Big flies power Blue Jays past Clearwater

Dunedin, FL – On a night that featured six total homers, Dunedin used three longballs to down Clearwater 10-5 in the series opener on Tuesday night at TD Ballpark.

The 10-run performance marks the second straight game and third time this season the Jays have reached double figures.

The game started in favor of the visiting Threshers, as Tjayy Walton poked an opposite-field two run homer to right against Dunedin starter Connor O’Halloran in the second to make it 2-0. O’Halloran limited the damage to just two in the frame, stranding runners on first and second to end the inning.

From there on, the lefty was efficient and did not allow another run for the rest of his five-inning outing.

Dunedin turned the game using a five-run, five-hit outburst in the bottom of the fifth. The Jays loaded the bases with one out for Manuel Beltre, who doubled into the right-center field gap, driving in Arjun Nimmala and Riley Tirotta. The relay from shallow right was offline, which allowed Yhoangel Aponte to score and Beltre to move to third, making it 3-2 Dunedin.

After Beltre was called out at the plate on a fielders’ choice that allowed Edward Duran to reach first, Cristian Feliz unloaded a home run to right center field that jumped off the bat at 112 miles per hour according to Statcast, increasing the lead to 5-2.

In the sixth, Tucker Toman roped a solo homer, his second of the year, to dead center to make it 6-2 Jays.

Clearwater responded in the top of the seventh with an Aidan Miller solo home run to right center, which trimmed the lead back down to three.

In the bottom half, Dunedin busted the game wide open, scoring four more times on three hits. First, Feliz picked up his third RBI of the night on a single that scored Beltre from third. Then, with runners on first and second, Bryce Arnold roped his first homer of the season to burgeon the lead to 10-3.

The Threshers got two of those runs back on a two-run homer from Avery Owuso-Asiedu in the top of the eighth. Keiner Leon held the Threshers scoreless the rest of the way, finishing the eighth for Irv Carter with a strikeout before working a 1-2-3 ninth to end the game.

The series continues tomorrow, with first pitch set for 11:00am for Education Day at TD Ballpark.