10th inning disaster sinks Blue Jays Sunday hopes
DUNEDIN, FL – Palm Beach rallied for six two-out runs in the top of the 10th inning, handing the Blue Jays a 10-4 loss in the series finale on Sunday at TD Ballpark. With the loss, Dunedin loses the series five games to one. The contest started in promising fashion
DUNEDIN, FL – Palm Beach rallied for six two-out runs in the top of the 10th inning, handing the Blue Jays a 10-4 loss in the series finale on Sunday at TD Ballpark. With the loss, Dunedin loses the series five games to one.
The contest started in promising fashion for the Jays, starting in the first inning, when Eddie Micheletti drove in Nick Mitchell on a sacrifice fly.
In the second, Carter Cunningham opened the frame with a liner into the left center field gap that rolled all the way to the wall. The ball appeared to lodge underneath the fence, but after hesitation, Cardinals center fielder Lizandro Espinoza picked it up, which allowed Cunningham to circle the bases for an inside the park home run.
Later in the inning, Mitchell added a sac fly and Micheletti collected an RBI single, making it 4-0 Jays.
Palm Beach opened its string of 10 unanswered runs in the top of the fourth on a Cade McGee RBI single. In the fifth, the lead shrunk to one as Jose Cordoba blasted a two-run homer.
The Cardinals tied the game in the seventh, as Josh Kross picked up an RBI on a bases-loaded ground out. However, Dunedin reliever Luis Torres preserved the tie, leaving the bases loaded to end the frame.
Torres went on to finish 2.2 scoreless innings for the Jays, striking out four.
The Blue Jays loaded the bases with one out in the eighth inning, but failed to capitalize, keeping the contest tied into the ninth.
In the 10th, Julio Ortiz came on for Dunedin and struck out the first batter he faced before issuing two walks to load the bags. Ortiz struck out Espinoza for the second out of the inning, bringing the Jays an out away from a scoreless frame. Then, disaster struck for the Jays.
Ortiz balked, bringing in the first run of the inning. After another walk, Ortiz hit Anyelo Encarnacion with a pitch for a second run. Next, a wild pitch scored two. After Ortiz walked his fourth batter of the inning, the Jays were forced to call upon outfielder Jaden Rudd to pitch.
The lefty hit the first batter he faced to load the bases again, and then issued back-to-back bases loaded walks – capping a six-run hitless inning.
Dunedin didn’t score in the bottom of the 10th, stranding two.
The Blue Jays kick off a two-week road trip starting Tuesday in Bradenton, with first pitch set for 6:30 pm. Fans can listen to the action for free online at https://www.milb.com/dunedin/fans/radio.