Unstoppable Stephens Picks up Another Win
August 13, 2015 - Florida State League (FSL1)
Daytona Tortugas News Release
Daytona Tortugas Pitcher Jackson Stephens
(Daytona Tortugas, Credit: Aldrin Capulong)
Dunedin, FL - The Daytona Tortugas (28-16, 65-49) blew out the Dunedin Blue Jays (19-26, 51-64) for the second straight game with a 10-3 win on Wednesday night at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium. The 'Tugas finished their six-game road trip 5-1, and will return home for a three-game homestand against the Lakeland Flying Tigers starting on Thursday.
RHP Jackson Stephens (W, 12-5) continued his jaw-dropping stretch of pitching, throwing six two-hit shutout innings with two walks and two strikeouts. The 21-year-old from Oxford, AL has now thrown 19 consecutive scoreless innings, allowing just nine hits with two walks and 10 strikeouts during that time. His 12 wins lead all Cincinnati Reds prospects, and he ranks fifth in the system with a 2.84 ERA.
Daytona led the whole way. Before Sean Reid-Foley (L, 1-5) recorded an out, LF Phillip Ervin drew a walk, stole second base and came home on a double to left from RF Jeff Gelalich. The lead was stuck at 1-0 until the fourth inning, as Reid-Foley retired 10 straight Tortugas from there.
3B Taylor Sparks fired up a two-out rally with a double down the right field line, and SS Carlton Daal followed with an RBI ground ball single to center to make it 2-0. After a pair of walks to CF Junior Arias and C Joe Hudson loaded the bases, 2B Wendell Soto came through with a two-run single to right, extending Daytona's lead to 4-0.
Arias made it 5-0 with an RBI blooper to center in the sixth and Sparks added a run-scoring base knock after a Gelalich double in the seventh. The Blue Jays broke up the shutout with two runs in the bottom of the eighth, but Daytona roared back with four runs in the ninth.
The Tortugas strung together six straight one-out hits in the final frame. 1B Chad Wallach hit his 23rd double of the season on a liner to right, Sparks blasted a two-run homer to left, and Daal, Arias, Hudson and Soto followed with singles to blow the game open to 10-2. Dunedin's J.D. Davis hit an RBI single in the bottom half to cap the scoring at 10-3.
RHP Scott Brattvet faced the minimum in the seventh, inducing a double play after hitting a batter in his lone inning of work. RHP Alejandro Chacin (H, 5) got two outs in the eighth and one in the ninth before RHP Jimmy Moran finished off the final two hitters.
Eight Tortugas recorded at least one hit, highlighted by three-hit nights from Sparks and Daal. Sparks and Soto each knocked in three runs. Ervin drew three walks and stole three bases to boost his season total to 30.
Daytona held Dunedin scoreless in 24 of 27 innings in the three-game series, and finished the year with a 13-5 record against their division rivals.
The Tortugas return home for a three-game series with the Lakeland Flying Tigers, starting on Thirsty Thursday at 7:05 p.m. at Radiology Associates Field at Jackie Robinson Ballpark. LHP Nick Routt (5-1, 3.10 ERA) will make his 11th start for the Tortugas, who have won 10 of 12. Fans can listen to the game on The Great Voice of Volusia County, AM 1230 and AM 1490 WSBB, starting with the D.B. Pickles Pregame Show at 6:50 p.m. ET.
Images from this story
 Daytona Tortugas Pitcher Jackson Stephens (Aldrin Capulong) |
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