Tarpons Rally Late, But Lose Seventh-Straight
August 7, 2018 - Florida State League (FSL1)
Tampa Tarpons News Release
Steven Sensley of the Tampa Tarpons bolts from the box
(Tampa Tarpons, Credit: Mark LoMoglio)
TAMPA, Fla. - The Tarpons rallied for three runs in the eighth, but Tampa pitchers issued nine walks, including three with the base loaded, in a 4-3 loss to the Clearwater Threshers on Tuesday night at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
Tampa (20-25, 55-60) lost its seventh-straight game and fell five games under .500 for the first time this season.
Clearwater (20-25, 55-60) loaded the bases with no outs in the third when a pair of walks and a single started the frame. RHP Rony Garcia then walked Mickey Moniak on a 3-2 count, forcing home a run. After striking out MLB rehabber J.P. Crawford, Garcia walked Edgar Cabral, giving the Threshers a 2-0 lead.
Garcia (L, 0-3) finished his outing on a high note, retiring eight of the final nine batters he faced. The 20-year-old issued a career-high five walks while yielding two earned runs on three hits in five innings, striking out five on 90 pitches (48 strikes).
Tampa collected three singles in the first two innings before LHP Bailey Falter retired 13 of the last 14 batters he faced in his return from the disabled list. Falter (W, 6-4) logged six scoreless frames, holding Tampa to three hits while striking out a pair on 87 pitches (64 strikes).
RHP Kaleb Ort relieved Garcia in the sixth and Luke Williams led off with a single. Williams stole second in front of a walk by Kyle Martin and scored on a base hit to right by Raul Rivas. A single by Kevin Markham loaded the bases and Arquimedes Gamboa drew a walk, forcing Martin home for a 4-0 lead.
Ort got a 4-6-3 double play from Moniak to end the seventh, but faced more trouble when a pair of singles and a walk led to the bases being reloaded in the eighth. RHP Andrew Schwaab entered and struck out Rivas to escape the jam.
RHP Trevor Bettencourt struck out two in a perfect seventh before the Tarpons snapped a streak of 22-straight scoreless innings. A throwing error by catcher Edgar Cabral put Steven Sensley aboard and Jerry Seitz followed with a single off the leg of Bettencourt. One out later, a walk by Hoy Jun Park brought the tying run to the plate.
Diego Castillo lined a single to center, scoring Sensley. LHP Jakob Hernandez relieved Bettencourt and Estevan Florial greeted him with singe up the middle, scoring Seitz. Isiah Gilliam followed with a sacrifice fly to left, plating Park. Ben Ruta reached on a strikeout/wild pitch, but Hernandez struck out Angel Aguilar to preserve the 4-3 lead.
Schwaab worked around a leadoff single in the ninth to maintain the score, but Hernandez (SV, 3) struck out a pair and stranded a two-out walk to close the game.
Castillo (2-for-4, RBI) logged a multi-hit game. Gilliam (0-for-3, Sac-F, RBI) leads all active batters in the Florida State League with 63 RBI. Seitz (1-for-4, R) collected his first hit with Tampa since 2016.
The series concludes on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. LHP Dalton Lehnen (0-2, 5.67) will make the start against RHP Ramon Rosso (3-1, 2.38). Live play-by-play audio will be available on the Tarpons Radio Network. On "Taco Thursday," fans can enjoy the all-you-can-eat Taco and Nacho bar for $18, $5 house Margaritas, and $4 Coronas from 6:00-8:00 p.m.
Images from this story
 Steven Sensley of the Tampa Tarpons bolts from the box (Mark LoMoglio) |
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