Hoskins Homers, Threshers Win 7th Straight

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Rhys Hoskins and Willians Astudillo each homered in the Clearwater Threshers 5-4 win over Dunedin on Friday night.

The victory clinched a two-game sweep of the Blue Jays (0-2) to open up second-half play. The win also extended the Threshers (2-0) winning streak to a season-high seven games.

Victor Arano earned the win in his best start of the 2015 season. Arano (1-7) tossed seven shutout innings, surrendering four hits and striking out three. The right-hander didn't issue a free pass and did not face more than four hitters in an inning.

Hoskins, in his second game as a Thresher, crushed his first homer in Clearwater to straight-away center in the fifth inning. The big fly plated two runs and put the Threshers on top 3-0 after five.

Malquin Canelo extended the advantage to four in the sixth inning. Canelo scorched a double down the third-base line with two outs to bring home Angelo Mora.

Jairo Labourt took the loss for Dunedin, tossing six innings. Labourt (2-5) gave up four earned runs on nine hits while walking two and striking out two.

The Blue Jays made things interesting in the eighth inning against Threshers reliever Cody Forsythe. Anthony Alford pulled the D-Jays within a run with his first homer in Florida State League play. Alford's home run plated three runs and made it 4-3 Clearwater.

Needing an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth, the Threshers turned to Willians Astudillo who sent a no-doubter into the bullpen in left-field to put Clearwater back up by two runs.

Forsythe started the ninth and surrendered a solo homer to Rowdy Tellez. Ulises Joaquin replaced him and retired the side to earn his eighth save of the year.

The Threshers hit the road for a four-game series in Charlotte starting on Saturday. It will be a matchup of the Florida State League first half champions.

Ricardo Pinto gets the start for Clearwater, while Brent Honeywell toes the rubber for Charlotte. First pitch form Charlotte Sports Park is slated for 7:00 p.m. with coverage beginning at 6:45 p.m. on the Threshers Broadcast Network.