Manatees Hold On To Top Tampa 5-4
By Brevard County Manatees // August 9, 2013
'tees will try to sweep Tampa tonight at 6:35
BREVARD COUNTY • VIERA, FLORIDA – The Brevard County Manatees used a strange fourth inning to take the lead and they were able to hold on to it for a 5-4 win over the Tampa Yankees on Thursday night at Space Coast Stadium.
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Heading into the fourth, the Manatees (20-24 second half, 57-54 overall) and the Yankees (21-22, 49-62) were deadlocked at 2-2. That changed in the bottom half of the frame when the ‘Tees were able to push two runs across on two hits, a walk, and a Tampa error.
With one out in the fourth, Cameron Garfield reached base via a throwing error by Tampa third baseman Peter O’Brien. Cody Hawn followed Garfield with a walk.
Greg Hopkins then popped a pitch up on the left side of the diamond that would get over the head of O’Brien and reach the outfield grass. Garfield, cautiously holding at second base, was then forced out at third when shortstop Ali Castillo retrieved the ball in left field and fired a strike to Yankees’ pitcher, Scottie Allen, who was covering the bag.
With Hawn on second and Hopkins at first, Brandon Macias hit a ground ball into the hole between Castillo and O’Brien. O’Brien dove and deflected the ball into left field for a single. Hawn came around from second base to score the go-ahead run.
The defensive struggles for the Yankees did not end there though. D’Vontrey Richardson then came up and popped a ball up into shallow left field. With Castillo going out and left fielder Ben Gamel charging in, Gamel slid attempting to avoid a collision.
The ball landed in Castillo’s mitt, but Gamel was unsuccessful in avoiding contact with his teammate. Gamel slid into Castillo, causing him to drop the ball and allow Hopkins to score Brevard’s second run of the inning. Richardson was credited with a double as he ended up on second base on the play.
Both the ‘Tees and the Yankees scored a pair of runs each in the first inning. Tampa scored both of its runs on a two-run home run of the bat of O’Brien. The Manatees scored their runs on a bases-loaded infield single by Mitch Haniger and a sacrifice fly off of the bat of Garfield.
BREVARD COUNTY TAKES A 4-2 LEAD
After the Brevard County took the 4-2 lead in the fourth, the ‘Tees tacked on another run in the bottom of the fifth inning when Hawn singled in Nick Ramirez from second base.
The Yankees were able to cut the ‘Tees lead to just one run after they plated two runs in the top of the eighth inning.
With Matt Miller on the mound and the bases loaded, the Manatees defense was unable to turn a 6-4-3 double play off of the bat of Taylor Dugas, who beat the relay throw to first as Tampa scored their first run of the inning.
Jose Toussen then singled in the second run of the frame, making the game a 5-4 contest.
Santo Manzanillo then replaced Miller on the mound. Manzanillo was able to escape the eighth inning jam with just one pitch and then faced the minimum in the ninth inning to notch his second save of the season for the ‘Tees.
Both starting pitchers earned decisions as Jacob Barnes (7-5, 3.22 ERA) earned the win and Scottie Allen was hung with the loss. Both Barnes and Allen went six innings each, as Barnes allowed two runs on six hits and Allen yielded five runs on nine hits.
The win for Barnes marked the first victory recorded by a Brevard County starting pitcher since Chad Pierce earned the win against Palm Beach back on July 12.
The Manatees will go for the three-game sweep of the Yankees on Friday night with first pitch set for 6:35 p.m.
Mark Rogers (0-0, 9.00) gets the start for the ‘Tees. Tomorrow will be Rogers’ second Major League rehab start in Brevard County. Tampa will be sending Bryan Mitchell (4-10, 4.84) to the mound.