Stone Crabs Fall Late in Loss to St Lucie

Taylor Motter had two doubles, a walk, 2 runs scored and a stolen base on Tuesday night.

Despite holding the lead much of the night, the Stone Crabs were unable to escape the bottom of the ninth as they fell to the St Lucie Mets 7-6 on Tuesday night. The Stone Crabs offense combined for six doubles and led in hitting, but it was the bottom of then late inning heroics of the home team that would prove to be the difference.

The Stone Crabs wasted no time in taking an early lead, going right to work in the first inning. Drew Vettleson struck a two out single to center to put a runner on the bases. Richie Shaffer then delivered his twelfth double of the season to score Vettleson and give the Stone Crabs a 1-0 victory.

The Stone Crabs came close to pushing across another run in the second. This time it was Jeff Malm with a double to center to put a runner in scoring position. Then Willie Argo singled to right to advance Malm. Malm was given the green light from manager Brady Williams to go home but a strong throw by right fielder Charley Thurber got Malm at the plate to end the inning.

The Stone Crabs added to their lead in the third. Taylor Motter drew a walk to lead of the frame. He then stole second and advanced to third on a single by Kes Carter. With runners on the corners, Vettleson hit into a force out with Motter scoring on the play and the Stone Crabs grabbing a 2-0 lead.

St Lucie got on the scoreboard in the fourth inning. Matt Reynolds tripled to center to lead off the inning. He scored on an RBI single by Charley Thurber to cut the lead in half 2-1.

The Stone Crabs decided to go to the bullpen in the fifth inning, bringing reliever Andrew Bellatti into the game. Bellatti quickly found trouble, giving up a double to TJ Rivera and later a two run homer to Reynolds to give the Mets their first lead of the night.

The Stone Crabs capitalized on St Lucie errors to regain the lead in the sixth. Alejandro Segovia singled to right to lead off the inning. Curt Casali tied the game with a double to left, scoring Segovia. Casali then scored on an errant throw on the play to give the Stone Crabs a 4-3 lead.

The Stone Crabs added to their lead in the top of the seventh inning. Motter doubled to left and then scored on an RBI single by Vettleson. Vettleson later scored on a wild pitch to increase the lead to 6-3.

St Lucie tied the game once again in the seventh inning. Reynolds doubled home Matt den Dekker. Then Dustin Lawley struck a two run homer to tie the game 6-6.

The tied held until the bottom of the ninth where Lawley struck again. This time it was a game winning RBI double to score Rivera and give the Mets a 7-6 win.

Lenny Linsky was charged with a blown save and the loss. Hamilton Bennett was the winning pitcher for St Lucie.

The Stone Crabs will wrap up the series and the first half of the season on Wednesday. They send Ryan Carpenter to the mound to face Rainy Lara for St Lucie.

Box Summary

Hitters

• Taylor Motter (2B): 2 for 4 with 2 doubles and 2 runs scored
• Kes Carter (CF): 1 for 4
• Drew Vettleson (RF): 2 for 5 with 2 RBI’s and 2 runs scored
• Richie Shaffer (3B): 2 for 5 with 2 doubles and an RBI
• Alejandro Segovia (DH): 3 for 5 with a run scored
• Hector Guevara (SS): 0 for 5
• Jeff Malm (1B): 1 for 3 with an RBI and a double
• Curt Casali (C): 1 for 3 with a double and a run scored
• Willie Argo (LF): 1 for 4

Pitchers

• Parker Markel: 1 run on 4 hits with 3 strikeouts and 3 walks in 4 innings
• Andrew Bellatti: 4 runs on 5 hits with a strikeout and a walk
• Lenny Linsky (Loss, 1-5): 2 runs on 3 hits with 2 strikeouts and a walk in 1 2/3 innings

 

Brett to DL, Brandt optioned to Hudson Valley

Ryan Brett to DL

According to Sun Coast Sports, Ryan Brett was placed on the seven-day DL, retroactive to June 12, on Tuesday afternoon due to a dislocated shoulder. Before his injury, the second baseman was riding a five game hitting streak, and over his prior 10 games was batting .421 with six RBIs. Brett was a third round draft pick for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2010, and hails from Highline High School in Washington.

Additionally, LHP Kevin Brandt was optioned to Hudson Valley. In six games, Brandt’s ERA totaled 4.16 and his record sat at 1-0. Brandt was drafted in the 18^th round of the 2012 amateur draft by the Rays out of East Carolina University.

Alumni Highlights from 6/17

Here is a look at the top alumni performances from last night.

