Lopes launches Blue Jays to victory with HR

DUNEDIN, FL - For the second consecutive night, the Blue Jays (13-15, 59-38) topped the Jupiter Hammerheads (5-21, 32-63) 5-3 at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium on Friday.

The Hammerheads began the scoring with two unearned runs in the top of the first inning. Justin Bohn led off with a single, and Avery Romero reached on a throwing error by 3B Gustavo Pierre. An errant pickoff throw by RHP Jesse Hernandez (W, 5-8) allowed Bohn to score. A sacrifice fly by Viosergy Rose brought home Romero from third base to give Jupiter a 2-0 lead in the first half inning.

Both of those runs were unearned against Hernandez, who allowed his lone earned run on a solo homer off the bat of Jesus Solorzano in the fourth. He finished after six strong innings, giving up just six hits with two walks and three strikeouts.

The Blue Jays answered with a sac fly from SS Peter Mooney in the bottom of the first, and continued their comeback with an RBI groundout by CF Emilio Guerrero in the fifth.

Trailing 3-2 in the sixth inning against reliever Blake Logan (BS, 2)(L, 0-3), C Jorge Saez drew a walk and scored from first on a game-tying RBI double from 3B Gustavo Pierre. Two batters later, 2B Christian Lopes launched one over the left field fence to give Dunedin a decisive 5-3 advantage.

LHP Efrain Nieves (H, 12) held the lead with two scoreless innings of relief, and RHP Arik Sikula (S, 21) struck out two batters to work around a walk and a single to finish off the ninth.

The D-Jays went just 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position and left seven men on base, but rode two-hit nights from Guerrero, Pierre and Lopes.

With the win, the Blue Jays have ensured themselves of at least a split with the Hammerheads in this four-game series, which will conclude on Saturday night at 6:30 p.m. at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium.