Four-Run Fifth Lifts Threshers in Rain-Shortened Win

WP: Jonh Henriquez (6-0, 3.25)

LP: Saul Garcia (1-4, 5.16)

BOX SCORE:

PORT ST. LUCIE, FL – Freylin Minyety drove in a pair of runs and the Clearwater Threshers (31-10) use a four-run fifth inning to take a 6-2 win over the St. Lucie Mets (10-31) in seven innings after a rain delay at Clover Park. Clearwater and St. Lucie resume their series on Thursday evening

The first three batters reached base for the Threshers in the second inning, beginning with a leadoff base hit by Chad Castillo off Mets starter Candido Cuevas. Cade Fergus was hit by a pitch and Cole Moore walked to load the bases with nobody out. Freylin Minyety came up with one out and lined a single to center field that plated two to give the Threshers an early 2-0 lead.

St. Lucie tied up the game in the third on a sacrifice fly and an RBI single. A one-out rally began in the fifth for Clearwater with a walk to Erick Brito. He stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch before Bryan Rincon was walked by Mets reliever Saul Garcia. Ricardo Rosario gave the Threshers a 3-2 lead with a single to right that scored Brito from third base.

Jordan Viars singled to load the bases, and Rincon scored after Castillo was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to make it 4-2. On the very next pitch, Cade Fergus drove in two more runs on a single up the middle to extend the Threshers’ advantage to 6-2.

Rain and a brief thunderstorm ended the game after the seventh inning with the Threshers finishing in front at 6-2 in a rain-shortened game.

Gabriel Cotto went 3.0 innings, allowing two runs on two hits with four walks and four strikeouts in a no-decision. Jonh Henriquez (6-0) earned the win in 2.0 scoreless and hitless innings with one walk and three strikeouts. Alex Rao tossed the final 2.0 innings without allowing a run, striking out three and surrendering one hit.

Minyety is 7-13 over his last two series with three RBI... Rao and Henriquez combined for 4.0 shutout innings out of the bullpen... Rosario drove in the go-ahead run in the fifth... Henriquez moved into the league lead with his sixth win of the season... Clearwater is 2-0 in games that Cotto starts... Castillo has hit safely in four-straight games... Wednesday was the second time the Threshers had a game shortened by rain this season...The Threshers take on the St. Lucie Mets (Single-A, New York Mets) in a Wednesday morning tilt… First pitch is at 6:10 PM on Thursday, May 25th... You can purchase tickets for Threshers games at ThreshersBaseball.com/tickets or by calling 727-467-4457.