Delgado Homers as Bradenton’s Offense Held in Check on Saturday Night

CLEARWATER, FL — The Bradenton Marauders were downed 4-2 by the Clearwater Threshers on Saturday night at BayCare Ballpark. With a win on Sunday, Bradenton would win their first road series of the season.

The Threshers scored the game’s first run for the second straight night in the bottom of the first inning. Jordan Viars led off the frame with a solo-home run against Mike Burrows (0-1) to push the Threshers in front 1-0.

After Burrows struck out Avery Owusu-Asiedu to start the third, Viars hit his second home run against Burrows to double the Threshers lead to 2-0. The right-hander walked Devin Saltiban before departing. The Pittsburgh Pirates' No. 10 prospect ended up striking out four and walking just one in 2.1 innings.

Tyler Kennedy entered and walked the first two batters to load the bases. A bases loaded walk and hit batter drove in two more runs to extend the Clearwater lead to 4-0. Garrett McMillan entered and retired the next two batters in order to strand the bases loaded. McMillan struck out six in a career-high 3.2 scoreless innings.

After tallying just one hit in the first five innings against Micah Ottenbreit (3-5), the Bradenton offense broke through in the sixth. Ottenbreit issued a walk to Omar Alfonzo before Keiner Delgado smacked a two-run home run to right field to cut the deficit in half at 4-2.

Later in the frame, Shalin Polanco singled and Enmanuel Terrero flied out to the warning track to end the half inning, nearly tying the game.

Ethan Chenault (SV,1) retired the side in order in the ninth to hand Bradenton their second-straight loss.

Also out of the bullpen, Magdiel Cotto hurled two scoreless innings for Bradenton.

Bradenton’s offense has 31 home runs in the month of June, the most in Single-A and need just three longballs tomorrow afternoon to tie the franchise record for most home runs hit in calendar month. The Marauders crushed 34 last June to hold the record.

The Marauders and Threshers wrap up their six-game series at BayCare Ballpark on Sunday afternoon. First pitch is scheduled for 12:00 p.m., with pregame coverage beginning at 11:40 a.m. on the Marauders Broadcast Network. Bradenton sends RHP Carlos Jimenez (2-2, 4.97) to the hill opposite of RHP Braydon Tucker (3-1, 3.22) for Clearwater.