Threshers Outlast D-Jays, Win Finale 7-5 in 12
The Threshers jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first when they started the game by collecting four straight hits off D-Jays starter Casey Lawrence, but the right-hander settled down from there. In a tune-up for the playoffs Lawrence threw just two innings, and allowed the two runs on a total of five hits.
Scott Copeland took over for Lawrence in the third, and after retiring the first two men he faced, the Threshers had five straight reach base safely as they took a 5-0 lead. The first two of the five consecutive baserunners reached on hits before the D-Jays committed two errors leading to all three runs being unearned.
Copeland ultimately worked four innings and allowed just one more baserunner over his final three frames. He finishes the regular season with a 4-1 record and a 2.70 ERA in seven appearances - six starts - with Dunedin after being signed by the Blue Jays in late July.
While Copeland cruised through the middle innings, the offense started to chip away at the five run Threshers lead.
Dunedin's first run came home on a Kevin Pillar single in the third, and Jack Murphy homered in the bottom of the fifth to make it 5-2. A throwing error by reliever Andrew Aizenstadt in the seventh led to the D-Jays third run, and they came all the way back in the bottom of the eighth.
The inning began with a lead off walk to Kenny Wilson, and he stole second before coming home on Pillar's second RBI single of the game. Kevin then advanced to second on a wild pitch, third on a fly out to right, and ultimately scored the game tying run on another wild pitch with just one out in the inning.
The game remained tied into the 12th, and that's when Clearwater grabbed the game for good with three straight hits to start the inning. The first two hits were bunt singles down the third base line, and then the tie was broken on a Carlos Alonzo double to the gap in left-center.
The D-Jays went down in order in the bottom of the 12th, and the Threshers ended their season with the 7-5 victory that secured an 11-9 edge in head-to-head play between the two teams.
Amadeo Zazueta had another strong game for Dunedin, falling a home run shy of the cycle with a 3-5 night that raised his average to .429 through six games with his new team. Pillar finished the night 2-6 with two RBI, and J.P. Arencibia was 1-5 with a double in his first rehab appearance with the D-Jays as the DH.
The Blue Jays finished the regular season 23 games over .500 with a final mark of 78-55, and they will begin the postseason on Tuesday night in Lakeland where the first pitch is scheduled for 6:30pm.
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