Blue Jays earn series split with 6-3 victory
Eades surrenders six runs in first two innings, Kanzler homers
FORT MYERS, Fla. (May 14, 2015) - The Dunedin Blue Jays salvaged a series split with a 6-3 win over the Fort Myers Miracle on Thursday night at Hammond Stadium.
The Blue Jays blitzed Miracle starter Ryan Eades for six runs in the first two innings. Dunedin sent eight hitters to the plate with the first four reaching on hits. Roeman Fields started the inning with a single to left and then stole second. Dickie Joe Thon knocked him in with a triple into the right field corner for the first of four runs in the first. L.B. Dantzler followed with an RBI hit through the right side and Thon trotted home.
After a Matt Dean hit and Derrick Loveless walk, the Blue Jays loaded up the bases. Eades (2-1) then missed with four consecutive pitches to Dawel Lugo to walk in a run, 3-0. David Harris rolled into a 6-3 double play for the first two outs, but a fourth run came in for the Blue Jays.
In the second, Dantzler picked up a sacrifice fly for an RBI and Dean doubled in a run to make it 6-0.
Eades mustered three scoreless frames in the third, fourth and fifth, but still took the loss after giving up six earned runs on 10 hits. Alex Muren and Todd Van Steensel each pitched a pair of innings in relief without allowing a run.
The Miracle broke through in the seventh against Dunedin reliever Alonzo Gonzalez. Logan Wade started the inning with a double into left center and Zack Granite earned a walk. Jason Kanzler then reached on a force play that retired Granite at second. Gonzalez exited and Blue Jays reliever Michael Kraft took over with runners on the corners. Alex Swim bounced a single up the middle to drive in Wade and get the Miracle on the board, 6-1.
In the ninth, Kanzler tagged Kraft for a pair of runs. Granite led off with a double, then Kanzler hit a 412-foot two-run blast to left field that cleared the Sun Harvest Citrus Lawn. The homer was Kanzler's third of the season and cut the Dunedin advantage to 6-3. Blue Jays manager Omar Malave allowed Kraft to retire Swim before calling Will Browning out of the bullpen. Browning recorde the final two outs to secure the win for Dunedin.
The Miracle (16-18) hit the road for the next four games beginning with a three-game trip to Jupiter to play the Hammerheads. Fans can listen to the game on www.miraclebaseball.com with the "Voice of the Miracle" Brice Zimmerman. The MiracleBaseball.com pregame show hits the air at 6:05 p.m. prior to a 6:35 p.m. first pitch.
The Blue Jays blitzed Miracle starter Ryan Eades for six runs in the first two innings. Dunedin sent eight hitters to the plate with the first four reaching on hits. Roeman Fields started the inning with a single to left and then stole second. Dickie Joe Thon knocked him in with a triple into the right field corner for the first of four runs in the first. L.B. Dantzler followed with an RBI hit through the right side and Thon trotted home.
After a Matt Dean hit and Derrick Loveless walk, the Blue Jays loaded up the bases. Eades (2-1) then missed with four consecutive pitches to Dawel Lugo to walk in a run, 3-0. David Harris rolled into a 6-3 double play for the first two outs, but a fourth run came in for the Blue Jays.
In the second, Dantzler picked up a sacrifice fly for an RBI and Dean doubled in a run to make it 6-0.
Eades mustered three scoreless frames in the third, fourth and fifth, but still took the loss after giving up six earned runs on 10 hits. Alex Muren and Todd Van Steensel each pitched a pair of innings in relief without allowing a run.
The Miracle broke through in the seventh against Dunedin reliever Alonzo Gonzalez. Logan Wade started the inning with a double into left center and Zack Granite earned a walk. Jason Kanzler then reached on a force play that retired Granite at second. Gonzalez exited and Blue Jays reliever Michael Kraft took over with runners on the corners. Alex Swim bounced a single up the middle to drive in Wade and get the Miracle on the board, 6-1.
In the ninth, Kanzler tagged Kraft for a pair of runs. Granite led off with a double, then Kanzler hit a 412-foot two-run blast to left field that cleared the Sun Harvest Citrus Lawn. The homer was Kanzler's third of the season and cut the Dunedin advantage to 6-3. Blue Jays manager Omar Malave allowed Kraft to retire Swim before calling Will Browning out of the bullpen. Browning recorde the final two outs to secure the win for Dunedin.
The Miracle (16-18) hit the road for the next four games beginning with a three-game trip to Jupiter to play the Hammerheads. Fans can listen to the game on www.miraclebaseball.com with the "Voice of the Miracle" Brice Zimmerman. The MiracleBaseball.com pregame show hits the air at 6:05 p.m. prior to a 6:35 p.m. first pitch.