Jays Shutout Threshers In Series Finale Win

For the third time this week, the Dunedin Blue Jays pitching staff shut out the Clearwater Threshers at Dunedin Stadium, picking up a 3-0 win in the series finale of a four-game set against their North Division rival. With the team donning specialty Dunedin Orange jerseys honoring their local heritage, LHP Jaime García made a strong, albeit short, rehab start for the Blue Jays. The Toronto lefty struck out a pair in an inning of work before handing the ball over to scheduled starter LHP Zach Logue. Logue picked up where Garcia left off, striking out seven batters over 6.0 scoreless innings.
After being held scoreless last night, the Blue Jays offense bounced back in the second inning of tonight's game. C Riley Adams led off the inning with an opposite field double. 1B Kacy Clemens followed with a single up the middle, scoring Adams and putting the Jays up 1-0.
An inning later, SS Kevin Smith smacked a solo homer to right, his ninth with Dunedin and 16th of the season. The Blue Jays held the 2-0 lead until the sixth inning when they extended it with an additional run. A fielding error with two outs in the sixth allowed CF Rodrigo Orozco to reach base. He stole second and came home to score on a single by 3B Ivan Castillo.
The single was Castillo's second of the game, giving him multiple hits in 10 of the last 13 games and raising his second half average to .368.
With the lead, the Dunedin pitching staff cruised. After Garcia and Logue combined for 7.0 shutout innings and nine strikeouts, LHP Jake Fishman tossed a scoreless eighth inning, earning his fourth hold of the season. RHP Jackson McClelland struck out a pair in the ninth, locking down his sixth save, finishing the game with a strikeout by blowing a 98 mile-per-hour fastball past Edgar Cabral for strike three.
In the four-game series against Clearwater, the Blue Jays pitching staff threw 35.0 scoreless innings, only allowing Clearwater to score in the ninth inning of last night's game. They finished the series with a 1.00 team ERA.
Offensively, Adams had three hits in the game with an RBI and a run scored. Castillo, Smith, and Clemens each had two hits and an RBI.
The win improves Dunedin's second half record to a league-best 14-7. They'll look to continue their winning ways during a three-game road series in Tampa over the weekend with RHP Yennsy Diaz squaring off with the Tarpons Adonis Rosa tomorrow evening at 6:30 at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
Fans interested in taking home their favorite player's game-worn Orange Jersey, including Jaime Garcia, can place a bid at this link.