• Leslie Anderson (Durham Bulls-Rays): 3 for 3 with a triple, 3 RBI’s and 3 runs scored
• Tim Beckham (Durham Bulls-Rays): 2 for 3 with 2 RBI’s and 2 runs scored
• Robi Estrada (Montgomery Biscuits – Rays): had a two run homer
• Matt Fields (Northwest Arkansas Naturals-Royals): 3 for 4 with 2 home runs, 3 RBI’s and 3 runs scored
• Jake Floethe (Montgomery Biscuits – Rays): earned his first AA victory
• Kyeong Kang (Montgomery Biscuits – Rays): 2 for 4 with a double, home run and 3 runs scored
• Kevin Kiermaier (Montgomery Biscuits – Rays): 3 for 5 with a run scored
• Adam Liberatore (Durham Bulls – Rays): 2 no-hit innings with 2 strikeouts
• Omar Luna (El Paso Diablos – Independent): had 2 RBI’s
• Mikie Mahtook (Montgomery Biscuits – Rays): 2 for 5 with a double, RBI and a run scored
• CJ Riefenhauser (Montgomery Biscuits – Rays): 1 2/3 no-hit innings with 4 strikeouts for the save
• Riccio Torrez (Montgomery Biscuits – Rays):2 for 5 with 4 RBI’s
• Stephen Vogt (Sacramento River Cats-Athletics): 2 for 4 with a double and 2 RBI’s

Stone Crabs Shut-Out in Series Opener Against St Lucie

Shay Crawford pitched 2 2/3 scoreless innings of relief

The Stone Crabs were shut-out by the St Lucie Mets 3-0 in the first game of a three game series on Monday night at Tradition Field.

The Stone Crabs picked up the first hit on the evening on a single by Jeff Malm in the third inning.

Both starting pitchers dueled through four scoreless innings before the Met broke through and scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth. Cam Maron and Albert Cordero each had an RBI double and Matt den Dekker drove home a run to give the Mets a 3-0 lead.

Shay Crawford pitched 2 2/3 scoreless innings and Bruedlin Suero came of the DL to throw a scoreless frame to keep the game from getting out of hand. But the Stone Crabs were unable to avoid the shut-out as they were held scoreless the remainder of the evening.

Roberto Gomez suffered the loss for the Stone Crabs. Matt Bowman was the winner for St Lucie and TJ Chism got the save.

The series continues on Tuesday night at Tradition Field. Parker Markel will be on the hill for the Stone Crabs against Alex Panteliodis for St Lucie.

Box Summary

Hitters

• Taylor Motter (SS): 0 for 4
• Kes Carter (CF): 1 for 4
• Drew Vettleson (RF): 2 for 4
• Richie Shaffer (3B): 0 for 3
• Hector Guevara (2B): 0 for 4
• Alejandro Segovia (DH): 1 for 3
• Jeff Malm (1B): 2 for 4
• Luke Bailey (C): 0 for 3
• Willie Argo (LF): 0 for 3

Pitchers

• Roberto Gomez: 3 runs on 5 hits with 2 strikeouts and a walk
• Shay Crawford: 2 2/3 scoreless innings with 2 strikeouts
• Bruedlin Suero: 1 scoreless inning with a walk and 2 strikeouts

Former Stone Crab Jensen Released by St Paul

Former Stone Crabs pitcher George Jensen has been released by the St Paul Saints of the independent American Association. Jensen appeared in 7 games for the Saints and was 0-3 with a 11.17 ERA and 12 strikeouts.

Jensen was a member for the Stone Crabs in 2012, pitching in 34 games for the Stone Crabs.

Series Preview: St Lucie Mets

The Stone Crabs return from the All-Star break with a three game series on the road against the St Lucie Mets to wrap up the first half of the 2013 season. The Stone Crabs are 4-5 on the year against St Lucie include a 1-2 split on the road at Tradition Field. The Stone Crabs are hitting .232 against the Mets and have a team ERA of 3.70.

The Stone Crabs head into the series with a 29-35 record and are in fourth place in the FSL South Division. The Mets are to spots ahead of them in the standings with a 34-30 record. Both teams have been eliminated from the playoffs as Fort Myers has already clinched the first half championship.

By the Numbers

Stone Crabs		St Lucie
29-35	Record	34-30
.265	Batting Avg	.244
.395	Slugging Pct	.370
.325	On Base Pct	.317
248	Runs Scored	289
551	Hits	528
112	Doubles	127
21	Triples	14
38	Home Runs	39
73	Stolen Bases	27
4.39	Earned Run Avg	3.34
301	Runs Against	234
461	Strikeouts	504
1.40	Walk/Hit per Inning Pitched	1.27

Players to Watch
OF Dustin Lawley (FSL All-Star)
P Luis Mateo (Mets #4 Prospect by Baseball America)
IF TJ Rivera (lead St Lucie in hitting, FSL All-Star)
P Noah Syndergaard (leads St Lucie in pitching, FSL All-Star)
P Domingo Tapia (Mets #9 Prospect by Baseball America)

Matchups
6/17/13: CHA Roberto Gomez (3-6, 5.98) vs STL Domingo Tapia (2-4, 3.40) at Tradition Field
6/18/13: CHA Parker Markel (3-4, 6.55) vs STL Alex Panteliodis (2-2, 3.03) at Tradition Field
6/19/13: CHA Ryan Carpenter (6-3, 3.60) vs STL TBA at Tradition Field

Travel Guide
The St. Lucie Mets play their home games at Tradition Field which is located at 525 NW Peacock Blvd in Port St. Lucie, Florida. The stadium is 136 miles or just under 3 hours from Charlotte Sports Park.

