DUNEDIN, FL - The Blue Jays and Yankees played 28 innings in 28 hours to wrap up the season series between the two teams on Tuesday and Wednesday at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium. After the Blue Jays swept Tuesday's doubleheader, the Yankees took game one on Wednesday 3-0, before the D-Jays stormed back and took the series with a 5-1 win in game two.

GAME ONE
Marcus Walden took the mound for the D-Jays in game one on Wednesday having won nine straight decisions and nine of his last 10 starts. The right-hander struggled early, however, and the Yankees took advantage scoring one in the first and two in the second en route to a 3-0 victory.

Tampa's first inning run came on a sacrifice fly from Kyle Roller after a pair of one-out singles. The sac fly gave Roller his 83rd RBI of the year, and gave Yankees starter Nik Turley all the run support he needed.

The Yankees two second inning runs both came with two outs, and both times a Tampa hitter delivered with two strikes. First it was Jose Toussen doubling home Kyle Higashioka, and then it was Ramon Flores who tripled to score Toussen and bring the score to 3-0.

Walden settled down from there, retiring the next 10 batters he faced to finish his outing. He did not walk a batter while striking out four, but he was bested by the southpaw Turley.

The 6'6'' starter for Tampa scattered five hits over 5.2 innings, and he didn't allow a Blue Jay past first base until the sixth inning.

Kevin Pillar singled into right with two outs and that was followed by a Jon Talley walk. All of a sudden the Blue Jays had the tying run coming up in the form of Kevin Ahrens. Turley was replaced by Brandon Pinder, and the right-hander struck out Ahrens on a 2-2 fastball to squash the threat and send the Yankees on their way to victory.

The loss was just the Blue Jays second at home in the month of August, and it would soon be avenged.

GAME TWO
After watching the Yankees score early and make it stand up in game one the Blue Jays decided to return the favor in game two. They plated a run in the first and three in the second as they went on to win 5-1 behind a complete game from Scott Copeland.

The first inning run came on a Kevin Ahrens RBI single, and then the Blue Jays grabbed control of the game in the second. Marcus Knecht ripped the first pitch of the inning into the left field corner for his 31st double, and then came newcomer Amadeo Zazueta. One night after driving in the game's only run in a 1-0 victory, Zazueta came up big again on Wednesday when he blasted a 2-2 pitch over the wall in left to score Knecht and make it 3-0 Blue Jays.

Justin Jackson followed Zazueta with a double to right-center, and he scored two batters later on a throwing error by Tampa shortstop Jose Mojica. The 4-0 lead was plenty for Copeland, who went the distance and improved to 4-1 through six starts with the D-Jays.

The right-hander yielded one run on seven hits over seven innings, and he struck out five without walking a batter. He lowered his ERA with Dunedin to 3.03, and allowed the bullpen to rest as they prepare for the postseason.

The 5-1 win wrapped up the season series between the D-Jays and Yankees with Dunedin winning the series 11-7.

Copeland, Walden and Alan Farina did not walk a batter in a combined 14 innings, and the D-Jays will head into the final series of the regular season with a one game lead over second place Lakeland in the FSL North second half standings.

Depending on how this weekend goes, the Blue Jays will face either Lakeland, Clearwater, Tampa or Brevard County in the first round of the playoffs beginning on Tuesday, September 4.

Thursday night's game in Clearwater will get underway at 7, and feature Jesse Hernandez on the bump for the Blue Jays. Perci Garner is expected to start for the Threshers, and the game can be heard live on dunedinbluejays.com.

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