Blue Jays win series finale in comeback fashion

DUNEDIN, FL – The Blue Jays used a five-run eighth inning rally to push past Daytona and take the series finale 10-8 on Sunday afternoon at TD Ballpark.

After rain delayed first pitch by two hours, the Tortugas picked up the first run of the game in the top of the first, as Jays’ starter Nolan Perry issued a bases-loaded walk to Esmith Pineda. Perry stopped the damage there by leaving the bases loaded with a strikeout.

Perry’s struggles with command continued in the second inning, as the righty issued three more walks and surrendered two runs – one on an error, and one on a Carter Graham sac fly – that pushed the deficit to 3-0.

Yeuni Munoz got Dunedin on the board in the bottom of the second inning with a solo homer – his first longball of the season.

The Blue Jays knotted the game at three using a two-run fourth inning. Edward Duran opened the inning with a single, then came in to score on an error by the third baseman Graham. Later, Cristian Feliz scored on a groundout off the bat of Munoz to make it 3-3.

After a scoreless fourth from Keiner Leon and a zero in the fifth from rehabbing righty Dahian Santos, Daytona took the lead back in the sixth inning. First, Deigo Omana lifted a solo homer to open the inning to make it 4-3 Tortugas. After a Johnny Ascanio walk, Yerlin Confidan poked a double down the line in left to push the lead to 5-3. Then, Graham added his own RBI double to make it 6-3. All the damage came against Santos.

Irv Carter finished the sixth inning, and worked around a walk to deliver a scoreless seventh inning.

Dunedin trimmed the deficit back down to one in the seventh inning, as former big league infielder Alex Blandino entered the game for Daytona. The knuckleballer issued two walks and a hit by pitch, as well as a wild pitch that allowed Nic Deschamps to score.

Blandino was removed from the game, giving way for Cody Adkock, who surrendered a sac fly to Cade Doughty that made it 6-5.

In the eighth, the Tortugas recovered both runs. Sammy Stafura collected a sac fly against Carter to push the lead back to 7-5.

Later in the inning, with two outs and runners on second and third, Kai Peterson struck out Pineda, but catcher Edward Duran dropped the ball, and then collided with Pineda as he ran towards first. In a state of confusion, Duran did not throw to first, while Ricardo Cabrera dashed home from third base to make it 8-5.

The Blue Jays responded in a big way in the bottom of the inning. Manuel Beltre, Tucker Toman, and Munoz strung together three straight singles to load the bases with no outs. Then, Adcock issued back-to-back bases loaded walks to Deschamps and Jean Joseph, which cut the lead to 8-7.

With the bases still loaded, Dylan Pestka entered the game for the Tortugas. Victor Arias welcomed him to the ballgame with a game-tying sacrifice fly.

The game’s defining moment came on an error. With the bases loaded and one out, Duran sent a bouncer to Graham, who misfired to home plate, allowing both Deschamps and Joseph to score to give Dunedin a 10-8 advantage.

Peterson remained in the game in the top of the ninth, and retired the first two batters. Confidan extended the contest with a walk, and Cabrera doubled, putting the tying run on second base. Peterson didn’t buckle under pressure and struck out Sammy Stafura looking to nail down the Jays’ first win of the second half.

The Blue Jays hit the road for the next nine games, starting with a six-game series in Lakeland that opens Tuesday at 6:30. Fans can tune into the hometown call for free online at https://www.milb.com/dunedin/fans/radio.