WP: Julio Mendez Jr. (5-0, 3.33)
LP: Marty Gair (0-2, 4.74)
SV: Luis Ramirez (1)
CLEARWATER, FL – The Clearwater Threshers (41-29, 1-3) led until the eighth inning when the Jupiter Hammerheads (39-31) posted six runs to come back and beat the Threshers 6-5 on Tuesday night at BayCare Ballpark. The Threshers seek redemption after their third straight loss when they return home for an afternoon showdown with Jupiter.
After a scoreless inning and a half to start the game, the Threshers rallied after Matthew Ferrara and Jonathan Hogart reached on two-out walks against Hammerheads hurler Jake Clemente. Will Vierling sent the first pitch he saw into centerfield to score Ferrara from second and give the Threshers the game’s first run. In the bottom of the third, Griffin Burkholder reached on a one-out single and immediately stole second base. With two outs and two strikes on him, Juan Villavicencio delivered a single up the middle that easily plated Burkholder from third to double the Threshers’ lead. Clearwater added another run on a leadoff home run by Hogart to start the fourth inning and make it 3-0 for the Threshers.
Hogart led off the sixth inning with a grounder to third. Jupiter’s third baseman, Echedry Vargas, made an errant throw to first that allowed Hogart to take second. With two outs in the inning, Lyle Miller-Green swatted a single to right field that easily scored Hogart to make it a four-run Threshers lead. Alirio Ferrebus smacked a home run with two outs in the seventh inning to make it a five-run advantage. However, Jupiter got it all back and took the lead with a six-run swing in the top of the eighth.
The Threshers had their chances in the final two frames, but they stranded the bases loaded in the eighth and the tying run in the ninth. Despite leading for most of the game, the Threshers dropped the series opener 6-5 on Tuesday.
Cade Obermueller allowed six hits and struck out eight batters in 4.0 shutout innings of a no-decision. Peyton Havard tossed 1.0 scoreless inning with two hits allowed and one strikeout. Giussepe Velásquez shut out the Hammerheads in 2.0 innings, striking out one and allowing one hit. Tyler Bowen tossed 0.2 frames, surrendering five runs on three hits with two walks and one strikeout. Marty Gair (0-2) took the loss and a blown save with four strikeouts in the final 1.1 innings but allowed one run on one hit with one walk.
Obermueller struck out a career-high eight batters in the longest start of his pro career...All four outs recorded by Gair were strikeouts...Miller-Green recorded a hit and an RBI in his first home game as a Thresher...He has one hit in each of his first five games since signing with the Phillies...Ferrebus has scored at least one run in three consecutive games...The Threshers will continue a six-game home series against the Jupiter Hammerheads on Wednesday, June 24...First pitch on Wednesday afternoon will take place at 12:00 pm...You can purchase Threshers tickets at ThreshersBaseball.com/tickets or by calling 727-467-4457…The BayCare Ballpark Box Office is open Monday through Friday from 10 am – 5 pm...The box office will be open on Saturdays from 10 am - 3 pm...Visit our website at threshersbaseball.com for information on tickets and promotions for the Threshers season.