Cubs top Jays to open homestand

Daytona Beach, FL - The Daytona Cubs began a seven-game homestand with a 4-3 win over the first-place Dunedin Blue Jays which snapped a four-game losing streak on Thursday night at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.

Daytona took a 4-3 lead in the sixth inning after trailing 3-2, and never looked back.

LHP Hunter Cervenka piched two scoreless innings to close out the game and earned his third save of the season. Cervenka allowed just one hit and owns the lowest batting average against in the Florida State League (.118, 6-for-51).

Trailing 1-0 in the second, Daytona led off the inning with three-straight hits which led to two runs. RF Jorge Soler doubled down the right-field line and scored on LF John Andreoli's league-leading fifth triple which tied the game 1-1. Then 1B Dustin Geiger hit a high-hopping infield single up the middle which plated Andreoli to give the Cubs the lead. Geiger leads the Cubs and is tied for second in the FSL with 29 RBIs.

The Cubs extended their lead to 3-1 in the third after 2B Tim Saunders singled to right and SS Javier Baez doubled down the left-field line which scored Saunders.

After the Jays plated a run in both the fourth and fifth on 1B Jon Talley's second RBI double of the game and a DH K.C. Hobson solo home run, Daytona countered in the sixth. Baez hit a ball to the wall in center field with one out, but after it looked like CF Jonathan Jones made a tremendous catch jumping up against the wall, the ball came out of his glove and Baez ended up on third with a triple. Soler gave the Cubs the 4-3 lead with a sacrifice fly after he flied a ball to right which plated Baez.

RHP P.J. Francescon took a no-decision after giving the Cubs five innings. He allowed three runs (two earned) on eight hits while striking out four and not walking a batter.

LHP Jeff Lorick, in his season-debut for the Cubs, pitched a 1-2-3 sixth in relief and picked up the victory.

RHP Austin Reed worked a scoreless seventh.

In the win, Baez, Andreoli, Geiger and DH Taiwan Easterling each had two hits for Daytona.

The Cubs and Blue Jays will play the middle game of the three-game series on Friday night at Jackie Robinson Ballpark. RHP Yeiper Castillo is scheduled to take the hill for the Cub and will be countered by RHP Jesse Hernandez. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.