Miracle stung by shutout

Special to the Cape Coral Daily Breeze

CLEARWATER — Carlos Carrasco took a one-hitter into the ninth before allowing two more hits in a complete-game shutout as the Clearwater Threshers blanked the Fort Myers Miracle 6-0 Monday night.

It is the second straight shutout win for the Threshers, now 5-0 at home against the Miracle (27-35) this season.

Carrasco, touted by Baseball America as the top prospect in the Philadelphia Phillies’ organization, picked up his fourth career complete game. The Venezuela native signed with the Phillies in 2003 as an amateur free agent.

Fort Myers’ Steve Tolleson led off the game with a single up the middle before Carrasco retired the next 26 in a row. Clearwater picked up its first complete game of the season behind Carrasco, who allowed three hits and struck out seven.

Carrasco gave up a two-out single to Tolleson and a double down the right-field line to Juan Portes in the ninth for the final two hits.

The Threshers’ scoring began in the fourth as Miracle starter Zach Ward was in cruise control until a two-out throwing error by Luis Ugueto kept the inning alive. After Lou Marson walked, John Urick made the Miracle pay for the error with an opposite-field, three-run homer that gave Clearwater a 3-0 lead.

Three straight Clearwater hits in the fourth led to the final three runs on the night. After a one-out walk to Brad Harman, Michael Spidale hit an infield single off the glove of Ward to put runners at first and second. Greg Golson hit an RBI-single to right ahead of Jason Donald’s two-run double to right-center.

The Miracle look to avoid a three-game sweep Tuesday night, sending right-hander Jay Rainville (2-7, 3.36) to the mound.