Manatees Blank Tampa Behind Bucci
By Brevard County Manatees // August 6, 2012
Day Off Today For Team
TAMPA, FLORIDA – The Brevard County Manatees recorded their 10th shutout of the season and second in its last five games as they blanked the Tampa Yankees, 5-0 on Sunday night at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
The Manatees took two of three from the first place Yanks and are now just two games back of Tampa for the division lead.
Brevard County’s Nick Bucci (0-0, 0.00), who is recovering from an injury, made just his fifth start of the season and first outside of the Arizona League this season and threw four scoreless innings while striking out six.
The 2011 Florida State League mid-season All-Star scattered just three hits and did not walk a batter.
Brevard (24-20 second half, 53-59 overall) struck big in the fourth inning and it started with a one-out walk drawn by Jason Rogers. The ‘Tees would then record five consecutive hits including a RBI-double by Shea Vucinich, a two-run single by Cody Hawn and a RBI single from John Dishon to chase Tampa (26-18, 56-55) starter Shane Greene and take a 4-0 lead.
The Manatees would score another run in the fifth inning as Nick Shaw led off with a triple and came home two batters later on a single off the bat of Mike Walker.
Tommy Toledo relieved Bucci and earned his second win of the season as he threw three scoreless innings, while walking two and allowing two hits. Thomas Keeling would complete the shutout for Brevard as he threw a scoreless eighth and ninth, while fanning three.
The Yankees were 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position against Brevard County’s pitching staff and left runners in scoring position with two outs on six separate occasions.
Offensively for the Manatees, seven out of the starting nine in the batting order recorded a hit, with Walker notching two. Walker is currently riding a ten-game hitting streak and has recorded at least two hits in five of those games.
After an off day on Monday, Brevard County will return to Space Coast Stadium to open up a six-game homestand and a three-game series with the Dunedin Blue Jays (22-22, 64-47) on Tuesday night at 6:35 p.m.
2011 first round draft pick Taylor Jungmann (9-6, 3.79) will get the ball for the Manatees as he looks to become Brevard’s first ten-game winner since both Amaury Rivas and Evan Anundsen accomplished the feat back in 2009.
