Manatees swept by Blue Jays

DUNEDIN, Fla. - The Brevard County Manatees were doubled up by the Dunedin Blue Jays, 4-2 on Thursday night at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium. The 'Tees were swept in the three-game set by the Jays and finishes its season series with Dunedin, 5-13 and 0-9 on the road.

Manatees (28-25 second half, 57-64 overall) starting pitcher Nick Bucci (1-1, 1.32) had his first struggles of the season with Brevard as he allowed three runs (two earned) in 4.2 innings of work. He gave up four hits, walked five and struck out six.

The 'Tees jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first thanks to a solo homer from Nick Shaw, but Dunedin (28-23, 70-48)tied it up in the bottom of the inning on a RBI ground out from Jon Talley.

It remained 1-1 until the bottom of the fourth, as Marcus Knecht led the inning off by reaching on an error by Mike Walker. The Jays would then make the Manatees pay for that mistake as Pierce Rankin hit a two-run homer to give Dunedin a 3-1 lead.

Brevard would cut it to a 3-2 Blue Jays advantage with a two-out RBI single from Shaw, but that's all the 'Tees would get the rest of the way. Dunedin added an insurance run in the bottom of the seventh on a RBI triple by Knecht off of Thomas Keeling.

Shaw was the only Manatee with a multi-hit game. Keen, Jason Rogers and Franklin Romero Jr. had the other Brevard County hits. Along with his one hit, Rogers walked three times.

The Manatees have now fallen to fourth place in the jumbled North division race, two games back of first place Tampa. Dunedin is now in second as they are one game back and Lakeland is in third, 1.5 games back of the Yankees.

Brevard County will continue their road trip with a three-game set against the Clearwater Threshers (27-25, 63-55), who are just a half game behind the 'Tees for fourth place.

The series will open on Friday night at 6:30 p.m. and Matt Miller (1-0, 3.60) will get the ball for his second start with the 'Tees. Miller allowed two runs in five innings of work for the win in his first start with Brevard, last Saturday against Tampa.

Southpaw Jesse Biddle (8-5, 3.45) will toe the rubber for the Threshers.