Lakeland Walks Off Blue Jays Again, 2-1

Lakeland, FL — The Dunedin Blue Jays (49-58, 17-24) were walked off by the Lakeland Flying Tigers (54-52, 28-13) for the second time this week in the ninth inning on Saturday night.

It was a pitcher’s duel for the majority of the ballgame. LHP Matt Walker was masterful for the Flying Tigers, tossing five shutout innings while only allowing two hits (both in the first inning). In his second start for Lakeland this season, Walker managed to overcome runners on first and second in his first frame, finishing his day retiring the final thirteen Blue Jays he faced.

RHP Lazaro Estrada matched him frame for frame through the fifth inning. It wasn’t until Estrada came out for his season-high sixth inning that he showed any signs of struggle. After a leadoff walk to start the sixth, Estrada got the next two batters out on a lineup and a fielder’s choice, but a second walk put runners on first and second, and a slow roller through the left side of the infield gave Seth Stephenson just enough time to score ahead of Angel Del Rosario’s throw home, scoring the game’s first run to put Lakeland up 1-0.

Estrada finished his day at five and two thirds innings pitched on seventy-nine pitches, both season-highs, allowing just the one run on two hits, but in line for the loss. Donnie Murphy turned to MiLB-rehabber RHP Winder Garcia, who got the last out of the inning, and pitched a perfect seventh before bringing in RHP Josh Mollerus, who pitched a perfect eighth.

With the DJays still trailing 1-0 headed to the ninth, Nick Goodwin lined one up the middle to put the tying run aboard. A Cam Brown wild pitch moved Goodwin into scoring position, and Roque Salinas roped one to left, scoring the tying run. Brown got out of the inning without any further damage, so onto the bottom of the ninth it went.

RHP Kelena Sauer came into the ballgame for Dunedin, hoping to send the game to extra-innings, but a leadoff walk put the winning run aboard for the Flying Tigers. And after a fielder’s choice, Max Anderson lined on inches fair down the right field line, rolling all the way to the corner, easily bringing in Jim Jarvis from first two secure Lakeland’s second walk-off of the series.

With the 2-1 loss, Dunedin falls to 17-24 in the second half, improving Lakeland to 28-13, and clinching at least a split of the series for the Flying Tigers. Dunedin will go for a split themselves Sunday afternoon at Joker Marchant Stadium, while Lakeland will look for the series-win with first pitch scheduled for 1:00 p.m. Live coverage will also be available at 12:45 p.m. on the Dunedin Blue Jays Radio Network.