Alay Lago smacked a line-drive single into center field, driving home Alejandro Salazar and Anfernee Seymour to cap off the Florida Fire Frogs‘, 5-4 comeback in game one of Sunday’s rain-shortened doubleheader against the Daytona Tortugas at Osceola County Stadium. The win gave the Fire Frogs their first sweep of an opponent in a series of two games, or more.
Game two will be made up as part of a doubleheader at Jackie Robinson Stadium on Thursday, Aug. 31.
Fans with tickets to Sunday’s games may exchange them for any remaining home game for the 2017 season.
Tanner Murphy (1×2, R, HR, RBI) drew a walk against Jonathan Crawford (0-10) to lead off the frame, and advanced to second on Salazar’s (2×3, 2 R) single through the hole on the left side. Seymour (1×3, R) placed a sacrifice bunt back to the mound, but Crawford’s throw to first pulled Gabriel Ovalle off the bag to load the bases with nobody out.
Ray-Patrick Didder (0x2, RBI) sent a grounder to a drawn-in Alfredo Rodriguez at short, whose throw home erased Murphy for the first out. Lago then laced the first pitch into center field, scoring Salazar and Seymour for Florida’s (21-36, 46-76) fifth walk-off victory of the season.
Despite the loss, Crawford was credited with his first career complete game. The 2013 first-round draft pick by the Detroit Tigers allowed five runs on seven hits, two walks and two strikeouts in 6.1 innings of work, his longest outing of the season.
Daytona (15-46, 48-78) held an early, 3-0 edge over Florida after the first two innings. The visitors took advantage of an uncharacteristic outing from 2017 first-round pick Kyle Wright by plating the three runs on three hits and two walks.
Shane Mardirosian singled with one out in the opening frame, and came around to score all the way from first on Luis Gonzalez’s double to the gap in right-center.
Rodriguez doubled home Ovaille in the second to end the day for Wright, who failed to make it through two innings for just the second time during his first professional season.
Brandon White uncorked a wild pitch to Mardirosian to advance Rodriguez to third, before allowing a sacrifice fly to bring home the third run of the game for the Tortugas.
Murphy got the Fire Frogs on the board by launching the first pitch of the bottom of the third over the wall in left for his first home run at the High-A level in 2017. Carlos Castro (1×3, R, HR, RBI) blasted the first pitch of the fourth out the left for his 10th long ball of the year to become the third player for the Atlanta Braves High-A affiliate to tally double-digit home runs.
Didder tied the game at three-apiece in the fifth with a sacrifice bunt, scoring Salazar from third and moving Seymour to second on the play. Lago bounced out to third to end the frame with the go-ahead run in scoring position.
Ian Krol tossed two scoreless innings of relief in his first rehab appearance for Florida. The southpaw gave up a double to Blake Butler in the third with Chris Okey at first, but Salazar’s relay throw to the plate nailed to run to leave a run off the board.
Sean McLaughlin took a 3-3 game into the seventh for his third inning of work, but left with Rodriguez at third and two outs for Chase-Johnson Mullins (1-5). The lefty allowed the inherited runner to score on an infield singled off the bat of James Vasquez to give the Cincinnati Reds affiliate the one-run advantage heading into the final half inning.
The Fire Frogs will welcome the Dunedin Blue Jays to town for game one of a three-game series beginning Monday night at Osceola County Stadium. RHP Junior Rincon (1-0, 3.63) takes the mound for Florida, while it has yet to be determined who will counter for Dunedin. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m., with coverage starting at 6:50 p.m. on the Florida Fire Frogs Broadcasting network.
Monday is “Margarita Monday” at the ballpark, where fans can enjoy $3 margaritas and $2 empanadas. Every Monday through Wednesday game at Osceola County Stadium is “Service Industry Night,” where members of the service industry can purchase tickets at a discounted rate.
