Stone Crabs take series with 9-3 win over Tarpons

Bats come alive as Stone Crabs win fourth straight

Kevin Padlo drove in two runs with two hits in Tuesday's win.

By John Vittas / Aiden Pearson

July 17, 2018

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. (July 17, 2018) - The Stone Crabs hitters put up a trio of three spots on Tuesday, claiming the series with a 9-3 win over the Tampa Tarpons at Charlotte Sports Park. Tampa (47-48,12-13) got on the board first with an early rally against Charlotte (49-44,15-11) starter Willy Ortiz

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. (July 17, 2018) - The Stone Crabs hitters put up a trio of three spots on Tuesday, claiming the series with a 9-3 win over the Tampa Tarpons at Charlotte Sports Park.

Tampa (47-48,12-13) got on the board first with an early rally against Charlotte (49-44,15-11) starter Willy Ortiz . Hoy Jun Park and Diego Castillo both singled to start the first before Brandon Wagner banged a double to deep center to make it 2-0 Tarpons.

With the score still at 2-0 in the top of the second, Angel Aguilar singled before the next two hitters were retired. After a walk, Diego Castillo singled through the right side to plate Aguilar and extend the Tampa lead to 3-0.

Trailing 3-0 in the bottom of the second, Stone Crabs right fielder Jesús Sánchez walked before Jermaine Palacios singled up the middle to put runners at first and second with nobody out. After an out and a walk loaded the bases, Kevin Padlo lined out to center to score Sanchez and make it 3-1. The next batter was Miles Mastrobuoni , who drilled a two-run triple to the gap in right center. That plated both runners to tie the game at three.

Still tied in the fifth, the Stone Crabs scored three more runs. Jesus Sanchez drove in the first run with a triple down the right field line which scored Tristian Gray, who singled to center in the previous at bat. Three batters later, Rene Pinto hit a ground-rule double, which hopped into the berm in right field, driving in Sanchez. With the bases loaded just two batters later, Mastrobuoni walked to bring home Joey Roach to make it 9-3.

The Stone Crabs would add three insurance runs in the seventh inning thanks to another double from Pinto, and singles from Padlo and Robbie Tenerowicz .

Ivan Pelaez (3-2) was awarded the win after coming in in the fifth inning. He tossed 3.2 innings of hitless baseball while striking out four Tarpons.

The Stone Crabs will go for the sweep of the Tarpons in the finale of the three-game set Wednesday at 6:35 p.m. Riley O'Brien (2-1, 2.50) makes the start for Charlotte, against Adonis Rosa (9-3, 3.91) of Tampa. Coverage begins at 6:20 p.m. on the Stone Crabs Baseball Network