13 Not Enough, Let's Play 15…Game Three Tomorrow Night
DUNEDIN, FL - 13 innings was enough on Tuesday night, but it was not enough on Wednesday. The Dunedin Blue Jays (1-1) forced a decisive third game with a 15-inning 8-4 victory over the Tampa Yankees (1-1). The two teams have played 28 innings in 28 hours.
Both sides worked around trouble in extras, but it was a four-run 15th for Dunedin that put the game away with the Jays acting as the road team in their home ballpark. RHP Gabriel Encinas (L, 0-1) walked four batters and threw two wild pitches coupled with two Yankees' fielding errors to hand Dunedin the victory. RHP Francisco Rios (W, 1-0) picked up the win for Dunedin.
While the pitchers put up mostly zeros in extras, the eighth and ninth innings saw extended drama. In a 3-2 game in the bottom of the eighth, LHP Tim Mayza (BS, 1) allowed a two-out double off the bat of LF Trey Amburgey to score SS Gleyber torres from first, tying the game. Mayza recorded five outs, all strikeouts.
In the top of the ninth, Dunedin used a pair of double from CF Anthony Alford and RF Jonathan Davis to retake the lead. Davis recorded five hits on Wednesday night.
The Yankees found themselves with a chance to tie or win in the bottom of the ninth. The bases were loaded with one out against RHP Carlos Ramirez (BS, 1). A 3B Thairo Estrada ground ball to the bag at third was picked by Matt Dean who stepped on third and threw to first. Estrada dove head first into the bag and was called safe. Estrada kept the game alive for Tampa as opposed to the game coming to an end.
2B John La Prise recorded a two-run double in the top of the second putting Dunedin up 3-0. CF Rashad Crawford socked the first home run of the series in the second inning to pull Tampa within one.
A third and final game in this series will be played at 6:30 PM on Thursday. RHP Conor Fisk goes for Dunedin against LHP Nestor Cortes.