Tarpons Falter as Blue Jays Take Finale, 4-2

TAMPA, Fla. – The Tarpons struggled offensively as the Dunedin pitchers combined for 16 strikeouts in a 4-2 final in the series-finale on Sunday afternoon at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Dunedin took four-of-six to win the series, but Tampa won the season-series, 15-9.

RHP Tyrone Yulie got the nod and walked two of the first three batters he faced in the first. PK Morris followed with an RBI double to left center, and Addison Barger added a sacrifice fly to give the Blue Jays (54-60) an early 2-0 lead.

Yulie got a strikeout to end the first and struck out the first two batters in the second before stranding an infield hit and a walk. In the third, Yulie departed after yielding a hit-batter and a walk. Yulie allowed two runs on two hits and four walks and a hit-batter, striking out four on 56 pitches (31 strikes) over two-plus innings.

RHP Carlos Gomez entered in relief and, after an error loaded the bases, escaped with a strikeout, a pop out and a ground out. Gomez continued by stranding a two-out double in the fourth and worked around a pair of singles in a scoreless fifth, completing three shutout relief innings.

Tampa (72-40) loaded the bases with two outs in the second, but LHP Naswell Paulino got a flyout by Trey Sweeney to end the threat. Paulino kept the Tarpons scoreless up until the fifth, when an error, a walk, a fielder’s choice and a second error plated a run. Cooper Bowman followed with a base hit to right, prompting a pitching change.

LHP Jimmy Burnette entered, and Tyler Hardman greeted the reliever with a game-tying RBI single into center. A wild pitch and a walk loaded the bases, but Burnette got a strikeout and a force out to end the inning with game tied at 2-2.

LHP Ben Keizer (L, 2-3) relieved Gomez in the sixth and worked around a pair of walks by getting a 4-6-3 double play. In the seventh, Morris drew a leadoff walk, took second on a wild pitch and later scored on a base hit by Harry Ray, putting the Blue Jays back in front, 3-2.

Burnette (W, 1-0) struck out the side in the sixth to complete his outing. RHP Matt Svanson (H, 1) then struck out three in a scoreless seventh and added two more punchouts while facing the minimum in the eighth.

LHP Clay Aguilar struck out a pair in a clean eighth. RHP Carson Coleman retired the first two batters in the ninth before Barger belted a solo home run, giving Dunedin a 4-2 lead. RHP Julian Valdez (SV, 4) retired the Tarpons in order in the ninth to close the game.

Up next, the Tarpons travel to Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers for a six-game series against the Mighty Mussels to wrap up the regular season. The series-opener is scheduled for Tuesday at 7:00 p.m., with the pitching matchup to be determined.