Tampa Tarpons Game Notes: vs. Clearwater
July 4, 2018 - Florida State League (FSL1)
Tampa Tarpons News Release
7/4 Tampa vs. Clearwater - Game 1 (of two) - George M. Steinbrenner Field (Tampa, FL) - 6:30 p.m.
Pitching Matchup: LHP Bailey Falter (5-3, 3.32) vs. RHP Nick Green (5-3, 2.77). Live Audio: TuneIn Radio (Tampa Tarpons Broadcast Network)
LAST NIGHT: The Tarpons settled for a split of the two-game set in Dunedin, dropping the second game, 4-2, on Tuesday night at Dunedin Stadium...LHP Dalton Lehnen (4.2IP, 6H, 2ER, 4BB, 4K, HR, 90P/49S) took a no-decision in his Tarpons debut...Dunedin RHP Yennsy Diaz (W, 1-2) retired the first nine batters he faced and went on to log a quality start (6.0IP, 5H, 2ER, 1BB, 9K, 88P/61S)...Dom Thompson-Williams (1-for-4, 2RBI) gave Tampa the lead with an RBI groundout in the 4th and lined a game-tying, two-out RBI single in the 6th...Diego Castillo (2-for-4, 2B, R, SB) and Rashad Crawford (2-for-4, CS) had multi-hit games...Andres Sotillo (1-for-3, HR, Sac-F, 2RBI, R) homered in the 5th and later hit a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the 6th...Kacy Clemens (1-for-4, RBI) tied the game with an RBI single in the 5th...LHP Phillip Diehl (L, 1-2) shouldered the loss (1.1IP, 1H, 1R/0ER, 1BB, 1K)...RHP Greg Weissert tallied 5K's in 2.0IP (2H, 1ER, 0BB).
STRIKEOUT KINGS: Dalton Lehnen (4K), Phillip Diehl (1K) and Greg Weissert (5K) combined for 10 strikeouts on Tuesday. Tampa pitchers have tallied double-digit strikeouts in 38 games this season, with the Tarpons going 22-16 in such games. Tampa, by far, leads the Florida State League in strikeouts, totaling 799K entering today. That is 82K more than the team ranked second (Clearwater - 717K). Tampa is averaging 9.74 K-per-game and is on pace for 1,364K, which would crush its own FSL single-season strikeout record set last season with 1,215K.
VS. CLEARWATER: Tonight will be the eighth of 15 games scheduled between the Tampa Tarpons and Dunedin Blue Jays. Clearwater currently leads the season-series, 5-2. Tampa took two-of-three at GMS Field on 4/20-22 before getting swept in a four-game series at Spectrum Field on 6/11-15. Brandon Wagner has played in all seven matchups and is batting .360 (9-for-25) with 4R, 1 double, 3HR, 6RBI and 2BB against the Threshers.
PALMA OUT FOR THE SEASON: A scary moment occurred on Monday in the bottom of the 7th when play was halted for 27 minutes. LF Alexander Palma and SS Diego Castillo collided in left-centerfield while pursuing a shallow fly ball. Castillo managed to stay in the game, but Palma remained on the ground until being taken out of the stadium on an ambulance. The 22-year-old suffered a lower body injury and was taken to St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa for evaluation. Palma had season-ending surgery and was placed on the 60-Day Disabled List
BABY BOMBERS: Alexander Palma and Steven Sensley both homered on Saturday, marking the 17th multi-homer game by Tampa this season. The Tarpons are 12-5 in such games. Tampa currently leads the league with 71 home runs, which is nine more than second on the list (Bradenton- 62HR).
2ND-HALF BEGINS: The Tarpons finished with an even 35-35 record at the half way point, falling 4.0GB of the 1st-Half Champion Daytona Tortugas (37-29). Meanwhile, the early postseason spot in the South Division was captured by the Palm Beach Cardinals (39-25). Tampa will look to win its second-straight 2nd-Half North Division title and return to the playoffs for the third-straight season.
FOR STARTERS: RHP Nick Green (5-3, 2.77) will make his 14th start of the season. Last time out, took the loss at Charlotte on 6/29 (5.0IP, 8H, 6ER, 2BB, 6K, HB, 91P/58S)...currently ranks third in Florida State League in ERA and fifth among starters in K/9.0IP (7.960)...has made a quality start (6.0+ IP/3ER-or-less) in eight of his 13 starts this season...named a 2018 FSL Mid-Season All-Star and started for the North Division, tossing a perfect 1st-inning (1.0IP, 1K).
VS. CLEARWATER: Green made a quality start and earned the win vs. the Threshers in Tampa on 4/22 (6.0IP, 6H, 1R/0ER, 2BB, 5K, 95P/59S).
2017: Went 8-9 with a 4.49 ERA (126.1IP, 131H, 74R/63ER, 39BB, 112K) in 26 starts with Single-A Charleston...held left-handed batters to a .201 (38-for-189) batting average...went 4-4 with a 2.77 ERA (65.0IP, 20ER) in 13 starts before the All-Star break...did not allow an earned run in three consecutive starts from 4/29-5/13 (20.2IP, 2R)
Personal: 23-years-old, 6-1, 175 - Fountain, Colorado...Acquired from Texas, along with RHPs Dillon Tate and Erik Swanson, in exchange for OF Carlos Beltrán and cash on 8/1/16...was originally selected by the Rangers in the seventh round in 2014 out of Indian Hills Community College...Played one season (2014) at Indian Hills Community College (Iowa), going 3-1 wit ha 2.97 ERA (36.1IP, 12ER)...graduated in 2013 from Fountain-Fort Carson H.S. (Colo.).
Florida State League Stories from July 4, 2018
- Green Goes Seven-Strong in 4th of July Victory - Tampa Tarpons
- Haseley Homers in 5-1 Loss - Clearwater Threshers
- Tortugas Blasted on July 4th, 11-1 - Daytona Tortugas
- Mets Stay Hot, Clip Marauders 3-2 - St. Lucie Mets
- Fire Frogs and Stone Crabs Suspended on Wednesday - Florida Fire Frogs
- Miracle and Blue Jays Postponed - Fort Myers Mighty Mussels
- Florida Fire Frogs Game Notes: July 4, 2018 - Florida Fire Frogs
- Tampa Tarpons Game Notes: vs. Clearwater - Tampa Tarpons
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