TAMPA, Fla. (June 2, 2017) - Dalton Kelly and Jake Cronenworth both reached base three times Friday, but the Charlotte Stone Crabs blew a pair of multi-run leads in a 7-5 loss to the Tampa Yankees at Steinbrenner Field.With Charlotte (25-27) down 1-0 in the top of the third, Cronenworth
TAMPA, Fla. (June 2, 2017) - Dalton Kelly and Jake Cronenworth both reached base three times Friday, but the Charlotte Stone Crabs blew a pair of multi-run leads in a 7-5 loss to the Tampa Yankees at Steinbrenner Field.
With Charlotte (25-27) down 1-0 in the top of the third, Cronenworth and Ryan Boldt both singled to put runners at first and second. Brandon Lowe followed with a base hit to center to score Cronenworth. Yankees (28-27) center fielder Jorge Mateo then muffed the baseball, allowing Boldt to score and give the Stone Crabs a 2-1 lead. After Tampa starter Erik Swanson left due to injury, Brett Sullivan cranked an RBI double to right to give Charlotte a 3-1 advantage.
After the Yankees scored one run in the third and fourth to make it 3-3, Boldt walked to lead off the top of the fifth. After a Lowe infield single moved Boldt to second, the runners pulled off a double steal. Two batters later, Kelly struck an opposite-field two-run double to left center to give the Stone Crabs a 5-3 lead.
Still up by that count in the bottom of the sixth, Tampa second baseman Nick Solak reached on an infield single against Stone Crabs reliever Jairo Munoz (0-1). After a stolen base and wild pitch move Solak to third, Austin Aune lined a ball to deep left to bring in Solak and make it 5-4 Charlotte. With two outs, Wes Wilson singled before Mateo lined an RBI triple to the wall in right to give the Yankees a 6-5 lead. Mateo then scored on a wild pitch to give Tampa a 7-5 advantage.
Yankees reliever Anyelo Gómez (2-1) went three shutout innings to earn the win, while Dillon McNamara dealt a scoreless ninth to earn his eighth save.
The Stone Crabs will head to Clearwater to open a four-game series with the Threshers at 6:15 p.m. Saturday. Benton Moss (1-0, 0.00) makes the start for Charlotte against José Taveras (4-2, 2.26) of Clearwater. Coverage begins at 6 p.m. on the Stone Crabs Baseball Network.
