Cespedes, Ethridge Lead Mussels to 5-0 Shutout Win
DUNEDIN, Fla. (August 4, 2023) – Rubel Cespedes notched three hits and Ben Ethridge spearheaded a four-hit shutout as the Mighty Mussels defeated the Dunedin Blue Jays for the third day in a row at TD Ballpark. Cespedes finished 3-for-4 with two doubles in his first start since Sunday. Ethridge
DUNEDIN, Fla. (August 4, 2023) – Rubel Cespedes notched three hits and Ben Ethridge spearheaded a four-hit shutout as the Mighty Mussels defeated the Dunedin Blue Jays for the third day in a row at TD Ballpark.
Cespedes finished 3-for-4 with two doubles in his first start since Sunday.
Ethridge (2-5) logged a career high 5.2 innings, scattering three hits while fanning five. He topped out at 94.2 mph, the hardest pitch of his professional career.
Ethridge matched zeroes early with Blue Jays’ (45-55, 13-21) rehabber Ricky Tiedemann, who fanned nine Mussels (49-51, 15-19) through three scoreless innings.
The game remained scoreless until the top of the sixth. With two outs and nobody on, Luke Keaschall and Nate Baez both singled. The next batter was Cespedes, who drilled a two-run double off the left center field wall. Cespedes advanced to third on the throw home before coming in to score on a throwing error to cap the inning at 3-0 Fort Myers.
The Mussels tacked on two more runs in the ninth inning on back-to-back RBI singles from Dylan Neuse and Danny De Andrade.
Relievers Juan Mendez (1.1 IP, 3 K) and* Jackson Hicks* (2 IP, 1 H, 3 K) did the rest, polishing off the Mussels’ sixth shutout of the season.
Fort Myers will look to clinch the series at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. RHP Jack Noble (0-2, 2.18) will make the start for the Mussels, opposed by RHP Lazaro Estrada (1-1, 2.98) of Dunedin. Coverage begins at 6:15 p.m. on the Mighty Mussels Baseball Network.