Pino's Walk-off Caps off Six-Run Rally to Stun Tarpons
DAYTONA BEACH—Connor Burns and Johnny Ascanio homered to kick off the rally, and Yassel Pino lined a pinch-hit, two-run, walk-off double as the Daytona Tortugas stormed back from five runs down to defeat the Tampa Tarpons 8-7 on Tuesday night at Jackie Robinson Ballpark. Daytona (19-22, 48-58) stranded 12 runners
DAYTONA BEACH—Connor Burns and Johnny Ascanio homered to kick off the rally, and Yassel Pino lined a pinch-hit, two-run, walk-off double as the Daytona Tortugas stormed back from five runs down to defeat the Tampa Tarpons 8-7 on Tuesday night at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.
Daytona (19-22, 48-58) stranded 12 runners in the first seven innings before scoring six runs in the final two frames to earn their seventh walk-off win of the season. Tampa (21-22, 52-57) was walked off for their fourth straight game at Jackie Robinson Ballpark, dating back to last September.
After a weather delay of nearly an hour pregame, both teams started off with early rallies. A single and a walk put two on with no outs for Tampa in the first. After Tortugas starter Arij Fransen retired the next two hitters, Josh Moylan stroked an RBI single to center to bring home the first run of the game.
Daytona, though, answered right away. Victor Acosta and Hector Rodriguez led off the bottom of the first with singles off Yorlin Calderon. With Rodriguez on the move, Cam Collier slapped a perfect hit-and-run single through the left side to score Acosta to tie the game. Calderon, though, struck out the next two hitters. After a walk loaded the bases, Calderon picked up a third punchout to leave the bases loaded as Daytona failed to add more.
Fransen threw a 1-2-3 second before the Tortugas threatened again. The first two men singled, but Calderon again buckled down, retiring the next two hitters. Another walk loaded the bases, but a groundout ended the inning as Daytona left the bases loaded for a second straight inning.
In the third, Fransen recorded two quick outs and jumped in front of Omar Martinez 0-2. However, Martinez lined the two-strike delivery over the left field wall for a solo home run, staking the Tarpons to a 2-1 lead.
Fransen bounced back with a scoreless fourth, striking out two batters in the frame as he finished the night with a career high-tying eight punchouts over 4.0 innings. Nonetheless, though, he departed trailing 2-1.
Against Jean Correa, Tampa added a run in the fifth on an RBI double from Coby Morales and another in the sixth on a triple from Kiko Romero.
Trailing by three, Daytona clawed closer in the sixth as Burns blasted Matt Keating’s first pitch over the left field fence for his second home run. Two more baserunners reached before Keating rebounded to get the next three batters to end the inning.
The seventh saw the Tortugas strand a leadoff double and an additional walk, running their total to 12 runners left on base in the first seven frames, still trailing 4-2.
In the eighth, Tampa broke through for more, with a leadoff double and a single being followed up by a Jose Colmenares two-run double. After a pitching change, Nicolo Pinazzi uncorked a wild pitch to score Colmenares, making it 7-2.
The Tortugas, though, roared to life in the eighth. A leadoff single and groundout led to an RBI single from Rodriguez. Collier followed by banging an RBI double off the center field wall. Ascanio then stepped up and golfed an 0-2 pitch over the right-field fence for his third homer of the season. All of a sudden, Daytona only trailed 7-6.
After a scoreless ninth from Pinazzi (1-2) kept the Tortugas in it, Daytona rallied against Geoff Gilbert. Burns drew a leadoff walk, which was followed by a double from Ariel Almonte to move pinch-runner Dominic Pitelli to third, Almonte's third hit of the night. Pino came off the bench and on the first pitch, launched a line drive off the left field wall to score Pitelli and pinch-runner Donovan Antonia, capping off an improbable 8-7 comeback.
OFF THE BENCH @yasselpino WALKS IT OFF WITH A PINCH-HIT TWO-RUN DOUBLE!
— Daytona Tortugas (@daytonatortugas) August 16, 2023
TUGAS WIN 8-7! pic.twitter.com/hri3wLqHEl
Daytona will play game two against the Tampa Tarpons on Wednesday night. Daytona will throw RHP Jared Lyons (2-3, 3.72) against Tampa RHP Cam Schlitter (0-0, 4.91). It will be Belly Buster Wednesday with all-you-can eat hot dogs, hamburgers, pizza, and popcorn. Gates will open at 5:30 p.m. with the first pitch at 6:35 p.m. with pregame coverage with the voice of the Tortugas, Brennan Mense, beginning at 6:20 p.m. on the Tortugas Radio Network.
Daytona Tortugas single-game tickets and ticket packages are on sale now at daytonatortugas.com, (386) 257-3172, or the box office at 110 East Orange Ave.
ABOUT THE DAYTONA TORTUGAS
The Daytona Tortugas are the Single-A Affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds and a member of Minor League Baseball’s Florida State League. The Tortugas play at Jackie Robinson Ballpark in downtown Daytona Beach, Fla. Jackie Robinson Ballpark also plays host to Bethune-Cookman University, the Jackie Robinson Ballpark Museum, and many community events and initiatives of all sizes throughout the year.