Tampa outslugs Dunedin to even series

DUNEDIN, FL – Tampa used two late runs to down Dunedin 9-8 in a three-hour slugfest on Wednesday night at TD Ballpark.

Dunedin fell in an early hole, as Tampa pushed in three first inning runs, using two hits and three walks against Jays starter Gage Stanifer to open a 3-0 lead.

The Blue Jays responded in the first at bat of the bottom of the frame, as Victor Arias belted a leadoff homer to cut the deficit to 3-1.

After Tampa tallied another run in the second to chase Stanifer, Dunedin turned the game around in the bottom of the second. The Blue Jays rallied for four runs, all with two outs. Arias drove in another run with a double, and Arjun Nimmala followed with a game-tying, two-RBI double to knot the game at 4. Joey Votto kept the line moving with an opposite field single through the shifted Tampa infield to put the Jays ahead 5-4.

Dunedin’s lead swelled to 7-4 with a two-run fourth. Bryce Arnold opened the inning with a solo homer. Later, Jean Joseph lined a two-out RBI knock to drive in Nimmala.

Eliander Alcalde cruised through two scoreless innings in the third and fourth but ran into trouble in the fifth. Tampa opened the inning with three straight base runners – all three eventually scored to tie the game at seven.

Dunedin threatened to take the lead back in the bottom of the inning with runners on the corners with two outs, but Edward Duran was picked off third base to end the threat.

In the seventh, Hans Montero opened the frame with a single, and then rounded the bases on his own accord. Montero stole his way to second and then third base and scored the game’s go-ahead run on a two-out wild pitch to put the Tarpons in the drivers’ seat 8-7.

That lead increased to 9-7 with a Jackson Castillo RBI single in the eighth.

In the bottom of the frame, the Blue Jays offense found another spark. Arias walked to start the inning, then, with two-outs, Votto smashed a double into the gap for an RBI double to make it a one-run game again. Votto was left stranded on second to end the frame.

After Nate Garkow worked a 1-2-3 top of the ninth for Dunedin, the Jays attempted to stir up some ninth inning magic in the bottom of the inning. After the first two batters were retired, Manuel Beltre and Braden Barry drew back-to-back walks to put the winning run on first, but Arnold popped out to end the contest.

Dunedin hosts Tampa again tomorrow night at 6:30 at TD Ballpark. Tickets are available now at DunedinBlueJays.com.