Sarasota Reds falter late again

BY PHIL DENIS
Sarasota Herald Tribune

FORT MYERS -- If someone gave Sarasota's Joe Ayrault a videotape of Friday afternoon's game against the Fort Myers Miracle, it's a safe wager the Reds' manager has already destroyed the evidence.

Ayrault likely wouldn't want to again watch the SaraReds' 6-5 bottom-of-the-ninth-inning loss in front of 3,233 at William Hammond Stadium.

For the second game in less than 24 hours, the first-half champion Reds trailed early, rallied, then watched victory slip away late.

This time, it was a pair of unearned runs with two outs in the ninth off reliever Derrik Lutz that allowed the Minnesota Twins' affiliate (2-0, 32-40) to sweep the two-game series against the SaraReds (0-2, 43-29).

Thursday at Sarasota's Ed Smith Stadium, Fort Myers rallied to win 9-7.

Friday, right-hander Sean Watson made his debut for Sarasota after being promoted from the Class A Dayton Dragons of the Midwest League. Watson had a 5-2 record and a 1.88 ERA. In 13 starts spanning 71 2/3 innings, he walked 18 and struck out 85.

Against the Miracle, Watson gave up four runs on five hits in 4 1/3 innings. SaraReds reliever Dushan Ruzic pitched 2 2/3 scoreless innings before giving way to Lutz.

Fort Myers starter Oswaldo Sosa silenced Sarasota for six innings before the SaraReds scored four unearned runs in the eighth to turn a 4-1 deficit into a short-lived 5-4 lead.