Early in the game, it looked like another tough night for the Threshers and their fans. The Flying Tigers chased starter Jeb Stefan in the fourth inning as they sprinted to a 7-0 lead. After 5 innings the Tigers were still up 7-2. But the Threshers kept applying pressure until they completed their comeback and tied the game and then took the lead in the 7th inning. The Tigers rallied to tie in eighth inning. The Tigers finally prevailed 9-8 in 13 innings.

Stefan started the game with a solid first inning. He threw 12 strikes among his first 16 pitches, 4 of 5 batters saw first pitch strikes. He opened and closed the inning with strike outs. In between, he gave up a single, hit a batter, and recorded the second out on a fielder’s choice.

The Threshers mounted their own first inning threat with a one out single by Pete Lavin and a 4 pitch walk to Aaron Altherr. A strike out and pick off at second with Art Charles at the plate ended the inning.

Stefan started the second inning with his third strike out. Then he loaded the bases on a single, walk, and a single. He escaped without any damage by getting a shallow fly to left and a fielder’s choice.

In the third inning, Stefan hit another batter and gave up a single with one out. A wild pitch put runners on second and third. After he notched his 4th strike out, he induced a slow roller to second. Angelo charged the ball but failed to get down and the ball rolled under his glove. It came to a stop before the outfield grass and both runners scored. Even though the batter was the catcher, the official scored it a single and an error. Stefan got out of the inning before any further damage could occur.

The fourth inning was Stefan’s undoing. Up until then, he had thrown 38 of 58 pitches for strikes. In the fourth, didn’t retire any of the 4 batters he faced allowing a single, walk, walk, double. Jordan Guth entered the game with inherited runners on second and third and promptly allowed both to score on a single. While striking out the next batter he unleashed 3 wild pitches and another runner scored. He gave up a walk and a double before getting out of the inning with the Threshers trailing 7-0.

Meanwhile, the Threshers’ offense went meekly in the second thru fourth innings. Their only base runner, a Brian Pointer walk, was erased on an attempted steal to end the third inning.

Guth settled down and threw an effective 1-2-3 fifth inning. The Threshers managed to get 2 runs back when Anthony Phillips cleared the left field wall into the visitor’s bullpen with 2 out also scoring Art Charles who had led off the inning with a single.

Kevin Walter came on in the 6th with 2 on and 1 out. He got out of the jam with a strike out and a ground out.

The Threshers applied more pressure in the bottom of the inning when they plated 4 runs. They finally got to Tigers starter, Yorfrank Lopez with leadoff walks by Pointer and Lavin. Altherr followed with a single to load the bases. The Tigers brought in reliever Slade Smith. He surrendered an RBI single to Harold Martinez. Art Charles followed with a ground ball to third that was thrown wildly toward second. The Threshers scored two more runs. (Curiously, this was scored a single with a throwing error.) Nick Ferdinand followed with an RBI ground out.

Walter had a 1-2-4 7th inning allowing a two out walk. The Threshers completed their comeback in the bottom half of the inning on a single by Mora, sacrifice by Pointer, and 2 wild pitches. Pete Lavin had walked and reached second on the second wild pitch. He advanced to third on a fly ball to right by Altherr. He scored the go ahead run on another wild pitch.

The Threshers defensive alignment for the 8th inning was interesting. Carmona was announced as replacing Phillips but playing third base. Harold Martinez was moved over to short. After further delay, Justin Parr came out to play third and Carmona returned to the bench. On the first pitch, Walter served up a towering home run to right field, game tied at eight. He walked the next batter, struck out the following batter, and got a 4-6-3 double play ground ball. On the final pitch of the strike out, the runner on first started toward second then stopped and retreated to first. Grullon blocked the pitch in the dirt, picked it up in front of the plate and fired to first the ball ricocheted off the batter’s bat and Grullon’s hand struck the barrel of the bat on his follow through. He shook it off and continued to play.

The teams exchanged zeroes until the top of the 13th, when the Tigers got a leadoff single and a sacrifice bunt. After a fly out and an intentional walk, Lee Ridenhour seemed poised to escape the inning. Even after a wild pitch moved the runners up to second and third, he was almost able to get out of trouble when he struck out the batter. But the ball eluded Grullon for the Threshers’ 8th wild pitch of the evening.

The lead would hold up and the Tigers won 9-8.

The Threshers’ had 3 wild pitches during Grullon’s first start on Wednesday against the Tampa Yankees. For the season, the Threshers now have 16 total wild pitches – eleven in Grullon’s 2 starts and 5 in the other 13 games started by Moore and Carman. Maybe Grullon isn’t ready to catch pitchers this far above the GCL level yet.

I think Martinez handled 3 chances at short and Parr didn’t have a chance at third. I think this is the first time they played at these positions. A friend who could see into the Threshers’ dugout said that Phillips was limping after being removed. Serna wasn’t seen in the dugout at all.