Bullpen, Barry lead Dunedin to close victory
DAYTONA BEACH, FL – Dunedin received 5.2 shutout innings from its bullpen, staving off Daytona for a 4-1 victory on Friday night at Jackie Robinson Ballpark. The win puts Dunedin ahead in the series, three games to two entering Saturday. The game started on a low note for Dunedin. After
DAYTONA BEACH, FL – Dunedin received 5.2 shutout innings from its bullpen, staving off Daytona for a 4-1 victory on Friday night at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.
The win puts Dunedin ahead in the series, three games to two entering Saturday.
The game started on a low note for Dunedin. After a scoreless top of the first, Yerlin Confidan blasted the first pitch thrown by Fernando Perez over the right field wall for a line-drive, solo homer to make it 1-0 Tortugas. Perez proceeded to retire the next six batters.
The 1-0 Daytona advantage held until the top of the fourth inning, when Aaron Parker launched a solo home run to left that sailed 425 feet, knotting the game at one.
After the homer, Edward Duran singled and Yhoangel Aponte walked, bringing Braden Barry to the plate. Barry delivered an RBI single through the hole on the left side, driving in Duran to put Dunedin ahead for good.
Pitching with a 2-1 lead, Perez recorded just one out in the bottom of the fourth, before being removed from the game following 47 pitches.
Nate Garkow took over and threw 1.2 scoreless innings, an effort that earned him the win.
Kevin Miranda made his 2024 Dunedin debut to open the sixth and ran into a bases loaded jam thanks to a single and two walks. The righty escaped by inducing an inning-ending groundout. After recording the first two outs of the seventh, Eliander Alcalde entered the contest.
Dunedin got Alcalde some cushion in the top of the ninth. Yeuni Munoz walked and Barry singled him to third, setting up a Drew Jemison sac fly. With two outs, Bryce Arnold sent a fly ball down the right field line that Esmith Pineda overran, allowing Barry to score from second base, pushing the D-Jays advantage to 4-1.
Alcalde finished his fourth save of the season with a 1-2-3 ninth inning.
The Blue Jays will have the opportunity to clinch a series victory on Saturday night, with first pitch scheduled for 6:35. Fans can tune into the hometown broadcast for free online at https://www.milb.com/dunedin/fans/radio.