Threshers Stroll Past Lakeland, 6-1
Published on July 5, 2016 under Florida State League (FSL1)
Clearwater Threshers News Release
CLEARWATER, Fla. - Scott Kingery extended his on-base streak to 16 consecutive games on Tuesday, as the Clearwater Threshers took advantage of eight walks over the last three innings to roll past the Lakeland Flying Tigers, 6-1 at Bright House Field.
Clearwater (7-6) collected just three hits - all doubles - but burst ahead with a five-spot in the seventh inning. Both the tying and go-ahead runs for Clearwater came across without the aid of a hit, before back-to-back doubles by Carlos Tocci and Zach Green broke the game open in the seventh.
Kingery drove a deep double to center in the fourth inning to make it 16-straight games in which he has reached safely, tying Andrew Pullin for the longest such streak by a Thresher this year. Mitch Walding was hit by a pitch and drew a walk, pushing his own on-base streak to 14.
Will Morris did not factor in the decision, but stepped back into the rotation and delivered a strong six innings in the start.
Morris faced the minimum through the first three innings, and held Lakeland (2-9) off the board until the sixth. AJ Simcox tripled to right to open the frame, and scored on a Mike Gerber grounder to second to push home the game's first run.
Making his first start since June 18th with Reading, Morris held the Flying Tigers to just one run on five hits and a walk in his six innings, throwing 53 of his 87 offerings for strikes.
Lakeland starter Matt Hall matched him into the sixth.
Hall limited to Clearwater to just two baserunners through the front five, before Derek Campbell drew a leadoff base on balls to open the sixth inning. With one down, Kingery battled his way to a 10-pitch walk, and Carlos Tocci took a free pass as well to load the bases and end the evening for Hall.
Confesor Lara entered and induced a strikeout of Green, but missed with four straight to Walding to squeeze home the tying run on the fourth walk of the inning.
Jairo Labourt (4-8) entered to start the seventh, and walked both Jiandido Tromp and Cord Sandberg to start the frame before plunking Campbell to load the bases. Labourt got ahead of Malquin Canelo 1-2, but missed with the next three to score Tromp on the walk and give the Threshers the 2-1 lead.
Labourt exited after throwing just three of his 17 pitches for strikes, giving way to Endrys Briceno.
With one out, Tocci ran the count full before pulling a double inside the third base line to clear the bases, bringing home Sandberg, Campbell, and Canelo to put Clearwater up 5-1. Green followed by shooting a two-base hit of his own to left-center, scoring Tocci to bump the advantage to 6-1.
Victor Arano (2-1) earned the win in relief, tossing two scoreless innings before Ulises Joaquin held the Flying Tigers off the board in the ninth.
The Threshers will head back to Lakeland for the rubber match on Wednesday, with first pitch at 6 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on the Threshers Broadcast Network starting at 5:45 p.m. This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.
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