Threshers Hold Off Brevard Manatees 7-6, In Front Of Huge Crowd

By  //  July 5, 2015

crowd of 5,259 at Space Coast Stadium

Brevard-County-Manatees-580-2
There were plenty of fireworks to be had both during and after the game on Saturday night as the Clearwater Threshers (8-2, 45-35 overall) held off a late charge from the Brevard County Manatees (3-6, 32-46 overall) for a 7-6 victory in front of a crowd of 5,259 at Space Coast Stadium. (Dennis Greenblatt/Hawk-Eye Sports Photography)

BREVARD COUNTY • VIERA, FLORIDA – There were plenty of fireworks to be had both during and after the game on Saturday night as the Clearwater Threshers (8-2, 45-35 overall) held off a late charge from the Brevard County Manatees (3-6, 32-46 overall) for a 7-6 victory in front of a crowd of 5,259 at Space Coast Stadium.

The Threshers struck right away against Manatees starting pitcher Cy Sneed, who was making his first start with the team. Malquin Canelo and Carlos Tocci each singled to center to start the game.

Following an Andrew Pullin groundout, Rhys Hoskins walked. Chace Numata then tapped a ball back to Sneed, who threw home for the force out. Willians Astudillo delivered with a two-run base hit to center to put Clearwater on top.

However, the inning would come to an end during that sequence, as Numata would be thrown out trying to advance to third.

The Manatees’ first response would come in the bottom of the second against Threshers’ starting pitcher Yacksel Rios.

Cameron-Garfield-180-2
Cameron Garfield

Cameron Garfield doubled to right with one out and then advanced 90 feet on a groundout by Jose Pena.

Angel Ortega appeared to hit into a routine groundout to second but Astudillo dropped the throw at first, allowing Garfield to score and the inning to continue. That would be all the Manatees would muster for the inning as Omar Garcia fouled out to first.

Clearwater would flex their offensive muscle once again in the top of the fourth, which started with a one-out single from Numata. That brought up Astudillo, who launched a two-run homer into the Thresher bullpen in left field, his third of the season, to give the Threshers a three-run lead.

Garrett Cooper
Garrett Cooper

The ‘Tees fought back instantly once again as Garrett Cooper worked his way on with a one-out single. Garfield followed with a single and would advance to second when Mitch Walding’s throw to first went wide, moving Cooper to third in the process. With Pena at the plate, Rios threw a wild pitch, allowing Cooper to score. After Pena walked, Garfield came in to score when Ortega grounded out to first. Pena would be stranded at second when Garcia popped out on a bunt attempt.

The Threshers would give themselves some cushion over the next few innings, starting in the top of the fifth against new Manatee reliever Tristan Archer. Carlos Tocci began the activity with a one-out base hit to center.

After Pullin flew out, Tocci would swipe second with Hoskins at the plate. Hoskins would reward him by plating him on a single to left, although he would be thrown out trying to stretch for a double.

Clearwater would continue to tack on in the following frame, this time with Numata reaching on a base hit to lead off. He would advance to third on groundouts by Astudillo and Angelo Mora. Following a walk to Walding, Chase Harris’ infield single brought home Numata to extend the lead even further.

It appeared as if Clearwater had locked the game away in the top of the seventh, with Pullin as the catalyst, thanks to a one-out double to right. After Hoskins popped out, Numata placed a single down the right field line to score Pullin and put the Threshers up by four.

Things would become interesting again in the bottom half of the inning, as Brevard County would show their resolve against new Threshers reliever Miguel Nunez. Ortega got it started with a liner to left. Garcia then reached the hard way, as he would be hit on the hip by a pitch. Following a Chris McFarland flyout, Michael Ratterree brought Ortega home on a single to left.

Clint Coulter
Clint Coulter

Clint Coulter then dropped a base hit into center that scored Garcia and moved Ratterree to third. Taylor Brennan lifted a fly ball deep enough to center to allow Ratterree to sprint home and bring the Manatees within one run. Nunez’s night would come to an abrupt end following a walk to Cooper.

As Jesen Dygestile-Therrien faced his first batter, Garfield, he threw a pitch that bounced off of the foot of Numata and went up the third base line, putting both runners in scoring position.

Garfield struck one well down the right field line, but Harris was able to run it down to keep the Thresher lead in tact.

Ulises Joaquin would be responsible for recording the game’s final three outs, although it did not start well as McFarland reached on an error by Canelo.

The shifted positioning of the Thresher outfield would pay dividends as Ratterree launched a ball to left and Coulter ripped a ball to center that under circumstanced would have likely been extra bases, but instead ended up being two long outs. Victory was assured when Joaquin got Brennan to ground out to third to end the game.

Every Thresher recorded a hit on the night, with Numata collecting three. Tocci recorded two, as did Astudillo, who picked up four RBI in the process. Rios earned the win by giving up just one earned run on three hits over six innings while striking out four and walking two.

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Sneed lasted just four innings, throwing 84 pitches in the process. He gave up four runs on six hits in addition to three strikeouts and one walk. Archer threw four innings of relief, giving up three runs on seven hits. Garfield had the only multi-hit game for the Manatees, as well as the only extra-base hit.

The two teams will reconvene on Sunday at 5:05 p.m. as LHP Wei-Chung Wang (5-2, 4.72 ERA) will look to continue as his recent strong run. RHP David Whitehead (5-6, 4.06 ERA) will get the start for the Threshers.