Threshers Sweep Doubleheader in Viera

Trey York's first Advanced-A hit

The Clearwater Threshers helped bolster their playoff position, picking up a doubleheader sweep of the Manatees on Tuesday, ending a marathon night of baseball. The Threshers won game one, 2-1 and completed the sweep with a 3-2 win in game two.

Following the suspension of Monday night’s game, in the bottom of the second, the two teams were scheduled to resume play at 5:00 p.m. Tuesday. That didn’t happen, the teams sat through another 2 hour, 50-minute rain delay, before finally being able to pick up the first game, in the bottom of the second inning.

Phil Bickford started the first game Monday, getting the first two Threshers out before walking the bases loaded. Jiandido Tromp bailed him out with a foul out to third. The Threshers were able to get on the board, just prior to the suspension Monday, thanks to a single by Carlos Tocci. That was the third single of the inning and gave the Threshers a 1-0 lead.

The rain came at that point on Monday and the game was suspended. Marcos Diplan was called on to pick things up for the Manatees on the mound Tuesday night and pitched well, giving up a single run in the fourth inning.

Tocci came through again, this time with a double, scoring Malquin Canelo, who singled and stole second earlier in the inning, giving the visitors a 2-0 lead.

Clearwater starter Tommy Bergjans walked Dustin Houle in the second inning and one out later, Trey York picked up his first hit as a member of the Manatees, a single. Bergjans went on to retire the next 10 batters he faced, a streak that ended when the bottom of the sixth began.

Corey Ray's 5th home run of the season

Corey Ray, who made a couple nice running catches in the field earlier in the game came up and hit one deep over the right field wall, his fifth of the season and second at Space Coast Stadium. That closed the gap to 2-1, but the Manatees were unable to get that tying run, as the offense stalled in the late innings.

Diplan suffered the effects of the Manatees offensive struggles, pitching all seven of Tuesday’s innings. He allowed four hits, one run, walked one and struck out nine. He threw 91 pitches (63 strikes). Bickford took the loss after giving up a run a run on three hits Monday. He walked four and struck out two, throwing 48 pitches, 23 for strikes.

For more info: Clearwater @ Brevard County boxscore (game 1)

The first game took 1:32 minutes to play with a total delay time between Monday and Tuesday, of 3:46. The Manatees were outhit 7-4 in game one.

Game two officially got underway at 10:18 p.m. and the scoring got underway quickly. Clearwater got two in the top of the first against Manatees starter Bubba Derby. Tocci was at it again with a one out double and Chace Numata drove him in with one of his own. Kyle Martin followed them with an RBI triple and just like that, it was 2-0.

The Manatees (38-95, 15-50) came back in the bottom of the second with two of their own, against Threshers starter Austin Davis. Wendell Rijo and Trey York hit back-to-back one out singles and both rode home on a double by Jose Cuas, tying the game at two. Cuas tried to stretch into a triple, but was thrown out.

Elvis Rubio near catch

Yacksel Rios took over for Clearwater in the bottom of the third after getting two outs and leaving a runner at second. After hitting Blake Allemand, Rios got Elvis Rubio in strikes, ending the inning.

Derby gave up a leadoff triple to Tromp to start the fourth inning and one out later, Canelo drove a ball to give the visitors a 3-2 lead.

Derby (6-12) gave up a single and a walk in the fifth, before being lifted for Jon Olczak, who got Josh Tobias swinging, to end the threat. Derby was credited with 4.2 innings pitched, giving up seven hits and three earned runs. He walked one and struck out one, throwing 91 pitches, 56 for strikes.

Ulises Joaquin took over for Rios in the sixth inning and despite giving up a two out double to Malik Collymore, he got Cuas to foul out to right field. With that, the Threshers (80-53, 40-24) finished off the sweep and Joaquin picked up his 10^th save.

For more info: Clearwater @ Brevard County boxscore (game 2)

As they did in game one, the Manatees were held to four hits. They all came from their 5-8 hitters in the lineup, Rijo, York, Collymore and Cuas.

The series wraps up on Wednesday, when the two teams meet in their last ever head-to-head game at 6:35 p.m.

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