Manatees Plagued by Missed Opportunities in Loss to Tampa

Luis Severino
Luis Severino
The Brevard County Manatees wrapped up a six-game homestand on Sunday, with the series finale against the Tampa Yankees. Tampa used the long ball again Sunday, as Jake Skole took Manatees hurler Bubba Derby deep twice, carrying the Yankees to a 6-4 victory and the sweep.

Saturday, Miguel Andujar did the Manatees in with his two homers against Eric Hanhold and Sunday it was Skole, who started the scoring in the third with a solo blast to start the inning. When the ball left the bat, it didn’t seem like it had enough to get out, but Manatees’ right fielder Clint Coulter, who looked to have it in his sights, watched it sail up and out, giving the Yankees a 1-0 lead.

The Manatees did have nine hits in the game, but most of those came in the middle and late innings. Early on, they had to face Major League rehabber, Luis Severino who’s been on the DL since May 14, with a right triceps strain. His road back to the Big Apple, started at Space Coast Stadium. 

Severino gave up a single to Angel Ortega in the first inning and a double off the wall in left to Elvis Rubio in the second, but was pretty clean otherwise.
The Yankees starter threw three innings Sunday, with two strikeouts and those two hits. His right arm showed no ill-effects, as he threw 43 pitches, 27 for strikes. Gabe Encinas took over in the fourth inning and the Manatees got to him quickly. Coulter was hit by a pitch with one out and stole second. 

Adam Weisenburger flew out to center, moving Coulter to third. He would later score on a wild pitch, tying the game at 1-1. It didn’t stay that way long.

Skole led off in the fifth and wasted little time putting his team ahead. He dropped a 438-foot bomb on the Manatees, complete with a bat flip. It was an impressive home run and though there aren’t many guys in the Florida State League who pull a bat flip from their repertoire, this was probably worthy. The Yankees would add another run, thanks to an error and a sac fly by Jorge Mateo, pushing the lead to 3-1.

Brevard County (16-34) answered back in the bottom of the frame, as Encinas ran into some control problems. After getting the first out, he walked Jose Cuas, Brandon Diaz and Johnny Davis consecutively to load the bases. Angel Ortega dealt the big blow with a two-run double, trying the game at three. Matt Marsh came out of the bullpen and struck out Dustin DeMuth to end the threat.

Tampa (32-19) got to Derby again in the sixth, with one out. Michael O’Neill singled and stole second, before Zach Zehner drew a walk. Josh Uhen was called on to get the Manatees out of the inning and he recorded the second out, before walking Skole. Then things got ugly. With the bases loaded, Wes Wilson hit a ball to Ortega at short, who couldn’t come up with it cleanly, allowing two runs to score, giving the visitors a 5-3 lead.
The Manatees got the first two guys on in the sixth and came up empty, they left a runner at second in the seventh, they had runners at second and third in the eighth… all stranded. In a 5-3 game, those runners were the difference between a win and a loss.

“The key to this ballgame was we had plenty of opportunities, but we were only 2-for-16 with runners in scoring position,” said Manatees manager Joe Ayrault. “Guys did a nice job setting the table and getting on base, just gotta find a way to come up with the big hit and get it done.”

The T-Yanks added a run in the top of the ninth on an Austin Aune RBI single. Brevard County came back in the bottom of the frame, with a run scoring single from Coulter to make it 6-4. Weisenburger followed with a walk, loading the bases yet again for the Manatees, but Fidel Pena popped out
and Rubio flew out, ending the game. “I liked the heart, guys battled Ayrault said. “They’re going out there every day and competing, that’s all I can ask for.”

For more info: Tampa @ Brevard County boxscore


Ortega (2-for-4), Weisenburger (2-for-4) and Fidel Pena (2-for-5) accounted for six of the Manatees nine hits. Tampa got two hits each from Abiatal Avelino, Zehner Skole and Wilson. The Florida State League is off on Monday, but the Manatees return to action Tuesday in Lakeland. First pitch is set for 6:00 p.m.

This article originally appeared on the now defunct Examiner.com on 5/29/16

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