Two weather delays didn't slow the Dunedin Blue Jays at home on Wednesday night in a 7-2 win over the Florida Fire Frogs.Dunedin starter and second-half ace Josh DeGraaf sat through a forty minute delay of the first pitch due to rain at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium and a second
Two weather delays didn't slow the Dunedin Blue Jays at home on Wednesday night in a 7-2 win over the Florida Fire Frogs.
Dunedin starter and second-half ace Josh DeGraaf sat through a forty minute delay of the first pitch due to rain at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium and a second delay in the third inning when lightning stuck near the field of play, but still provided the Jays with a stellar start despite the interruptions. DeGraaf allowed just three hits over 5.0 innings, striking out six while letting in one unearned run to earn his seventh win of the year.
While DeGraaf was sharp, both teams struggled with the wet field conditions on defense, committing six errors combined in the game. Dunedin capitalized early on Fire Frogs errors. In the second, with runners on first and second, DH Michael De La Cruz lined a single to left. One runner scored on the hit and a second runner came in to score when Florida RF Anfernee Seymour's throw to third from the outfield skipped past third baseman Matt Gonzalez.
Dunedin scored twice more in the third inning following a lightning delay. C Luke Maile reached on an error to lead off the inning. 3B Vladimir Guerrero Jr. lined a single up the middle to put two runners on. During the next at bat, Florida starting pitcher Oriel Caicedo attempted an unconventional pickoff move at first base and made an errant throw, allowing Maile to score and putting Guerrero Jr. on third. A sacrifice fly by 1B Juan Kelly put Dunedin up 4-0.
Florida pushed a run across in the fifth using a single, a wild pitch, and a throwing error to bring Carlos Castro around after a single. Dunedin answered immediately in the bottom of the inning, scoring three times on four hits. SS Bo Bichette's two out, two RBI single pushed the score to 7-1.
The Fire Frogs pushed a second unearned run across in the seventh against RHP Philip Walby, but were unable to do any more damage against a bullpen combination of Walby, RHP Zach Jackson, and RHP Jackson McClelland.
The win improved Dunedin to 33-26 in the second half and 23-6 at home. They sit 6.0 games behind the Tampa Yankees, who were postponed tonight, for first place in the Florida State League's North Division, and 3.0 games ahead of the Clearwater Threshers for the wild card with Clearwater's game tonight still ongoing.
Dunedin and Florida will finish their three-game set tomorrow evening at 6:30 PM at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium. LHP Tayler Saucedo (2-1, 4.87 ERA) will take the ball for the Jays looking to improve on his 6.0 shutout innings in his last outing against Palm Beach on August 18th.
