Threshers Split Twin Bill with Cubs
August 20, 2014 - Florida State League (FSL1)
Clearwater Threshers News Release
The Clearwater Threshers split a doubleheader on Tuesday in Daytona against the first-place Cubs.
The Threshers (26-32) lost game one in extra innings 4-3, but rebounded with a 5-2 win in the nightcap.
In game one, Clearwater took an early lead in the first inning on Daytona (32-24) after Brian Pointer singled home the newly acquired Jesmuel Valentin, who had singled earlier in the frame.
Daytona tied it in the bottom of the first and took a 2-1 lead in the second. The Threshers stormed back though with the help of Pointer. Clearwater's right fielder launched a two-run blast, his 14th of the season, to put the Threshers up 3-2.
Pointer finished 2-for-4 with three RBI's and increased his team-leading RBI total to 49.
The score remained that way until the bottom of the seventh. Cody Forsythe came back out to begin his third inning in relief of Miguel Nunez, who gave the Threshers 4.2 innings.
Forsythe struck out the first two men he faced, but Cubs' 2014 first-round pick Kyle Schwarber tied the game with a solo homer.
The Cubs won it in the bottom of the eighth on two errors by the Threshers. Lee Ridenhour (2-6) was charged with the loss and Stephen Perakslis (4-0) picked up the win.
Game two started the same way game one did. The two teams traded runs in the first inning, before Daytona took a 2-1 lead in the 2nd.
The Threshers charged back with two in the third, highlighted by an Art Charles RBI single.
Lino Martinez got the start for the Threshers and gave Clearwater four solid innings. Martinez got a no-decision after allowing two runs on five hits while striking out five.
The Threshers added one run each in the fourth and the fifth innings. Charles crushed his team-best 15th big fly of the season to extend Clearwater's lead to 5-2.
Ethan Stewart got the victory for the Threshers by tossing two scoreless innings. Stewart (5-7) surrendered three hits, but struck out four without walking a batter.
Ulises Joaquin earned his sixth save of the season, working a scoreless seventh inning. Joaquin induced a game-ending 8-6 double play off the bat of Dan Vogelbach.
The four-game series continues on Wednesday in Daytona with first pitch scheduled for 7:05 p.m. Mark Leiter, Jr. gets the call for the Threshers while Tyler Skulina toes the rubber for the Cubs.
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