Flying Tigers spread wings in 7-1 victory

Dunedin, FL - The Dunedin Blue Jays (20-7) are finally on a losing streak.

With a 6-0 loss in Tampa on Wednesday and a 7-1 defeat on Wing Night at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium on Thursday, the Blue Jays took their second straight loss as the Flying Tigers (17-10) moved to within three games of first place in the Florida State League North.

RHP Taylor Cole and Kevin Eichhorn (W, 2-0) battled through four scoreless innings, until the D-Jays mounted a two-out rally in the bottom of the fifth. With the bases empty and behind in the count 0-2, 2B Christian Lopes battled back to draw a seven-pitch walk. RF Nick Baligod followed with a sharp ground ball single, and CF Dalton Pompey plated Lopes by sneaking a single past a diving James Robbins at first base.

Dunedin's 1-0 lead would not last long. On the first pitch of the sixth inning, Lakeland's Austin Green launched a solo shot to center field to even the score. In the seventh, Connor Harrell hit a two-run blast to right, to give the Flying Tigers a 3-1 lead. The two homers were the only hits LHP Efrain Nieves (L, 0-2) allowed in his 2.1 innings of relief; he struck out five hitters and issued one walk.

Lakeland broke the game open in the eighth against RHP Blake McFarland, who allowed just two hits but walked three. He gave up a sac fly and a three-run double to former Blue Jays prospect Lance Durham, who had been 0-for-4 with 4 strikeouts.

In the end, Dunedin's bullpen gave up seven runs on just four hits.

Cole went 4.2 innings and struck out seven hitters to increase his league leading K total to 47. The Flying Tigers stranded the bases loaded in the fourth and fifth innings, and went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position against Cole.

RHP Danny Barnes tossed a perfect ninth, inducing three groundouts in his lone inning.

The Blue Jays will need to win the next two games to avoid their first series loss of 2014. RHP Ben White will face RHP Jake Thompson on Friday night at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium.