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Late Rally Falls Short In Stroman Start

Jays score four in the ninth, but leave the tying run on base
Marcus Stroman allowed just one hit in 4.1 innings in his first rehab outing with the Dunedin Blue Jays. (Allasyn Lieneck)
June 13, 2018

The fans at Dunedin Stadium on Wednesday night were treated to a trio of rehabbing Major League stars in game three of Dunedin and Charlotte's four-game set at Dunedin Stadium. RHP Marcus Stroman took the mound for the Blue Jays on rehab from Toronto, facing off against Tampa CF Kevin

The fans at Dunedin Stadium on Wednesday night were treated to a trio of rehabbing Major League stars in game three of Dunedin and Charlotte's four-game set at Dunedin Stadium. RHP Marcus Stroman took the mound for the Blue Jays on rehab from Toronto, facing off against Tampa CF Kevin Kiermaier and SS Adeiny Hechavarría on assignment from the Rays.
Stroman was strong early in his first official outing since being placed on the disabled list on May 11th with shoulder fatigue. He faced the minimum in the first two innings before walking a pair in the third. He held the Stone Crabs hitless until the fourth inning when top prospect Jesús Sánchez lined a two-run home run over the wall in right after a walk. Stroman hit his pitch limit with one out in the fifth, leaving the game with a final line of 4.1 innings pitched, one hit, two runs, four walks, and three strikeouts.
Dunedin spotted Stroman with an early run, but wasn't able to score again until the ninth inning. They got on the scoreboard in the second when 1B Kacy Clemens laced a two-out double down the right field line. 2B Ivan Castillo followed with a single to left and got caught in a rundown between first and second trying to stretch the hit into extra bases. While Castillo tried to elude Stone Crabs fielders, Clemens scored from third just before Castillo was tagged out.
After the Sanchez home run gave the Stone Crabs the lead in the fourth, Charlotte scored one time against each of Dunedin's four relief pitchers in the game. RHP Jonny Cheshire allowed a run in the fifth when Kiermaier tripled to the left field gap and Hechavarria followed with a single. LHP Angel Perdomo struck out a pair in 2.0 innings of relief, but allowed a run in the seventh on a triple by Jermaine Palacios and a sacrifice fly.
In the eighth, Robbie Tenrowicz led off with a single against Dunedin RHP William Ouellette. The next batter hit what could have been a tailor-made double play to short, but the ball trickled under the glove of SS Kevin Smith, putting runners on first and third. The next batter hit into a double play, but a run came in to score on the play.
Palacios hit his second triple of the game in the ninth against RHP Andy Ravel and came in to score on a sacrifice fly to put the Stone Crabs up 6-1. 
The Blue Jays would not go down quietly, scoring four times in the bottom of the ninth before stranding the tying and winning runs on base. CF Joshua Palacios led off the inning with a single and advanced to third when Smith followed with a double. After a strikeout and a lineout recorded by reliever Alexis Tapia, the next four batters singled. C Riley Adams drove a single through the infield into left field to score Palacios and Smith. Clemens, 1B David Jacob, and LF Eduard Pinto each singled into right field to bring home two more runs, cut the score to 6-5, and put runners at the corners with two down.
RF Rodrigo Orozco stepped ot the plate looking for redemption after being robbed in each of his previous three at-bats by diving catches by Charlotte centerfielders. Kiermaier took extra bases from him in the third inning with a sprawling catch in the gap, and Kiermaier's defensive replacement Jake Fraley continued his excellent play against the Blue Jays by making two more diving catches against Orozco in the sixth and eighth innings. Tapia jammed Orozco on a checked swing, inducing a slow roller to third. Palacios charged in and threw out Orozco by a step, ending the threat and the game.
The Blue Jays outhit the Stone Crabs in the game 10-8 but came up short on the scoreboard. Palacios, Clemens, and Pinto each had two hits for Dunedin. While Smith's streak of six straight multi-hit games came to an end, his double in the second extended his hit streak to seven games and raised his Dunedin average to .351.
The Blue Jays and Stone Crabs will finish their four-game set tomorrow evening at Dunedin Stadium in the final game before the Florida State League All-Star Game. The first 1,000 fans at tomorrow's game will take home an exclusive Vladimir Guerrero Jr./Sr. Bobblehead. LHP Zach Logue (2-0, 2.00 ERA) will take the ball for Dunedin against Charlotte's LHP Kenny Rosenberg (4-1, 5.01 ERA).