Stephen Fans Nine, Walk-Off Sinks Jays
The Dunedin Blue Jays fell to the Jupiter Hammerheads in walk-off fashion 3-2 on Thursday night at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium in game three of a six-game series. Over the first five games of the season, Blue Jays starting pitchers have allowed just two earned runs over 27.2 combined innings
The Dunedin Blue Jays fell to the Jupiter Hammerheads in walk-off fashion 3-2 on Thursday night at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium in game three of a six-game series.
Over the first five games of the season, Blue Jays starting pitchers have allowed just two earned runs over 27.2 combined innings (0.65 ERA) with 29 strikeouts and 18 hits.
RHP Khal Stephen (6 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 1 BB, 9 K) hurled six innings of one-run ball with nine strikeouts. Over his first four innings of work, Stephen did not allow a hit and faced the minimum, retiring 11 straight batters between the 1st and 5th The Blue Jays No. 10 prospect induced 14 whiffs on 25 swings for a 40% whiff rate. Stephen topped out at 94.8 MPH on his fastball, which he threw 65% of the time and collected nine whiffs on. Over his first two professional starts, Stephen has allowed one run on three hits over 11 innings with two walks and 15 strikeouts. His nine strikeouts are the most by any Dunedin pitcher this season and match the most by a Blue Jay since Rafael Sanchez fanned 11 batters on 4/27/23. Stephen’s 15 strikeouts are the most of any Class-A pitcher in Minor League Baseball.
NINE STRIKEOUTS for #BlueJays No. 10 prospect Khal Stephen🔥
— Dunedin Blue Jays (@DunedinBlueJays) April 11, 2025
6️⃣ IP | 1️⃣ R | 1️⃣ H | 1️⃣ BB | 9️⃣ K pic.twitter.com/ZWtLfNw1SR
LF Yhoangel Aponte (3-for-4, 2 R, 2B) recorded his first multi-hit game of the season in a three-hit effort with two runs scored. Aponte is the first Blue Jay with three hits in a game this season. Aponte’s double left his bat at 105.9 MPH, the second hardest hit ball of his Dunedin career.
3B Kendry Chirinos (2-for-4, RBI) opened the scoring with an RBI single in the 2nd inning for his first hit and RBI of the season. Chirinos notched his first hit, RBI, and multi-hit performance as a member of the Blue Jays. On eight balls hit in play this season, Chirinos has registered five balls off the bat at 95+ MPH.