Tickets for games at Tradition Field can be purchased by visiting www.stluciemets.com and are $8.50 for premium seats (first three rows section 110-113 or first two rows section 106-109) or $6.50 for general admission. Full-Season Ticket holders with the Stone Crabs can use their VIP card for free admission to the Stone Crabs road games in St. Lucie.

The official FSL hotel and hotel for the SpringHill Suites by Marriott located at 2000 NW Courtyard Cir in Port St. Lucie. Rooms start at about $69 a night. You can call them at (772) 871-2929 or visit their website for more information.

Alumni Highlights from 6/16

Here is a look at the top alumni performances from last night.

• Nevin Ashley (Louisville Bats-Reds): 2 for 4 with a double
• Derek Dietrich (Miami Marlins): had a double
• Robi Estrada (Montgomery Biscuits – Rays): had a double and an RBI
• Austin Hubbard (Montgomery Biscuits – Rays): pitched a scoreless frame
• Kevin Kiermaier (Montgomery Biscuits – Rays): 3 for 5 with 3 runs scored
• Jose Lobaton (Tampa Bay Rays): had a home run
• Omar Luna (El Paso Diablos – Independent): 2 for 4 with 2 doubles, an RBI and 1 run scored
• Robby Price (Montgomery Biscuits – Rays): 2 for 4 with an RBI
• Enny Romero (Montgomery Biscuits – Rays): pitched 5 scoreless inning for the win
• Luke Scott (Tampa Bay Rays): had a double
• BJ Upton (Atlanta Braves): had a double and an RBI
• Stephen Vogt (Sacramento River Cats-Athletics): 2 for 4 with 2 doubles and 2 RBI’s
• Kirby Yates (Durham Bulls-Rays): pitched a scoreless inning for his sixth save

Alumni Highlights from 6/15

Here is a look at the top alumni performances from last night.

• Matt Fields (Northwest Arkansas Naturals-Royals): had a solo homer
• Kevin Kiermaier (Montgomery Biscuits – Rays): had 2 RBI’s
• Adam Liberatore (Durham Bulls – Rays): pitched a scoreless inning for the win
• Kyle Lobstein (Erie SeaWolves-Tigers): picked up his sixth win of the season
• Shawn O’Malley (Montgomery Biscuits – Rays): had a triple and 2 RBI’s
• Robby Price (Montgomery Biscuits – Rays): 2 for 3 with a double
• CJ Riefenhauser (Montgomery Biscuits – Rays): pitches 2 scoreless innings for the win
• Mark Thomas (Montgomery Biscuits – Rays): 2 for 3 with a double and an RBI
• Stephen Vogt (Sacramento River Cats-Athletics): had a solo homer
• Kirby Yates (Durham Bulls-Rays): notched his fifth save of the season

Three Stone Crabs appear in All-Star Game, South wins

Richie Shaffer had the second RBI for the FSL South

The FSL South division broke out the offense against the North on Saturday night’s All-Star Game in Dunedin. The South hammered the North in the fifth inning, plating five hitters, including Richie Shaffer and Curt Casali from the Stone Crabs. With the help of Ryan Carpenter and eight other solid pitchers, the South leapt to an 8-1 victory.

The All-Star Game was preceded by the vivid Home Run Derby in which eight hitters tested their power. Nick Ramirez of the Brevard County Manatees slapped the most out of the park, totaling 13 in the final round to outslug Daytona’s Javier Baez and Clearwater’s Maikel Franco.

After the Derby, the All-Stars took the field. Richie Shaffer was granted a start in the night’s match-up and hit ninth. The third baseman finished 1 for 2 with a sacrifice fly in the big fifth that brought home St. Lucie’s Dustin Lawley. Shaffer also earned a walk in one of his at-bats and played the entire game at third.

Before Shaffer’s RBI in the same inning, Curt Casali had singled to right field for his first and only hit of the game. He soon followed Palm Beach Cardinal Jonathan Rodriguez home after a three-run homerun by Bradenton’s Alen Hanson cleared the bases and raised the run total to five for the inning. David Goforth was responsible for the entire rally, and thus took the loss for the North.

