TARPONS, THRESHERS CLOSE SERIES IN CLEARWATER

CLEARWATER, Fla. (Interstat) — The Tampa Tarpons and Clearwater Threshers will wrap up a six-game Florida State League series at Spectrum Field on Sunday afternoon, with both teams looking to gain momentum heading into the new week.

First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. under cloudy skies with a temperature around 77 degrees.

The series has been tightly contested, with four of the first five games decided by one run. Clearwater (4-4) evened the current set at 2-2 with a 2-1 victory on Saturday. Tampa (3-5) won the first two games before dropping three of the last four.

The Tarpons are projected to start right-hander Brian Walters (1-0), while the Threshers’ probable pitcher is unannounced. Tampa’s Danny Flatt (0-0) is also an option to start.

A player to watch for Tampa is left-hander Henry Lalane, who took the loss Saturday despite a strong outing, allowing one run on four hits over 4 1/3 innings. For Clearwater, reliever MT Morrissey has been sharp, earning wins in his last two appearances. On Saturday, he threw three scoreless innings with three strikeouts.

Offensively, Tampa’s Jackson Lovich went 3 for 4 with an RBI in Saturday’s defeat.

Despite the Threshers holding a slight edge in the season standings, statistical projections are mixed. Interstat’s game simulator predicts a 5-2 Tampa victory, while its ELO system gives Clearwater a 54.7% probability to win.

Following Sunday’s finale, Tampa will host the Bradenton Marauders for a six-game series beginning Tuesday. Clearwater will hit the road for a six-game set against the Dunedin Blue Jays.