Brevard Manatees Rally Back Against Clearwater Threshers, 6-4 Road Win
By Brevard County Manatees // May 5, 2015
BREVARD COUNTY • VIERA , FLORIDA – The Brevard County Manatees (11-13) scored four runs in the final three innings during a 6-4 victory over the Clearwater Threshers (12-13) on Monday night at Bright House Field.
Brevard County opened the scoring in the top of the second. Garrett Cooper drew a leadoff walk. After back-to-back outs, Cooper stole second. Angel Ortega singled up the middle to open the scoring.
The Threshers tied the score in the bottom half of the frame. Zach Green hit a solo home run against Manatees starter Brandon Woodruff. Woodruff did not factor into the decision. He allowed three runs on five hits and three walks over 5.2 innings. He fanned four.
The ‘Tees took the lead in the third. With one out, Chris McFarland reached on a bunt single. Taylor Brennan then grounded out to the first, but advanced McFarland up to second. McFarland stole third before Clint Coulter drew a walk to put men on the corners with two outs.
Victor Roache stepped up and drilled an RBI double to left field to plate McFarland.
The 2-1 score would hold until the fifth. Woodruff plunked the leadoff man, Devin Lohman. Chase Harris then sacrificed Lohman up to second. Lohman would score on an RBI single to center by Drew Stankiewicz that tied the game at two.
The Threshers took the lead in the very next inning on a sacrifice fly by Willians Astudillo.
The Manatees plated a run in the seventh to tie the game. Steven Halcomb drew a walk with nobody out. Ortega then singled to left. Omar Garcia sacrificed the runners to second and third.
The Threshers summoned Edubray Ramos (1-2, 2.93 ERA) from the bullpen to face McFarland. He hit a deep drive to center that was tracked down by Harris. The first baseman, Astudillo, cut the ball off, but threw the ball away.
Angel Ortega tried to score as well, but the catcher, Andrew Knapp, picked the ball up at the backstop and threw to a covering Astudillo at the plate in time to get Ortega.
The tie would not last long, however. In the top of the eighth, Brennan worked a leadoff walk. Three batters later, Brennan stole second with two outs. Cooper crushed a double to center to score Brennan and give the Manatees a 4-3 lead.
Brevard County added to the lead in the ninth against Ulises Joaquin. With two outs, Garcia singled up the middle. After a McFarland single, Brennan walked to load the bases. Coulter pulled a single to left to score Garcia and McFarland. The ‘Tees led, 6-3.
Casey Medlen was summoned from the bullpen for the bottom half of the ninth. Green singled and Lohman doubled to start things off. Harris then walked to load the bases. Stankiewicz hit a sacrifice fly to right and trim the Brevard County lead to two. Medlen retired Andrew Pullin and Knapp to end the game.
It was Medlen’s fourth save of the year.
Trevor Seidenberger (2-0, 0.00 ERA) was credited with the win in relief. He tossed 2.1 shutout innings and allowed just one hit. Seidenberger has not allowed a run in his first 10.1 innings of work this season.
Ramos was tagged with the loss. He allowed the go-ahead run on Cooper’s eighth inning double.
The Manatees and Threshers will play game two of the series tomorrow night at Bright House Field.
First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Javi Salas (1-2, 2.16 ERA) will start for Brevard County. Colin Kleven (2-1, 5.09 ERA) will toe the rubber for Clearwater.
