Blue Jays use five-run ninth to defeat Clearwater

CLEARWATER, FL – Following a game-tying home run from Clearwater’s Eduardo Tait in the bottom of the eighth, Dunedin rallied for five ninth inning runs to take a 12-7 win in Sunday’s series finale at BayCare Ballpark.

With the win, the Blue Jays win the series five games to one over the Threshers.

Clearwater jumped on the board first with a Raider Tello RBI single in the second inning – the only run allowed in three innings by Jays starter Colby Holcombe.

Dunedin got on the board in the fourth inning, rallying for five runs on five hits. Manuel Beltre started it off with a game-tying RBI double, then JR Freethy put the Jays on top with an RBI infield single.

With runners on first and second, Jaden Rudd capped off the scoring with a line-drive, three-run home run – his first of the year – to make it 5-1 Dunedin.

The Threshers punched back by scoring two runs in the bottom of the inning on a bases loaded walk and hit by pitch, trimming the Jays lead to 5-3.

The Blue Jays added cushion without the help of a hit in the sixth and seventh innings. In the sixth, Arjun Nimmala’s fielders’ choice brought in Freethy. In the seventh, Aponte drove in Carter Cunningham on his own fielders’ choice, pushing the lead to 7-3.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Threshers got both runs back, as Kodey Shojinaga drove in two on an opposite field RBI single to right.

With Juanmi Vasquez in the game for the eighth, Clearwater continued the scoring. Following a one-out single from Starlyn Caba, Eduardo Tait launched a two-run, game-tying home run to right field to knot the game at seven.

The Blue Jays wasted no time in forming a response in the top of the ninth, as the first three batters reached. Beltre walked, Tibbitts doubled and Freethy walked to load the bases with no outs. With Yhoangel Aponte at the plate, Threshers’ pitcher Kleyderve Andrade uncorked a wild pitch to the backstop, allowing Beltre to dash home to give the Jays an 8-7 lead.

After striking out Aponte, Andrade hit Jaden Rudd to re-load the bases for Eddie Michelettti. The Jays’ leadoff man promptly unloaded them, launching a grand slam to right field for his first professional home run, putting the Blue Jays ahead 12-7.

Vasquez bounced back in the bottom of the ninth, working around a walk to record a scoreless inning to close the game

The Blue Jays return to TD Ballpark on Tuesday to kick off their final homestand of the season, hosting Lakeland. First pitch is set for 6:30, and fans can purchase tickets online at DunedinBlueJays.com.