With five games remaining in the first half of the Threshers season, they were five games behind the Daytona Tortugas. On Wednesday night, they completed an improbable comeback, erasing the five-game deficit with a sweep of Daytona to win the FSL North First Half Title and clinch a playoff spot in the Florida State League postseason.
For folks who are unaware, the Threshers, Advanced 'A' Phillies affiliate, have two halves to their season. They play 140 games, but after 70, records reset and the first place team in each division is awarded a playoff spot and named champions of the first half. Clearwater won the last five games of the half to finish 37-33, the same record Daytona had, but they owned the head-to-head tiebreaker to earn the title, beating them eight out of 12 times this season.
Before the All-Star game in Port Lucie on June 20th, the Threshers split a series with St. Lucie, winning the final two, climbing to within three games of the first-place Daytona Tortugas, a Reds affiliate. Clearwater hosted Daytona on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. They won 4-3 on Monday night before getting suspended due to weather on Tuesday. On Wednesday, the Threshers completed the sweep to earn their first playoff berth since 2007.
Leading 1-0 into the resumption of play of their Tuesday game, the Threshers fell behind after the Daytona Tortugas scored two runs in the top of the third. In the fourth, Angelo Mora smacked a two-out RBI single to lock things at two a piece. Drew Stankieiwcz followed with a two-RBI double to left-center, giving the Threshers a 4-2 edge. Daytona scored pair of runs in the sixth, but the Threshers responded promptly with effective small ball in the home half. After a walk and a bunt single, Mora sacrificed both runners into scoring position. Stankiewicz hit an RBI-single to left before Carlos Tocci laid down a squeeze bunt to plate Mitch Walding and give Clearwater the 6-4 lead. The Threshers bullpen secured the win.
In game two of the double-header, a seven-inning contest, the Threshers rode a strong pitching performance from Collin Klevin to complete the sweep for the FSL North First Half Title. Kleven, 24, allowed just one run on two hits while striking out eight, six consecutive at one point, in 5 2/3 innings. He was a 33rd round pick for the Phillies back in 2009.
Daytona committed two errors, leading to their downfall during the final game of the half. The Threshers jumped on top 1-0 after a passed ball allowed Stankiewicz to score in the first. Chase Numata grounded into a force out in the fourth to score a run and a throwing error by Daytona shortstop Alex Blandino allowed another run to score, giving Clearwater a 3-0 lead. The Tortugas made it a 3-2 game in the sixth thanks to two solo home runs, but Ulises Joaquin earned his seventh save of the season, allowing one hit in a scoreless final frame to clinch the first half.
Clearwater's second-half begins Thursday in Dunedin at 6:30pm against the Blue Jays.
