Tampa Claims Rain-Shortened Victory Over Dunedin, 3-1

TAMPA, Fla. – It took three days due to nightly thunderstorms, but the Tampa Tarpons (33-22) beat the Dunedin Blue Jays (34-22), 3-1 in five innings, in a rain-shortened game completed on Saturday night at George M. Steinbrenner Field.

The game originally began on Thursday, with RHP Tyrone Yulie making the start. Josh Kasevish doubled and took third on a base hit by Estiven Machado to begin the game. One out later, a sacrifice fly by Peyton Williams gave Dunedin an early lead before Yulie stranded a pair.

Tampa promptly tied the game when Spencer Jones crushed a home run to right-center to lead off the home half of the first. Alexander Vargas and Antonio Gomez followed with back-to-back singles, and Vargas scored as Marcos Cabrera reached on a fielder’s choice, giving the Tarpons a 2-1 lead.

Following a weather delay, the game was suspended until Friday, when RHP Luis Severino made a rehab appearance in relief of Yulie. Severino (W, 1-0) tallied three strikeouts while holding Dunedin to one hit over two scoreless frames, tossing 22 pitches (16 strikes).

In the bottom of the third, Vargas reached on a hit-by-pitch, and Gomez walked to put two on with one out. Vargas later scored as Ben Rice reached on an error, giving Tampa a 3-1 lead.

Once again, weather halted play, and the game was suspended until Saturday evening. LHP Zack Britton entered in relief, making his second rehab appearance. Britton (H, 2) needed only 12 pitches to strike out two over a perfect top of the fourth.

Dunedin placed the tying runs on base with an error and a base hit in the fifth, but RHP Yon Castro got Kasevich to fly out before striking out Machado to end the threat.

Castro (SV, 1) returned for the sixth and recorded one out before rainfall stopped play for good. Due to unplayable field conditions, the game officially ended in the sixth inning, and the slated second game was cancelled.

The victory puts Tampa only a half game back of Dunedin and Bradenton for the final playoff spot that comes with winning the second half of the Florida State League West Division. A total of nine games remain for the Tarpons, including a doubleheader to complete the series against the Blue Jays before finishing the regular season with seven games in Daytona.

Tampa is slated wrap up the series against Dunedin with a doubleheader on Sunday, with the first game set to start at 11:00 a.m. RHP Zach Messinger (3-5, 4.90 ERA) is expected to make the start for Tampa in Game One.