Bullpen Racks Up Six-Scoreless Frames, Blanked at Home

BRADENTON, FL —In their first game back from their 12-game road trip on the east coast, the Bradenton Marauders were shut out 2-0 by the Dunedin Blue Jays on Tuesday night at LECOM Park.

In his home debut, Zander Mueth (0-1) tossed two scoreless frames before running into trouble in the third. Carter Cunningham doubled and Nathan Lukes singled to begin the inning. On a pickoff attempt throwing error, Cunningham scored to push the Blue Jays in front 1-0. A few batters later, Sean Keyes hit a sacrifice fly to deep centerfield to score Lukes and double the Blue Jays lead to 2-0.

That would be all the runs Dunedin needed. Gage Stanifer allowed two hits, both to Axiel Plaz, in the first four innings. After Kevin Miranda (1-1) worked the next two, Eliander Alcalde (SV,5) retired the final nine batters for the save.

One of Bradenton’s best offensive chances came in the fourth when Esmerlyn Valdez walked and Plaz singled to place two runners on with one out. Stanifer induced an inning-ending double play to end the threat.

In the sixth, Will Taylor walked before he was thrown out at second base on a stolen base attempt. Later in the inning, Valdez doubled down the left field line with two outs before he was left stranded there.

In the ninth, Valdez led off with a single to bring the tying run to the plate three times, but Alcalde retired all three to hand Bradenton their fifth shutout loss of the season.

In his professional debut, Connor Wietgrefe struck out the side in the sixth. Luigi Herandez struck out five in three hitless and scoreless innings. Herandez is currently on a season-long seven-inning scoreless streak.

The Marauders and Blue Jays continue their series on Wednesday night at LECOM Park. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m., with pregame coverage beginning at 6:10 p.m. on the Marauders Broadcast Network.