TAMPA, Fla. (August 10, 2019) - Jake Palomaki's seventh inning double broke a late tie to help the Stone Crabs win their fifth straight game, a 5-4 victory over the Tampa Tarpons at Steinbrenner Field.With the game tied 4-4 in the top of the seventh, Zach Rutherford dropped his third
TAMPA, Fla. (August 10, 2019) - Jake Palomaki's seventh inning double broke a late tie to help the Stone Crabs win their fifth straight game, a 5-4 victory over the Tampa Tarpons at Steinbrenner Field.
With the game tied 4-4 in the top of the seventh, Zach Rutherford dropped his third hit of the night into right. The next batter was Palomaki, who ripped an RBI double into the right field corner to give Charlotte (71-46, 34-15) a 5-4 lead.
Stone Crabs starter Tommy Romero (10-4) pitched into a seventh inning for the third time this season. He allowed four runs on six hits over six-plus frames, picking up his league-leading tenth win of the year.
Charlotte got the scoring started in the top of the third. In a scoreless game, Rutherford and Wander Franco both doubled to make it 1-0 Stone Crabs.
In the bottom of the inning, Tampa (52-63, 24-25) catcher Jason Lopez cranked a solo homer to left to tie the game 1-1.
After the Tarpons rallied for three runs in the bottom of the fourth, the Stone Crabs answered right back in the top of the fifth. Garrett Whitley led off the inning with his eighth homer of the year, a solo shot to left to make it 4-2.
After an infield single by Rutherford, Franco lined a single to the gap in left center. Tampa center fielder Esteven Florial misplayed the ball, allowing a run to score and make it 4-3. The next batter was Ronaldo Hernandez , who lined a single to right to score Franco and tie the game 4-4.
Cristopher Sanchez worked two scoreless innings in relief before Alex Valverde nailed down his third save of the year with a spotless ninth.
The Stone Crabs' win brings them to their high-water mark of the season, 25 games above five-hundred.
Charlotte will bid for a four-game sweep at 1 p.m. on Sunday. Tobias Myers (5-1, 2.71) makes the start for the Stone Crabs, opposed by Clarke Schmidt (4-4, 2.98) of the Tarpons. Coverage begins at 12:45 p.m. on the Stone Crabs Baseball Network.
