The first place Sarasota Reds completed a sweep of the Clearwater Threshers on Saturday night extended their lead to four games in the division.
The Threshers got an early lead picking up a run in the first, but the Reds tied it with a run and took the lead in the fourth by picking up another. The Reds padded their lead with two more runs in the eight, before the Threshers rallied with three runs in the ninth to send the game into overtime.
Unfortunately the rally was all for nothing as the Reds tacked on three in the tenth to seal victory as the Threshers could only put up one run in the tenth as they fell 7-5 on the night.
All year long it has been pitching that has kept the team in the hunt for first, but the last few nights pitching has faltered. The team has given up 44 runs in the last five games while scoring just 18 runs in this five game skid. Before the losing streak the team had the best ERA in the league, but after the last five games they have fallen to sixth in the league.
Of course everything can't be laid on the pitchers because hitting has suffered as well. The team's batting average of .255 is ninth in the league (of twelve teams), and fifth in the division (of six teams.) This has been the longest losing streak of the year at five games, and the team now heads on the road for eight games before returning home.
It is a long season, so it is certainly not panic time, but something needs to happen soon to help the boys get a spark and regain their winning ways.
