Despite Blue Jays Comeback in 8th, Clearwater Wins Fifth Straight

Clearwater, FL — The Dunedin Blue Jays dropped their sixth consecutive contest Saturday night, despite an eighth inning rally to tie up the ballgame.

Clearwater got the scoring started in the first, taking the first lead for the fourth game in a row off Blue Jays starter RHP Eliander Alcalde after Justin Crawford tripled to lead off the inning. Later on in the third, Crawford would lead of the inning with another base hit, proceeding to swipe second and third before Gabriel Rincones Jr singled him in to double the Threshers’ lead.

In the fourth, a bunt single by Chad Castillo put the lead off man aboard again, with a ground out moving him into scoring position. With two outs, Erick Brito brought him in with a single to center, giving Clearwater a 3-0 advantage.

Meanwhile, Threshers starter Alex McFarlane, was outstanding. McFarlane tossed kept the Blue Jays off the board for five innings before surrendering a run in the sixth to make it 3-1.

The Blue Jays did threaten in the seventh against Clearwater reliever Danny Wilkinson, causing him to fire thirty-seven bullets in the inning, but he was able to strand the potential tying run aboard and get out of the inning. But in the eighth against a new bullpen arm in Andrew Walling, Dunedin finally got it going.

Jaden Rudd lead the inning off with a walk, followed by a Santiago Espinal base hit to put the tying run on base again. A passed ball put them both in scoring position, and with two outs, Roque Salinas chopped one to second that bounced of the heel of Erick Brito’s mitt, keeping the inning alive and making it 3-2. Then with Glenn Santiago at the plate, another ground ball to third this time proved to tough for Otto Kemp to make, with Santiago beating it for an infield hit to tie up the game.

But in the bottom of the inning, Clearwater bounced right back. Rincones Jr lead off with his third hit of the night, immediately stealing second with the throw getting in to center field to put the go-ahead run ninety feet away with just one out. Castillo would come back up, sending a ball to center that gave Jaden Rudd no chance at a play at the plate, sacrificing himself for the go-ahead run.

Dunedin would go three-up-three-down in the ninth, as Clearwater sealed their fifth consecutive victory, 4-3. With the loss, the Blue Jays dropped to 24-26 on the year, and put themselves in danger of being swept for the first time this season on Sunday. First pitch for the wrap-up game of this series is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. and will be available live on the Dunedin Blue Jays Radio Network with coverage beginning at 11:45 a.m.