Win Streak Snapped as Blue Jays Even Series
June 24, 2017 - Florida State League (FSL1)
Tampa Yankees News Release
TAMPA, Fla. - A pair of early two-run frames held up for the Dunedin Blue Jays (1-1, 35-36) as the Tampa Yankees (1-1, 40-32) snapped a season-best eight-game winning streak on Friday night at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
Dunedin scored in the first off Tampa starter Ian Clarkin . Lane Thomas lined a first-pitch single into center and scored, two outs later, on a two-run home run by Juan Kelly .
Back-to-back fly outs began the top of the second, but the Blue Jays used three straight two-out hits to double their lead. J. C. Cardenas and D. J. Davis both singled and scored when Thomas blasted a double to the centerfield wall.
RHP Josh DeGraaf made the start for Dunedin and held the Yankees to one hit within his first three innings of work before Tampa put a run on the board in the fourth.
Jeff Hendrix pulled a single into right and advanced to third when Tito Polo reached on a fielding error at third base by Carl Wise . After Polo was caught stealing, Hendrix crossed the plate on sacrifice fly by Nick Solak .
DeGraaf (W, 2-0) bounced back with a scoreless fifth to finish his fourth start of the season. The right-hander has also made 19 relief appearances between Dunedin and Double-A New Hampshire. DeGraff held Tampa to one unearned run on three hits and did not issue a walk while striking out three and tossing 42 of a season-high 70 pitches for strikes.
After the double by Thomas in the second, Clarkin (L, 3-4) retired 13 of the next 14 batters he faced. The southpaw allowed four earned runs on six hits in six innings, tallying four strikeouts without issuing a walk. Clarkin threw 59 of 81 pitches for strikes.
RHP Raynel Espinal made his Tampa debut in relief of Clarkin in the seventh and struck out four in a pair of scoreless relief innings. RHP Andrew Schwaab allowed a single in the ninth before getting an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play.
Jorge Mateo legged out a leadoff infield single in the sixth before the Dunedin bullpen retired nine straight batters. Hendrix began the bottom of the ninth with a four-pitch walk, but RHP Zach Jackson (SV, 1) closed the game by getting three-straight fly outs to right field.
The series continues on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. when RHP Erik Swanson (1-2, 4.37 ERA) is activated off the disabled list to make the start against RHP Conor Fisk (3-8, 4.83 ERA). On Salute to Service Members Saturday, all Military members receive a free upper reserved ticket with a valid ID. Select T-Yanks will sign autographs on the concourse from 5:40 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. For tickets and promotional information, call (813) 673-3055 or visit www.tybaseball.com.
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