Threshers rally for sweep!

The Clearwater Threshers scored 5 runs in the bottom of the 7th to defeat the Dunedin Blue Jays, 5-4 Sunday afternoon and complete then season opening 4-game sweep. Joe Savery was 2 for 3, and is 12 for 15 to start the year (his average is DOWN to .800!), but it was home runs by Leandro Castro (3rd) and Kyle Lafrenz (2nd) that were the big blows. Brody Colvin started and struggled, making it through just 2 inning, and giving up 3 runs (2 earned) on 3 hits and a walk before being removed. I will try to find out why he came out of the game (injury?). In any event, the bullpen picked up the slack, starting with Tyler Cloyd, who threw the next 4 frames, yielding just 1 run on 4 hits, NO walks, striking out 4. Ebelin Lugo pitched the top of the 7th, and picked up the win when Castro and Lafrenz went deep in the bottom half. Jordan Ellis notched his 2nd "hold" with a scoreless 8th and Derrick Loop recorded the save. D'Arby Myers contributed by throwing out a runner at second base......................In Portland, the Sea Dogs shut out Reading, 2-0, holding the R-Phils to just 5 hits, 2 by Tuffy Gosewisch. Tuffy is off to a hot start, hitting .500 for the first 4 games. After being plunked in the head on Friday, Freddy Galvis retuned to the line-up Sunday, so hopefully all is well on that front. Chris Kissock started and pitched well (you cannot win if your team does not score- more on that point later, Lakewood fans) putting in 6 good innings and giving up 2 runs on 4 hits and 2 walks, striking out 2. Tyson Brummett and Jacob Diekman pitched shut out ball over the final 2 innings........Back in Lakewood the BlueClaws dropped a doubleheader to Kannapolis, 2-0 in 16 innings in the opener, and 4-1 in the nightcap. So the BlueClaws have scored a total of 3 runs in their first 31 innings of play, fortunate to get 1 win. Let's look at the pitching, which is where the good news is. David Buchanan was great in his opening appearance, tossing 7 shut out innings, and giving up just 3 hits, NO walks and struck out 4. Juan Sosa (2 IP), Garrett Claypool (3 IP) and Chase Johnson (2 IP) were all great and Hector Neris looked impressive in the 15th, before giving up a long 2-run home run to catcher Michael Blanke to settle the issue. Lakewood had numerous opportunities to score and left 11 men on base, going 0 for 11 with runners in scoring position. In the nightcap, Jessie Biddle made his way through 4.2 innings of work, giving up 2 runs (only 1 earned) on 2 hits and 3 walks, striking out 3. Bryan Morgado finished up the final 2.1, allowing 2 UNearned runs on 3 hits, NO walks, and struck out 2. Overall, it was a tough opening series for Lakewood, who will welcome Greensboro to FirstEnergy Park Monday night.........In Allentown Sunday, Drew Carpenter tossed 2 shut out inning for the IronPigs in their 2-0 loss to Syracuse.