Tampa Tarpons Game Notes: vs. Clearwater
Published on July 5, 2018 under Florida State League (FSL1)
Tampa Tarpons News Release
7/5 Tampa vs. Clearwater - Game 2 (of two) - George M. Steinbrenner Field (Tampa, FL) - 6:30 p.m.
Pitching Matchup: RHP Mauricio Llovera (2-5, 4.29) vs. RHP Garrett Whitlock (3-1, 2.00). Live Audio: TuneIn Radio (Tampa Tarpons Broadcast Network)
LAST NIGHT: The Tarpons earned an Independence Day victory by defeating the Threshers, 5-1, in the opener of at two-game set...Tampa scored four-of-five runs with two-outs and the defensively pulled off three double-plays...RHP Nick Green (W, 6-3) logged his longest outing of the season (7.0IP, 5H, 1ER, 3BB, 5K, HR, 102P/68S); has quality starts in nine-of-14 outings...Diego Castillo (2-for-4, RBI, 2R) scored on an error in the 1st and later added a two-out RBI single in the 7th...David Metzgar (1-for-3, RBI) had a two-out RBI single in the 4th...Brandon Wagner (1-for-4, HR, 2RBI, R) crushed a two-out, two-run opposite-field homer in the 7th (his 16th HR)...Ricky Surum (3-for-3, 2B, R, SB) reached base all three times in his debut with the Tarpons...Dom Thompson-Williams (2-for-4, R, SB) extended his hitting streak to eight games...RHP Matt Frawley (2.0IP, 1H, 2K) closed the game with a pair of scoreless frames.
ROAD TO RECOVERY: Both Estevan Florial and Keith Skinner began rehab assignments with GCL Yankees West this afternoon. Florial played five innings in centerfield and went 2-for-2 with 1R, 1 double, 1BB and 1SB. Skinner caught for five frames and finished 0-for-2 with 2RBI. Florial was placed on the disabled list on 5/18 and Skinner was later added to the list on 6/2.
VS. CLEARWATER: Tonight will be the ninth of 15 games scheduled between the Tampa Tarpons and Clearwater Threshers. Clearwater currently leads the season-series, 5-3. 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 eight matchups and is batting .345 (10-for-29) with 5R, 1 double, 4HR, 7RBI and 2BB.
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 806K entering today. That is 80K more than the team ranked second (Clearwater - 726K). Tampa is averaging 9.71 K-per-game and is on pace for 1,350K, which would crush its own FSL single-season strikeout record set last season with 1,215K.
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 on Tuesday 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 72 home runs, which is 10 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 Garrett Whitlock (3-1, 2.00) will make his eighth start with Tampa...Last time out, made a quality start and took a no-decision at Charlotte on 6/30 (6.0IP, 4H, 2ER, 3BB, 5K, WP, 99P/66S)...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. CLEARWATER: Whitlock's lone loss with Tampa came at Spectrum Field on 6/14 (4.1IP, 9H, 5R/4ER, 2BB, 5K, HB, 2WP, 88P/58S).
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: 21-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 (eights starts)...graduated from Provience 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.
Nick Flammia On-Air Broadcaster / Media Relations Coordinator Tampa Tarpons | Florida State League Affiliate of the New York Yankees (Class-A Advanced) Phone: (352)-584-0726 Email: TarponsPR@TarponsBaseball.com | nflammia@gmail.com Website: TarponsBaseball.com | NickFlammiaOnAir.com Twitter: @NickFlammia
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