Stone Crabs earn 3-2 late-night win over Blue Jays

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. (July 20, 2019) - The Charlotte Stone Crabs scratched across a run in their final turn at bat Saturday, beating the Dunedin Blue Jays 3-2 in Game 1 of a doubleheader at Charlotte Sports Park.
Game 2 of the doubleheader was suspended due to league curfew at 1 a.m. after five innings with Dunedin (59-36, 18-12) leading 1-0.
With the score tied 2-2 in the bottom of the sixth, Stone Crabs (58-37, 23-6) outfielders Moises Gomez and Carl Chester led off the inning with singles. After the next two batters struck out, Zach Rutherford walked to load the bases. That brought up Michael Smith , who worked out a walk to drive in Gomez and give the Stone Crabs a 3-2 lead.
Charlotte right-hander Chandler Raiden (4-2) struck out two over 1.1 scoreless innings of relief to get the win.
Stone Crabs starter Joe Ryan lasted just three innings, but struck out the maximum nine batters, tying his Florida State League high. Ryan allowed one unearned on two hits and left with the lead.
With Charlotte trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the second, Gomez was hit by a pitch before Chester singled him to second. Garrett Whitley followed by lining a base hit to right to load the bases. That brought up Jermaine Palacios , who shot a two-run single to left to score two runs and give the Stone Crabs a 2-1 lead.
The Blue Jays tied the game on a Chavez Young bloop double in the sixth, but Smith's bases loaded walk proved to be the difference.
The Stone Crabs and Blue Jays will complete their suspended game at 1 p.m. on Sunday before playing their regularly scheduled nine-inning game. Stephen Woods Jr. (8-1, 2.03) is set to make the start for Charlotte, against Nick Allgeyer (6-4, 4.15) of Dunedin. Coverage of the modified doubleheader starts at 12:45 p.m. on the Stone Crabs Baseball Network.