Clearwater's Carrasco shuts out Miracle

By Special to the Naples Daily News

Carlos Carrasco took a one-hitter into the ninth before allowing two more Miracle hits in a complete game shutout as the Clearwater Threshers blanked the Fort Myers Miracle 6-0. Monday night was the second straight shutout win for the Threshers as they moved to 5-0 at home against the Miracle this season.

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

Steve Tolleson led off the ballgame with a single up the middle before Carrasco would turn on the after burners to retire the next 26 in a row. Clearwater picked up its first complete game of the season behind Carrasco’s nine innings, allowing three hits and striking out seven. Carrasco gave up a two-out single to Tolleson and a double down the right-field line to Portes in the ninth for the final two hits.

Scoring for the Threshers began in the fourth as Miracle starter Zach Ward was in cruise control until a two-out throwing error by Luis Ugueto at short kept the inning alive. After a Lou Marson walk, John Urick made the Miracle pay for their mistake with an opposite-field, three-run shot, giving the hosts a 3-0 lead.

Three straight Clearwater hits in the fourth would lead to the final three Thresher runs on the night. After a one-out walk to Brad Harman, Michael Spidale followed with an infield single off the glove of Ward on the mound putting runners at first and second. Greg Golson soon plated Harman with his RBI single to right before Jason Donald’s two-run double to right-center wrapped up the scoring on the night.

The Miracle will look to avoid the sweep on Tuesday night sending RHP Jay Rainville (2-7, 3.36) to the mound. The Thresher will counter with RHP Zac Stott (2-4, 3.71) beginning at 7 p.m.