A run in the seventh and a pair in the eighth rounded the South’s total to the final eight. Jupiter Hammerhead Isaac Galloway and Cardinals Stephen Piscotty and Rodriguez all contributed RBIs in these two innings.

The South surrendered a single run to the North in the third inning. A wild pitch by Jupiter Hammerhead left-hander Justin Nicolino send Tampa Yankee Gary Sanchez to third and set the stage for Daytona’s John Andreoli to ground into the force that scored Sanchez. Noah Syndergaard of the St. Lucie Mets replaced Nicolino and would eventually gain the win.

Stone Crabs representative Ryan Carpenter took the ball in the sixth and shut down the North bats for an inning. The lefty allowed merely a double to Clearwater’s Carlos Alonso and struck out one. He and the three pitchers succeeding him combined for four scoreless innings, lifting the South to the win.

The All-Stars look forward to one final day of relaxation before play resumes on Monday. The Stone Crabs head to St. Lucie for a 6:30 game against the Mets.

Box

FSL South Hitters

• Alen Hanson (Bradenton): 1 for 5 with a three-run homerun
• T.J. Rivera (St. Lucie): 0 for 5
• Isaac Galloway (Jupiter): 1 for 5 with an RBI
• Kennys Vargas (Fort Myers): 1 for 3
• Ryan Rieger (Jupiter – PH): 0 for 2
• Stephen Piscotty (Palm Beach): 1 for 5 with a solo homerun
• Dustin Lawley (St. Lucie): 3 for 4 with 2 runs scored
• Jonathan Rodriguez (Palm Beach): 1 for 3 with a two-run homerun
• Matt Koch (Fort Myers): 0 for 1
• Austin Barnes (Jupiter): 0 for 0
• Curt Casali (Charlotte – PH): 1 for 3 with a run scored
• Richie Shaffer (Charlotte): 1 for 2 with a sac fly

FSL South Pitchers

• Taylor Rogers (Fort Myers): 1 scoreless, hitless inning
• Anthony DeSclafani (Jupiter): a hit over 1 inning
• Justin Nicolino (Jupiter): an earned run and a hit over 1 inning
• Noah Syndergaard (St. Lucie – W): 1 hit over 1 inning
• Ronnie Shaban (Palm Beach): 1 scoreless, hitless inning
• Ryan Carpenter (Charlotte): a hit, a walk, and a strikeout over 1 inning
• Corey Williams (Fort Myers): 1 scoreless, hitless inning
• Zach Jones (Fort Myers): 1scoreless, hitless inning
• Nick Wittgren (Jupiter): 1 scoreless, hitless inning

FSL North Hitters

• John Andreoli (Daytona): 0 for 4 with an RBI
• Carlos Alonso (Clearwater): 1 for 4 with a double
• Andy Burns (Dunedin): 0 for 2
• Maikel Franco (Clearwater ) 0 for 2
• Dustin Geiger (Daytona): 0 for 3
• Javier Baez (Daytona):  2 for 4 with a pair of doubles
• Aaron Altherr (Clearwater): 0 for 4
• Jorge Soler (Daytona): 0 for 0
• Jeff McVaney (Lakeland): 0 for 4
• Gary Sanchez (Tampa): 1 for 1 with a double and a run scored
• Cameron Garfield (Brevard County): 0 for 1
• Logan Moore (Clearwater): 0 for 1
• Nick Ramirez (Brevard County): 0 for 3

FSL North Pitchers

• Kyle Ryan (Lakeland): 1 scoreless, hitless inning
• Casey Lawrence (Dunedin): 1 scoreless, hitless inning
• Shane Greene (Tampa): 1 hit over 1 inning
• Scott Copeland (Dunedin): 1 scoreless, hitless inning
• David Goforth (Brevard County – L): 5 earned runs (3 HR) off 4 hits in 1 inning
• Tony Davis (Dunedin): 2 hits over 1 inning
• Frank Del Valle (Daytona): an earned run and a hit over 1 inning
• Ryan O’Sullivan (Clearwater): 2 hits and 2 earned runs over 1 inning
• Black McFarland (Dunedin): a scoreless, hitless one-third of an inning
• Melvin Mercedes (Lakeland): a scoreless, hitless two-thirds of an inning

Former Stone Crab Cobb Transported to Hospital During Rays Game

Former Stone Crabs pitcher Alex Cobb was transported to Bayfront Medical Center today after being hit in the head with a line drive during the Rays game. Cobb was on the mound for the Rays when a 2-1 fastball to Eric Hosmer was lined back to the mound, striking Cobb in the right ear. Cobb was treated at the mound by medical staff and transported by EMS to Bayfront.

It was later reported that Cobb never lost consciousness and was diagnosed with a concussion.

Cobb was the Stone Crabs number 1 starter in 2009 and was the inaugural season opening day starter for the Stone Crabs.