Clearwater blasts seven home runs to defeat Jays

DUNEDIN, FL – Clearwater launched seven home runs to down Dunedin 12-3 in front of a patriotic crowd of 4,522 on Independence Day at TD Ballpark. The loss snaps a four-game win streak for the Jays.

The crowd marked the largest home crowd of the season for the D-Jays.

The Blue Jays threatened Threshers starter Wen Hui Pan in the top of the first, as Victor Arias doubled and Joey Votto drew a hit by pitch, but both were stranded to end the frame. Pan went on to strike out five batters in the next two innings to finish three scoreless frames.

The Threshers opened the scoring in the top of the third, as Bryson Ware belted a 3-run home run off Jorge Bautista.

Following the longball, Bautista settled in to retire eight consecutive batters through the fifth inning. The streak ended in the top of the sixth with a Nikau Pouaka-Grego single.

With one out, the Threshers delivered a rare feat: back-to-back-to-back home runs. Jared Thomas started the string with a two-run homer to right field that chased Bautista. Keiner Leon came out of the Jays’ bullpen, and surrendered a high-arcing homer to Yemal Flores to left field. Avery Owusu-Asiedu finished the trifecta with an opposite field shot into the first row of seats in right, making it 7-0 Threshers.

Clearwater added one more run in the inning on a Ware RBI single to push the lead to 8-0.

The Threshers went back-to-back again in the eighth inning – this time from Ware and Pouaka-Grego – to swell the deficit to 10-0.

The Blue Jays broke up the shutout in the bottom of the eighth. Arjun Nimmla started the inning with a triple and scored Dunedin’s first run on a Nic Deschamps RBI groundout. With two outs, Tucker Toman roped an RBI double, and Manuel Beltre did the same to trim the Clearwater lead to 10-3.

The Threshers got two of the runs back with one swing, as Jordan Viars lined Clearwater’s seventh long ball of the night; a two-run shot to right that made it 12-3.

The series continues Friday night at TD Ballpark, with first pitch scheduled for 6:30. Tickets are available now at DunedinBlueJays.com.