Thresher Cannot Redeem Themselves at Fort Myers

After the Clearwater Threshers offense went down in order to start the game, Darren Byrd took the hill for the team looking to get his first win of the season. The Miracle meanwhile were looking to maintain their domination of the Threshers and put their record at 8-0 vs the Clearwater squad this year.

It would be the Miracle who got on the board first when they picked up a single, and an RBI triple in the second inning to take an early 1-0 lead. In their next at bat the Threshers threatened when Welinson Baez got a lead off double, and moved to third on an out to Quintin Berry, but the team stranded him there and the game went on with the team still down 1-0.

The Miracle would add two more runs in the bottom of the third to extend their lead to 3-0 , and then tacked on three more runs in the fourth making it 6-0 putting the Threshers into the unenviable position of being forced to make a big comeback, and ending starter Darren Byrd's night after just four innings.

Matt German came on from the bullpen in the fifth inning to try to put a stop the the Miracle's offensive output. He gave up a lead-off single and a walk in the inning, then recorded two outs before he gave up the Miracle's seventh run of the game on a single. The Miracle then loaded the bases on a two-out walk, and earned another free pass good for their eighth run of the night as things continued to get uglier for the Threshers. The Miracle then picked up another run on an infield single off of Matt German's glove, before the ining was finally ended on a fly out to Matt Spencer in left.

The Threshers were able to avoid a shut out and put up a run in the seventh inning on a double by Jake Blalock followed by a single from John Urick that sent Blalock to third, and and RBI single from Jay Miller plated the first Threshers' run. Alan Robbins then walked to load the bases with one out bringing Welinson Baez up to bat. Baez picked up a bases-clearing triple and suddenly things were looking up a little bit for the Clearwater Threshers as they cut the Miracle advantage to 9-4 after six-and-a-half innings.

Brian Schlitter came on in relief in the seventh inning and became the third Threshers pitcher of the night to suffer at the hands of the Miracle bats as the Miracle picked up two against Schlitter to extend their lead to 11-4.

The Threshers offense managed to start a mini-rally in the ninth inning with Welinson Baez leading off and being hit by a pitch, then Jesus Villegas followed with a single to send Baez to third, after two outs Matt Spencer picked up his first hit and and RBI to make it 11-5 but that would be all the team could manage as they went out on the losing end for the 18th time this season.

Welinson Baez earned the SCHMIDT LIST player of the game with a double, triple, a HBP, and 3 RBIs in the losing effort.