The Port Charlotte Pirates are taking a road trip to face off against the Sarasota Sailors at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Port Charlotte barely beat Riverview Sarasota the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. Port Charlotte put the hurt on Riverview Sarasota with a sharp 11-1 victory on Friday. The high-scoring performance was a welcome turnaround for the Pirates' hitters, who had struggled in the games prior.
Port Charlotte let Jasper Davis and Cayden Ruby run wild. Davis went 2-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI, while Ruby went a perfect 3-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and one triple. That's the most RBI Davis has posted since back in April of 2024. Joshian Tirado also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
Port Charlotte always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .630. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Riverview Sarasota only posted an OBP of .316.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Sarasota, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Thursday. They blew past North Port 8-2 on Friday. Considering the Sailors have won three matches by more than five runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Sarasota also got a great performance from Cesar Garmendia as he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only a hit while striking out nine over five innings pitched. Garmendia has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one hit any time he's pitched this season.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Mark Metcalf, who scored two runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-3. Jaxson Parker was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 1-for-2.
Port Charlotte pushed their record up to 4-1 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home dating back to last season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.3 runs over those games. As for Sarasota, they now have a winning record of 3-2-1.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Port Charlotte has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Sarasota struggles in that department as they've been averaging 11.3 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Port Charlotte came out on top in a nail-biter against Sarasota in their previous meeting back in March of 2024, sneaking past 10-9. Will Port Charlotte repeat their success, or does Sarasota have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
