Blue Jays rally past Threshers late

CLEARWATER, FL – The Blue Jays used a three-run seventh inning rally to down Clearwater 9-5 on Wednesday night at BayCare Ballpark. With the victory, Dunedin has won six of the first eight games of its 12-game road trip.

The Threshers pushed across the game’s first runs, scoring on an error in the first inning and Starlyn Caba RBI single in the second inning, putting the Jays behind 2-0.

The Blue Jays responded by scoring in each of the next two innings. In the third, Arjun Nimmala got Dunedin on the scoreboard with an RBI single. In the fourth, Carter Cunningham laced his own RBI knock, tying the game at two.

Blue Jays starter Cristopher Castro rebounded from the two early runs to finish four innings, working around two hits in his final two innings.

In the fifth, Jaden Rudd walked and Nick Mitchell singled, putting the go-ahead run on second base with one out for Nimmala. The 18-year-old delivered the lead and then some, blasting a three-run home run to left center field, propelling Dunedin to a 5-2 advantage.

That lead was erased in the bottom of the sixth, when Clearwater scored three times in a hectic frame that included four hits and two errors.

The Blue Jays punched back in the top of the seventh inning, taking those three runs back. With Braden Barry on third, Mitchell singled to put Dunedin back ahead 6-5. The Jays loaded the bases for Sean Keys, who collected a sacrifice fly to make it 7-5, and then Edward Duran laced an RBI knock to push the lead to 8-5.

Keys added an eighth inning RBI knock to swell the advantage to 9-5.

Luis Torres worked four innings for the second straight outing to finish the game for the Jays, leaving the bases loaded to end the contest and earn the win.

With a win on Thursday, the Blue Jays would clinch at least a series split over the Threshers. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30. Fans can listen to the Blue Jays call for free online at https://www.milb.com/dunedin/fans/radio.