Furious Comeback Falls Short as Threshers Fall 10-6

WP: Samuel Perez (2-0, 0.00)

LP: Mason Ronan (0-1, 4.50)

SV: Johnathan Lavallee (1)

BOX SCORE:

CLEARWATER, FL – A four-run sixth inning, including a game-tying homer from Erick Brito, wasn’t enough for the Clearwater Threshers (4-2), who dropped their first game of the homestand 10-6 against the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels (3-3) on Thursday evening at BayCare Ballpark. The second half of the opening home slate begins on Friday between the Threshers and Mighty Mussels.

Fort Myers hung four runs on the Threshers in the first, with RBIs from Ricardo Olivar, Carlos Aguiar, and Danny De Andrade giving the Mighty Mussels an early 4-0 lead. The Threshers chipped away at the lead from the get-go, opening the home half of the first with a single by Justin Crawford. He stole second and third before Jordan Dissin drove him home with a base knock off Mighty Mussels’ starter Develson Aria to cut the deficit to 4-1.

The Mighty Mussels got a run back in the second, but Clearwater promptly answered with a run again. Otto Kemp led off the bottom of the frame with a walk and advanced to second on a single by Cade Fergus. Brito walked to load the bases before Crawford’s sacrifice bunt brought Kemp home and made it 5-2.

Fort Myers’ lead grew back to four runs in the fourth inning on a solo home run by Twins’ rehabbing outfielder Alex Kiriloff that made it 6-2. The Threshers started off strong in the fifth with a single by Cole Moore to lead off the frame. Kemp walked for the second time to move Moore to second, and Freylin Minyety’s RBI single brought Moore home and cut the deficit back down to three runs. Two pitches later, Brito sent a long fly ball to left field for his first home run that tied the game at six.

The comeback was short-lived however, as a Rubel Cespedes home run gave the Mighty Mussels the lead for good, padding their lead back up to four before Johnathan Lavallee retired the final six Threshers hitters to hand Clearwater their first home loss of the season by a 10-6 margin

Jean Cabrera (0-1) didn’t record a decision in one-third of an inning, allowing four runs on five hits with one walk. Danny Wilkinson tossed 3.2 innings of relief, allowing two runs on three hits with a walk and six strikeouts. Mason Ronan (0-1) earned the loss in 3.0 innings, allowing two runs on two hits with two walks and four strikeouts. Yoniel Ramirez threw the final two frames for the Threshers, striking out one with four walks and two runs allowed on two hits.

Wilkinson’s 3.2 innings and six strikeouts were the most by a Threshers’ reliever this season... Brito equaled his home run total from last season with his three-run shot in the sixth... He finished 2-2 with a walk to extend his team-best hitting streak to five games... Bryan Rincon replaced Brito after his home run in the seventh... Crawford set a career-high with three hits... Kemp has reached base in all five games he has played to start the season... Dissin has recorded a hit in each of the three games he played so far this year... The Threshers continue their first home series on Friday, April 14th against the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels ... Threshers RHP Alex McFarlane (0-1, 3.00) will face off against Mighty Mussels RHP Cory Lewis (0-1, 8.31) … First pitch is at 6:30 PM... You can purchase tickets for the Threshers season at ThreshersBaseball.com/tickets or by calling 727-467-4457.