga.), where he was a 2015 Perfect Game Preseason All-America honorable mention...currently ranked as the No. 26 Yankees prospect by MLB Pipeline.
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