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Everybody Hits! Tarpons’ offense explodes for 17 runs

Roderick Arias watches his 3-run homer leave the park in the bottom of the third inning. (Mark LoMoglio)
By Jake Berend
June 7, 2024

TAMPA, Fla. - Every starter in the Tampa Tarpons (20-35) lineup racked up at least one hit in Friday night’s victory over the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels (27-28) at GMS Field, 17-7. SS Roderick Arias (3-for-6, 1R, 1 triple, 1HR, 6RBI) led the offense for Tampa, tallying a team-high eight

TAMPA, Fla. - Every starter in the Tampa Tarpons (20-35) lineup racked up at least one hit in Friday night’s victory over the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels (27-28) at GMS Field, 17-7. SS Roderick Arias (3-for-6, 1R, 1 triple, 1HR, 6RBI) led the offense for Tampa, tallying a team-high eight total bases while driving in six runs. LF Willy Montero (3-for-5, 3R, 2RBI) had his second consecutive three-hit game in the victory.

RHP Gabriel Barbosa (3.2IP, 5H, 5R, 4BB, 6K, 1HR) was serviceable and did his job to keep the Tarpons in the game. Barbosa found success when pounding the zone with his six-pitch mix. He recorded a whiff rate of 49% across all of his pitches on the night. Barbosa’s best frame came in the third when he worked a 1-2-3 inning with two strikeouts.

In the top of the second, with Issac Pena on second base after a walk and a stolen base, Ryan McCarthy stepped up to the dish with two away. He dumped a double inside the right field line to bring home Pena. The next batter, Payton Eeles, sent a base hit to left field, which brought in McCarthy, extending Fort Myers’ lead to two.

With one away in the home half of the second, DH Hans Montero singled on a blooper to shallow center field. H. Montero advanced to second on a balk and then swiped third base. C Tomas Frick drew a free pass to bring up RF Daury Arias. D. Arias turned on a high fastball, sending it over the right field wall to give the Tarpons the lead, 3-2. The go-ahead shot left the bat at 102.9 MPH, had a launch angle of 41 degrees, and traveled 390 feet.

The Tarpons loaded the bases in the third. CF Jackson Castillo walked, and H. Montero and W. Montero both singled. Frick drew the second walk of the inning to bring home Castillo and keep the bases juiced. Aaron Holiday’s command on the mound continued to be poor as he walked D. Arias, which gave Tampa a 5-2 lead. Fort Myers turned to Paulshawn Pasqualotto to escape the jam with the top of the Tarpons’ lineup coming up. Lombard Jr. stepped up to the plate and extended the lead with a SAC-fly to center field. The damage didn’t stop there, as R. Arias destroyed his third home run of the year into the right field seats with a three-run shot to extend Tampa’s lead to seven.

The Mighty Mussels kept the offense coming in the fourth. Maddux Houghton, and Pena walked to set up Fort Myers. Carlos Aguiar lined his first homer of the season just over the wall in right-center field to pull Fort Myers back within four.

2B Max Burt led off the fourth with a double for the first hit of his rehab assignment. H. Montero bounced a ground ball to short that was bobbled, which put runners on the corners for Tampa. H. Montero and Burt pulled off a double steal to put the Tarpons into double digits. H. Montero took off for second, and Burt delayed his steal until the throw down to second was made, allowing him to slide into home plate just ahead of the throw. W. Montero demolished his second long ball of the year off the Pepsi sign on the scoreboard to pad Tampa’s lead.

Tampa’s hit parade continued in the fifth, starting with a two-out single from 1B Dylan Jasso. Castillo also singled, which put every Tarpon in the hit column. Burt hit his second double in as many innings over the glove of McCarthy in right field to bring home two more runs, putting Tampa’s total at fourteen through five innings.

Would you guess what happened in the sixth? The Tarpons scored again! This time, putting up three runs in the sixth. W. Montero picked up his third hit of the night with a single to center field. D. Arias and Lombard Jr. singled to load the bases for R. Arias. R. Arias also picked up his third hit of the game, lining a bases-clearing triple off the base of the center field wall.

The Mighty Mussels added a pair in the eighth. Pena reached first via a free pass, and Aguiar sent his second home run of the night to right field.

The Tarpons will be back at it against the Mighty Mussels tomorrow night, with RHP Luis Serna projected on the mound. Join the Tarpons tomorrow as we recognize cancer survivors and caregivers, raise awareness, and celebrate life! All cancer survivors and cancer specialists will receive free entry to the game!