The Tampa Yankees have been on a downward skid as of late and a 3-2 loss to the Clearwater Threshers on Tuesday night at Bright House Field didn’t help change momentum.
With RHP Luis Severino (ERA 1.31) on the hill, the T-Yanks were down 1-0 early on after a RBI triple by Clearwater’s Brandon Short. The T-Yanks were able to even the score in the top of the second when Dane Bichette scored off a double by Matt Snyder.
Severino pitched just 4 innings allowing 4 hits, 1 run and striking out an impressive 8 batters. RHP Chris Smith (ERA 4.02) then pitched the next two innings for the T-Yanks. Tampa’s Jake Cave hit his third homerun of the season on a fly ball to right-giving Tampa a 2-1 lead. Smith would allow Clearwater’s Brian Pointer to a homerun of his own, to tie the game yet again. RHP Kyle Haynes (ERA 3.76)
pitched a solid 7th inning with just one hit allowed. But it would be a run allowed by the Yanks’ RHP Nick Rumbelow (ERA 3.70) that allowed the Threshers to get the go ahead run in the bottom of the eighth.
Rumbelow (5-1) was charged with his first loss of the season as the Tampa Yankees fall to 10-8, two games behind the division leading Daytona Cubs and one game behind Brevard County in second place.
The Tampa Yankees will return to George M. Steinbrenner Field on Wednesday night to take on the Clearwater Threshers at 7:00pm with LHP Miguel Sulbaran (ERA 2.63, 1-1) taking the start for Tampa.
