Daniel Dupes Dunedin, 4-2

DAYTONA BEACH, FL - The Daytona Tortugas rallied for two runs in the eighth to top the Dunedin Blue Jays, 4-2, in the series opener on Saturday evening at Radiology Associates Field at Jackie Robinson Ballpark in front of 2,379.
Daytona jumped out to an early 2-0 advantage, courtesy of two runs in the third inning. With one out, Daniel Sweet got the scoring started with an RBI knock to center, scoring Mitch Piatnik for the first run. Nick Senzel would follow two batters later with his first of two run-producing hits, scoring Sweet with a single, to cap the frame.
Dunedin would claw back slowly, getting single tallies in the fifth and the seventh. Cavan Biggio's sacrifice fly scored Carl Wise first. Deiferson Barreto's single through a drawn-in infield plated Ryan Hissey in the seventh to tie it, 2-2.
The eighth inning began with control issues from new Blue Jays RHP Adonys Cardona, walking the first two men he faced. After a strikeout, Alfredo Rodriguez hit a sinking liner to right that just dropped in to load the bases. It was then that Sweet coaxed a five-pitch walk with the sacks full to force in Chris Okey for the go-ahead run. Senzel's infield single brought Butler home later in the frame to extend the lead, 4-2.
Cardona (1-5) suffered his second setback of the season against Daytona. LHP Ryan Borucki pitched five innings, holding the Tortugas to two runs on six hits in his start.
RHP Zack Weiss (1-0) punched out two batters over 1 2/3 innings out of the pen in relief of RHP Vladimir Gutierrez. The righty threw 6 1/3 frames for the second straight start, striking out seven, walking one, permitting five hits, and just one earned run. RHP Jake Ehret nailed down his second save, working a 1-2-3 ninth for the Tortugas.
Now with 15 games left in the first half, the Tortugas continue their four game series against the Blue Jays on Sunday. First pitch from the Jack will be at 5:35 PM with The Metcare Pregame Show beginning at 5:20 PM on AM 1230 and AM 1490 WSBB.
Notes: Vladimir Gutierrez has recorded at least seven K's now in seven of his ten starts… Daniel Sweet notched his 12^th multi-hit effort and third three-hit game of 2017… Daytona is 7-for-34 with runners in scoring position and has left 24 men on base over the last two contests… Chris Okey went 1-for-1 with a single in the second and walked three straight times after that. He reached base four times for the second time this campaign.