The Dunedin Blue Jays continued to build towards the second half with their third straight win after the All-Star break, defeating St. Lucie 7-4 on Tuesday evening at Dunedin Stadium. RHP Jonathan Cheshire was stellar in relief, throwing 2.1 scoreless innings to earn his fourth win of the season, and
The Dunedin Blue Jays continued to build towards the second half with their third straight win after the All-Star break, defeating St. Lucie 7-4 on Tuesday evening at Dunedin Stadium. RHP Jonathan Cheshire was stellar in relief, throwing 2.1 scoreless innings to earn his fourth win of the season, and the Blue Jays hit three home runs on their way to the victory.
1B Kacy Clemens got the home run barrage started in the second inning, demolishing a hanging breaking ball from St. Lucie starter Gabriel Llanes not just over the wall in right-center, but also over the palm trees beyond the fence. As Clemens rounded third, he flashed the Texas Hook'em Horns to the fans behind home plate, a shout out to his brother Kody playing in the College World Series.
On the mound for Dunedin, RHP Patrick Murphy struggled with his command. The high-velocity righty that has been stellar so far in June (0.50 ERA in three starts entering today) walked a batter in the first, two in the second, and another batter in the third. The walk in the third helped lead to a St. Lucie run as Andrés Giménez worked the base on balls and then scored on a triple by Desmond Lindsay to tie the game at one. A groundout from Anthony Dimino scored Lindsay and put the Mets up 2-1.
Dunedin tied the score in the fifth inning when 2B John La Prise hit a line drive home run over the wall in right. The ball cleared the netting above the fence and landed on the balcony outside of the Blue Jays front offices, startling a Blue Jays employee working at their desk inside. Thankfully for La Prise, the employee was able to retrieve the ball and return it to him as it was his first professional home run.
In the sixth, the Mets broke the tie and re-took the lead. Reliever Andy Ravel recorded the first two outs on a ground out and strike out but then allowed back-to-back-to-back doubles that brought home two St. Lucie runs.
The Blue Jays offense answered quickly, matching the Mets' runs immediately in the bottom half of the inning. RF Eduard Pinto led off the inning with a single, and SS Kevin Smith followed by smacking his fourth home run in a Dunedin uniform to tie the score. The Blue Jays threatened to take the lead as DH David Jacob singled and was waved around third following a double by C RIley Adams, but a perfect relay from right field nabbed Jacob at the plate.
With the score tied at four in the seventh, the Blue Jays broke out and took a lead they would not relinquish. LF Rodrigo Orozco opened the inning with a walk and advanced to third when CF Joshua Palacios followed with a double. A wild pitch on ball four to Pinto brought home Orozco and put runners at the corners. Smith worked the Blue Jays' third walk of the inning to load the bases. A wild pitch brought home Pinto and another run came home when Adams grounded into a fielder's choice.
Leading 7-4, Cheshire retired the side in the top of the eighth. The first two batters of the ninth reached on a double by Andres Gimenez, his second of the game, and a hit by pitch, but Cheshire recorded a strkeout of Lindsay for the first out. With Cheshire having thrown 46 pitches, eclipsing 40 pitches thrown in a game for just the second time this year, Blue Jays manager Casey Candaele turned the ball over to LHP Jake Fishman with two runners in scoring position. Fishman promptly struck out the next two batters to end the game, preserve the win, and earn his second save.
Starter Patrick Murphy allowed just one hit over 4.0 innings in a no decision, striking out five and doubling his season high in walks with six. RHP Andy Ravel allowed a pair of runs in 2.0 innings of relief. Cheshire earned the win, holding the Mets scoreless in the seventh and eighth before ceding to Fishman with one out in the ninth.
The win improves the Blue Jays record to 30-37 in the first half. Dunedin and St. Lucie will meet again tomorrow at 11:00 AM in the final game of the first half before the Blue Jays begin second half play in Clearwater on Thursday evening.
