Derby Dominates Fort Myers in 2-0 shutout

Bubba Derby

Brevard County Manatees’ hurler Bubba Derby threw 5.2 innings of shutout baseball on Monday, leading his team to a 2-0 shutout victory at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers. Derby was involved in the trade that saw left fielder Khris Davis move from Milwaukee to Oakland in February. Derby did not disappoint in his first start in the Florida State League. He kept the Miracle at bay for much of the night, allowing five hits, all singles. He did not walk a batter and struck out eight. His counterpart Felix Jorge was also making his FSL debut and pitched an impressive six innings in the loss.

Derby got the only run he would need in the second inning, which started with a Clint Coulter walk. One out later, Fidel Pena singled and Blake Allemand followed with a sharp single of his own, scoring Coulter to make it 1-0. Allemand was thrown out at second on the play. Meanwhile, Derby worked his pitches well, mixing off-speed pitches with and impressive fastball and did not flinch when faced with adversity. In the third inning he allowed back-to-back singles to Logan Wade and Edgar Corcino. After striking out Brian Navarreto, Derby got Ryan Walker to ground into a double play.

George Iskenderian

Brevard County (2-3) added a run in the fourth, with a two-out rally. After Dustin DeMuth was hit by a pitch, Jorge picked him off. That would loom large, because one out later George Iskenderian doubled to left field, which would have scored DeMuth. The sting of that missed opportunity didn’t last long, because Pena would smoke a 1-2 pitch to the centerfield gap, for an RBI triple. With that, the Manatees led, 2-0.

The Miracle (2-3) threatened again in the bottom of the frame, getting consecutive one out singles from T.J. White and Trey Vavra. That brought Alex Swim to the plate. He hit a fly ball to Coulter in right and White decided to test Coulter’s arm. That, as it usually is… was a mistake. Coulter fired it in and third baseman Jose Cuas was waiting for White. He slapped the tag on him, to end the inning. Derby went on to retire the first two hitters in the sixth inning before Manatees’ manager Joe Ayrault made a move to the bullpen after watching his starter throw 77 pitches, 55 of those for strikes.

Jon Olczak came in to spell Derby and he allowed a single to White before getting Vavra on strikes. He allowed a single to Swim in the seventh and overcame an error in that inning as well, still keeping Fort Myers off the board. Olczak gave way to Tyler Spurlin in the eighth, after throwing 1.1 innings of shutout ball and striking out two. He earned a hold, after throwing 25 pitches, 17 for strikes. Spurlin allowed a two out single in the ninth, but otherwise was clean in two innings of work, earning his second save of the season.

For more info: Brevard County @ Fort Myers boxscore

The series against the Miracle continues Tuesday night. Brandon Woodruff (0-0), 1.50 ERA will make his second start of the season for the Manatees. He will be opposed by Randy Rosario. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

Story originally appeared on the now defunct Examiner.com on 4/11/16