Viza Leads Threshers to Fifth-Straight Win
April 23, 2016 - Florida State League (FSL1)
Clearwater Threshers News Release
CLEARWATER, Fla. - Tyler Viza hurled his second-straight scoreless start, leading the Clearwater Threshers to a 6-1 win before a crowd of 7,260 on Star Wars Night at Bright House Field.
Clearwater (12-5) has won five straight and nine of its last ten games, as the Threshers own the best record in the Florida State League.
The Threshers entered play Saturday with a 1.95 ERA - the best earned run average of any team in all of Minor League and Major League Baseball. Clearwater lowered that mark even further to 1.89 after permitting just one run in the win.
Viza (3-0) held Brevard County off the board through six innings of work, scattering seven singles. The 21-year old righty did not walk a batter and struck out five on the way to his third-straight victory.
Clearwater got the bats going in the first inning, after Manatees starter Angel Ventura (0-2) walked Sandberg with one out and issued a base on balls to Kyle Martin with two down.
Mitch Walding pulled a sharp single through the right side to plate Sandberg, and Zach Green dropped a base hit into left to bring home Martin and make it 2-0.
Drew Stankiewicz stepped in and yanked a double to right, bringing home Walding with the Threshers third run. Chace Numata capped off the rally with a two-run single to right to boost the early advantage to 5-0.
In the fifth inning, Scott Kingery, Sandberg, and Carlos Tocci strung together consecutive singles to load the bases with nobody out. Ventura induced a double play off the bat of Martin, but that allowed Kingery to cross the plate making it 6-0.
Clearwater carried a shutout into the ninth before Brevard County (3-14) plated its only run, as Dustin DeMuth delivered an RBI single off reliever Joey DeNato.
The Threshers will look for their second-consecutive sweep in the series finale on Sunday, with first pitch at 1 p.m. Will Morris (0-1) toes the rubber against lefty Kodi Medeiros (1-2), and the call can be heard live on the Threshers Broadcast Network starting at 12:45 p.m. This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.
Florida State League Stories from April 23, 2016
- Stone Crabs Drop Pitcher's Duel in Extras - Charlotte Stone Crabs
- Waddell Tops St. Lucie - Bradenton Marauders
- Payton's Blast Lifts Yankees over Tortugas - Tampa Yankees
- Cardinals Fall to Hammerheads in Extras - Palm Beach Cardinals
- Marauders Club 5 Extra Base Hits in 9-4 Win over Mets - St. Lucie Mets
- Viza Leads Threshers to Fifth-Straight Win - Clearwater Threshers
- Deja Vu All over Again in 4-0 Loss - Daytona Tortugas
- Mark Makes Daytona Pay-Ton in 3-1 Loss - Daytona Tortugas
- Corcino Leads Miracle to 1-0 Walk-Off Win in Extra Innings - Fort Myers Mighty Mussels
- Honeywell Rock Solid Again in Win - Charlotte Stone Crabs
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