Blue Jays edged by Cubs, 4-3, in opener

Daytona Beach, FL - The Dunedin Blue Jays fought the Daytona Cubs until the end, but ultimately continued their road struggles, dropping their sixth away game in seven tries with a 4-3 defeat on Thursday night at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.

RHP Casey Lawrence (L, 2-3), showed signs of his early season dominance, including 1-2-3 innings in the first, fourth and fifth, but ran into trouble in the second and third frames. He gave up a double, a triple and a single to bring in two runs at the start of the second inning, and SS Javier Baez ripped a two-out RBI double down the third base line in the third to make it 3-1.

The D-Jays had taken a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning off RHP P.J. Francescon, who allowed a two out single to 3B Andy Burns (who finished 3-for-4) and an RBI double to 1B Jon Talley (who went 2-for-4).

Trailing by two in the fourth, Dunedin cut the deficit to one on DH K.C. Hobson's team-leading fifth homer of the season. Talley then tied the game in the sixth with his second RBI double, but the 3-3 tie was as close as the Jays would get to a victory.

In his sixth and final inning, Lawrence allowed a one-out triple to Baez, who then scored the winning run on a Jorge Soler sacrifice fly.

CF Jonathan Jones started a two-out rally in the ninth with a single and a stolen base, but a line drive from 2B Jon Berti was caught by Soler to end the game.

RHP Jesse Hernandez (2-3, 3.00 ERA) will take on Yeiper Castillo (0-0, 2.70 ERA) in Game 2 tomorrow night at 7:05.