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Sabado sweep! Tarpons take both games on Latin Heritage Night

Josue Gonzalez slides home safely to score the winning run during Tampa's Game 1 walk-off victory. (Maggie Christensen)
By Jake Berend
July 20, 2024

TAMPA, Fla. - The Tampa Tarpons (10-11) returned home to GMS Field for the first time in over two weeks with a doubleheader against the Bradenton Marauders (9-14). Game One started on Friday evening, but only lasted into the fifth due to inclement weather. The game resumed Saturday afternoon in

TAMPA, Fla. - The Tampa Tarpons (10-11) returned home to GMS Field for the first time in over two weeks with a doubleheader against the Bradenton Marauders (9-14). Game One started on Friday evening, but only lasted into the fifth due to inclement weather. The game resumed Saturday afternoon in a scoreless tie. SS Roderick Arias (0-for-2, 2BB, 1RBI) broke the tie in the eighth before the Tarpons walked it off in the tenth. Tampa used an offensive outburst to take the nightcap. The offense was led by RF Coby Morales (3-for-3, 1 single, 2HR, 3RBI) who tallied three hits, including two home runs.

GAME ONE

RHP Chase Hampton (3.2IP, 3K) continued his rehab assignment on Friday night, tossing 3.2 hitless innings. The Yankees’ third-ranked prospect struck out three batters in his start. Two of his strikeouts came on his fastball, with the other coming on his sweeper. Hampton also limited hard contact. Of the eight balls put in play against Hampton, only one was hard hit.

Tampa’s bullpen was lights out during game one’s victory. RHP Aaron Nixon, RHP Luis Serna, RHP Ocean Gabonia, and RHP Osiel Rodriguez (W, 1-2) combined to pitch 6.1 innings, only allowing one run. When game one resumed on Saturday, Gabonia started on the hill and racked up four strikeouts over two innings of work.

3B George Lombard Jr. led off the eighth with a walk. He stole his 26th bag of the year when he swiped second base. A wild pitch moved Lombard Jr. to third base, and then R. Arias broke the tie. After working himself into a full count, R. Arias sent a shallow fly to left field. Juan Jerez made the catch and threw a strike home; however, Lombard Jr. beat the throw to the plate, breaking the scoreless tie.

Bradenton tied the game in the ninth on a solo homer off the bat of Shalin Polanco. Polanco’s game-tying homer had just enough air under it to get over the right field wall.

After Rodriguez escaped the top of the tenth scoreless, C Josue Gonzalez started the bottom half of the frame on second base as the ghost runner. LF Daury Arias advanced Gonzalez to third base with a productive groundout. The Marauders decided to intentionally walk Lombard Jr., and then R. Arias drew a free pass to load the bases. With the infield drawn in, 1B Dylan Jasso chopped a grounder to shortstop. Javier Rivas fielded and overthrew home plate, allowing Gonzalez to cross as the winning run.

GAME TWO

RHP Josh Grosz (5.1IP, 3H, 1BB, 5K) tossed 5.1 brilliant innings in the nightcap. He relied primarily on his slider, using it for 38% of his total pitch usage. Grosz also limited damage on his fastball. He did not allow a hit with the heater while holding Bradenton’s average exit velocity to 82.4 MPH on the pitch.

With one away in the second, 2B Hans Montero lined a 105 MPH single to right field. RF Coby Morales kept the exit velo party going, smoking a 105.4 MPH home run to right field. Morales’ third long ball of the season traveled 388 feet to give Tampa an early two-run lead.

Tampa struck for three in the fifth. Morales started the frame with a single for his second hit of the game. C Diomedes Hernandez brought in the first run of the frame with a double to center field. Morales hustled all the way around the bases to score from first.

After LF Daury Arias reached on an error, 3B George Lombard Jr. doubled down the right field line to bring Tampa’s lead to four.

With two away, he hit Tampa’s third double of the inning to drive in Lombard Jr.

Morales added to the lead in the seventh with his second home run of the game. Morales admired his solo shot as it soared into the Rooms To Go Patio in deep right field.

The Tarpons will look to sweep the series with a victory tomorrow against the Marauders at GMS Field. RHP Cade Smith will start on the mound for the Tarpons, with first pitch set for 12:00 p.m. Enjoy an all-you-can-eat brunch in the dugout club with the purchase of a brunch ticket at tarponsbaseball.com.