Caro’s Bat Shines in Marauders 6-5 Loss to Threshers
Perez’s hitting streak moves to nine games, Navarro tosses scoreless outing from the ‘pen
Carlos Caro blasted a homer and a triple, but the Bradenton Marauders (8-12) allowed four runs in the eighth to eventually drop a 6-5 loss to the Clearwater Threshers (11-9) on Saturday from BayCare Ballpark. Edgleen Perez extended his hitting streak to nine games, while Reinold Navarro tossed 3.0 shutout innings from the bullpen.
In the top of the second, the Marauders began the scoring off Threshers starter Tanner Gresham. Caro parked a solo homer down the left field line to make it a 1-0 ballgame. Clearwater tied the game up in the bottom half of the inning with an RBI sacrifice fly by Robert Phelps off Bradenton starter Yonleg Gaetano.
After Clearwater plated another run off Gaetano in the bottom of the fourth, the Marauders scored again in the top of the fifth off Threshers reliever Cole Gilley. Edward Florentino walked and Murf Gray singled to put runners on second and first. A base hit by Eddie King Jr. plated Florentino to make it a 2-2 ballgame. Perez collected a base hit to score Gray and put Bradenton up 3-2.
In the top of the sixth, Caro led off with a triple off Gilley and scored on a single by Dylan Palmer to make it 4-2.
Cristian Jauregui began the eighth with a single, stole second, and moved to third on a throwing error to put a runner in scoring position. Eddie Rynders doubled off Clearwater reliever Christian McGowen, plating Jauregui to make it a 5-2 ballgame.
The Threshers scored four runs in the bottom of the eighth inning off Marauders reliever Noah Takacs, and the bats went scoreless in the ninth to finalize a 6-5 loss.
McGowan (2-0) earned the win, allowing a run on two hits and a walk over 1.0 inning. Takacs (0-3) takes the loss, letting up four runs (zero earned) on two hits and two walks over 0.2 frames. Keegan Batka (3) allowed a walk in a scoreless ninth to collect the save.
The Marauders and the Threshers play the finale of a six-game series from BayCare Ballpark on Sunday with first pitch set for 12:00 p.m. EST. RHP Levi Sterling (0-1, 7.84) starts for the Marauders, while RHP Gage Wood (0-1, 3.29) goes for the Threshers.
For more information about the Bradenton Marauders, please call 941-747-3031, visit www.BradentonMarauders.com, or email MaraudersInfo@pirates.com.