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Dunedin Blue Jays

Jays Cap Hometown USA Celebration with Win

July 3, 2018 - Florida State League (FSL1)
Dunedin Blue Jays News Release


The Dunedin Blue Jays sent a raucous Hometown USA crowd home happy with a 4-2 win over the Tampa Tarpons on Tuesday night. A nasty early evening storm pushed the start of the game back, but diligent work by the Blue Jays grounds crew put the field back together and had the game underway at 7:15.

After the Jays and Tarpons traded zeroes on the scoreboard for three innings, Tampa scored first in the top of the fourth. Kyle Holder and Diego Castillo opened the inning with a pair of singles, putting runners on the corners with no outs. After Castillo stole second, Dom Thompson-Williams grounded out, bringing home Holder from third. A pair of strikeouts allowed Dunedin starter Yennsy Diaz to escape the inning without further damage.

After being held scoreless for four innings by Tampa starter Dalton Lehnen, the Jays broke through in the fifth. C Andres Sotillo led off the inning with a solo home run, his first of the year, tying the game. After Lehnen recorded a pair of outs on a ground out and a strike out, SS Kevin Smith drew a walk. DH Riley Adams drew a second walk and 1B Kacy Clemens followed with an RBI single, putting Dunedin up 2-1.

Tampa answered in the top half of the sixth. Castillo hit a one-out double. After Diaz struck out a batter for the second out, Thompson-Williams delivered another RBI, singling up the middle to score Castillo and tie the score.

New addition LF Brock Lundquist drew a walk to lead off the home half of the sixth inning and advanced to second on a singly by RF Rodrigo Orozco. A passed ball moved both runners into scoring position and a sacrifice fly by Sotillo plated Lundquist to give Dunedin the lead back at 3-2.

Diaz left with the lead after the sixth, finshing the night with a line of 6.0 innings pitched, five hits, two runs allowed, one walk, and nine strikeouts on 88 pitches. The nine strikeouts set a new high for Diaz in a Dunedin uniform and were one off tying his career most.

In relief of Diaz, RHP Ty Tice threw 1.2 scoreless innings, allowing one hit and walking two. He ran into a bit of trouble in the seventh, allowing two base runners on a walk and a single with one out, but he recorded the second out on a strikeout and chased down a one-hop line drive that caromed off his leg and flipped it to first to end the inning.

The Blue Jays used a pair of extra base hits to stretch their lead in the eighth. 3B Ivan Castillo led off the inning with a triple, his second hit of the game and eighth in the last four games. Lundquist then knocked his first Dunedin base hit, a double that fell just inside the left field line and bounced into the corner.

After recording the last out of the eighth, RHP Jackson McClelland returned to the mound for Dunedin in the ninth. He struck out the first two batters and forced a fly out for the third out, giving Dunedin a 4-2 victory and locking down his team-leading fifth save of the season.

The win brings Dunedin's second half record even at 6-6 and moves their overall record to 37-43. The Blue Jays will travel to Fort Myers tomorrow to take on the Miracle at 7:00 PM. RHP Connor Eller (3-2, 4.06 ERA) will make a spot start for the Blue Jays against LHP Charlie Barnes.

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