Threshers Face Cubs in Series Finale

Down 2-1 in the series the Threshers were looking to end the series with a win and stay alive in the playoff hunt. The Cubs were equally in need of a win, so a battle was brewing. In the first inning Greg Golson got a solo home run for a quick 1-0 lead, but in their half of the inning the Cubs picked up a solo homer of their own off of Threshers starter Pat Overholt to tie the game at 1-1.

The score would remain 1-1 to the third when the Cubs picked up another run on a pair of singles and a fielder's choice giving the Cubs their first lead of the night at 2-1.

That score would hold up until the eighth inning when the Cubs exploded on Threshers reliever Brett Harker for nine runs in the inning and the Threshers went down in a scoreless ninth to a final of 11-1. Brett Harker was ejected in the eighth along with Threshers manager Dave Huppert for hitting a batter after the Cubs had gotten their big rally going. Nate Johnson came on for the final out of the inning, but it was ugly all in all.

The only good news on the night was that both Sarasota and Tampa who are ahead of Clearwater in the standings also lost, so the team remains three games back. With the first half drawing to a close and just nine games remaing, that may be a deficit too large to overcome, but with three games against Ft. Myers and two against Dunedin who are both bringing up the rear in the division the team should be able to pick up some much needed wins before finishing out with three critical games against the leading Sarasota Reds to end the half. Note: Tonight was the first game this entire year that Jeremy Slayden was not in the starting lineup for the team.

Not baseball related, but I thought I'd include this very cool picture that I took in my front yard today.