Brevard Manatees Defeat Charlotte 3-1, Ortega Throws Complete Game
By Brevard County Manatees // May 30, 2015
BREVARD COUNTY • VIERA, FLORIDA – Jorge Ortega has delivered just about every time he’s taken the mound this season for the Brevard County Manatees (20-27) and Friday night may have been his best performance of the season, throwing a complete game in a 3-1 win over the Charlotte Stone Crabs (32-16) at Space Coast Stadium to help the Manatees earn a split of the four game series with the league leaders.
The Manatees would provide Ortega all the run support he would need in the bottom of the fourth inning.
The rally started with a one-out single by Jonathan Lucroy deep in the hole at shortstop. After Clint Coulter flew out, Victor Roache launched a pitch from Stone Crab reliever Eduar Quinonez over the batters’ eye in centerfield for a two-run homer to give the ‘Tees the lead.
The home run, which traveled an estimated 439 feet, was his ninth of the season which tied him with Coulter for the league in that category as well as RBI with 30.
Brevard County would tack on one more in the inning when Taylor Brennan drew a walk following the home run.
Brennan then stole second with Garrett Cooper at the plate. Shortly after the steal, Cooper hit one back up the middle that would deflect off of the bag at second and into right center, allowing Brennan to come around and make it 3-0.
The Stone Crabs’ one true threat in the ballgame came in the top of the eighth which started with a double to left center by Braxton Lee.
After a foul out to first by Dayron Varona, Ortega got Kean Wong to tap one back to the mound and then caught Lee hung up between second and third, initiating a rundown involving Brennan and Angel Ortega, which eventually ended with Brennan tagging out Lee before he could get back to second.
That brought Willy Adames to the plate, and he would be the one to get Charlotte on the board as he ripped a double to the wall in right center, bringing Wong all the way around from first.
The danger would end there as Ortega coaxed a flyout to center from Jake Bauers.
Ortega finished with an exclamation point as he struck out Maxx Tissenbaum to retire the side in order in the ninth for his league-leading third complete game of the season.
For the evening, Jorge Ortega gave up just that one run on 7 hits, striking out four and walking none, his third straight start without issuing a free pass. The gem is made all the more impressive by the fact that he did it on 96 pitches, 78 of which went for strikes.
Lucroy went one-for-four at the plate with two groundouts and a flyout to the gap in right center. He’s expected to play behind the plate Saturday night.
Stone Crabs starting pitcher Taylor Guerrieri was lifted after three innings and 35 pitches as he continues to recover following Tommy John Surgery.
However, he was dominant while on the mound, retiring all nine hitters he faced, five via strikeout.
The Manatees return to North Division play on Saturday night as they begin a three-game series with the Lakeland Flying Tigers.
RHP Eric Marzec (0-2, 5.40 ERA) gets the ball against RHP Jonathan Maciel (2-4, 5.21 ERA) at 6:35 P.M.
