PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. (August 30, 2018) - The Daytona Tortugas swept a doubleheader by scores of 2-0 and 4-2 Thursday at Charlotte Sports Park, dropping the Stone Crabs to 1.5 games out of first.The Stone Crabs (71-61, 37-28) entered the day percentage points ahead of Fort Myers for first, and
PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. (August 30, 2018) - The Daytona Tortugas swept a doubleheader by scores of 2-0 and 4-2 Thursday at Charlotte Sports Park, dropping the Stone Crabs to 1.5 games out of first.
The Stone Crabs (71-61, 37-28) entered the day percentage points ahead of Fort Myers for first, and will now have to make up two games over the final three days of the season.
In Game 1, both teams were held scoreless through the first five innings. In the top of the sixth, Daytona (68-64, 31-35) right fielder Stuart Fairchild drilled a double to lead off the inning. After a Taylor Trammell single put runners at the corners, a stolen base and intentional walk loaded the bases with one out. Tyler Stephenson then drew a walk to force home a run and make it 1-0 Tortugas. The next batter was Bruce Yari, who drove home a run on a fielder's choice to cap the scoring at 2-0.
Stone Crabs starter Josh Fleming (3-3) allowed just two runs on three hits over seven innings, striking out two while walking four. He turned in the team's fifth complete game of the year.
Tejay Antone (6-3) went six scoreless frames for the Tortugas, allowing five hits and one walk. He pitched out of a bases loaded jam in the first and surrendered just two hits after that.
In Game 2, The Tortugas took the lead right from the get-go. Stuart Fairchild singled to left before Randy Ventura reached on an infield single. After a lineout, Daytona executed a double steal to move the runners to second and third. After a walk loaded the bases with two outs, Michael Beltre rolled a ground ball to Stone Crabs shortstop Jermaine Palacios . Palacios bobbled the ball and Beltre beat out the play at first, as two runs scored to give Daytona a 2-0 lead.
Still up by two in the top of the second, Charlotte starter J.D. Busfield (3-4) hit John Sansone with a pitch. Alberti Chavez then ripped a triple to the right field corner to score Sansone and make it 3-0. The next batter was Fairchild, who doubled to the gap in right to make it 4-0.
Busfield surrendered four runs (two earned) on four hits over two innings while fanning one and walking one. Orlando Romero went four scoreless innings in relief before Trevor Charpie turned in a perfect seventh.
The Stone Crabs cut the deficit to 4-2 in the sixth on a two-run home run by Jake Fraley , but were unable to push anything else across.
The Stone Crabs will begin a four-game series with the Florida Fire Frogs by playing a doubleheader at 4 p.m. on Friday. Coverage of the twin bill starts at 3:45 p.m. on the Stone Crabs Baseball Network.
