CLEARWATER, Fla. (May 18, 2019) - Carl Chester homered to lead a late comeback Saturday, but the Stone Crabs eventually fell short in a 7-4 loss to the Clearwater Threshers at Spectrum Field.After falling behind 6-0 through five innings, the Charlotte (21-21) bats woke up against the Threshers' (20-21) bullpen.
CLEARWATER, Fla. (May 18, 2019) - Carl Chester homered to lead a late comeback Saturday, but the Stone Crabs eventually fell short in a 7-4 loss to the Clearwater Threshers at Spectrum Field.
After falling behind 6-0 through five innings, the Charlotte (21-21) bats woke up against the Threshers' (20-21) bullpen. In the top of the sixth, Seaver Whalen was hit by a pitch before Vidal Brujan lined a single to center. After Matt Duffy was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Ronaldo Hernandez got the Stone Crabs on the board with a sacrifice fly to center. However, Duffy was thrown out at second to record the second out. The next batter was Chester, who launched a two-run shot to left to make it 6-3.
Still down three in the top of the seventh, Brujan stroked a two-out RBI single to left to make it 6-4.
Clearwater added a run in the eighth on a Daniel Brito solo home run before Grant Dyer worked a perfect ninth to notch his first save.
The pivotal inning Saturday came in the bottom of the fourth. With Clearwater leading 1-0, Madison Stokes and Nick Maton both singled to set the table for Jhailyn Ortiz, who pounded a two-run double to the left field corner to make it 3-0. The Threshers added another run later in the inning on a Jake Scheiner single.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, Ortiz smashed a two-run homer off Charlotte reliever Tanner Dodson to make it 6-0.
The teams will meet again for a decisive third game on Sunday at 1 p.m. Michael Plassmeyer (0-0, 3.52) will pitch for the Stone Crabs, against Damon Jones (1-2, 0.76) of the Threshers. Coverage of the game starts at 12:45 p.m. on the Stone Crabs Baseball Network.
