Threshers Mash Three Homers to Start Second Half with Win 

WP: Dominic Pipkin (1-0, 10.80)

LP: Kendry Rojas (3-3, 3.42)

SV: Jonh Henriquez (1)

BOX SCORE:

DUNEDIN, FL – Ricardo Rosario hit two homers in a game for the first time in his career to help lift the Clearwater Threshers (45-21, 1-0) to a 7-5 victory over the Dunedin Blue Jays (32-35, 0-1) on Friday night at TD Ballpark. The Threshers look to clinch their first series win of the second half in a Saturday night showdown in Dunedin.

With one out in the first inning, Rosario started off the second half with a solo homer to left off Blue Jays starter Kendry Rojas. Bryan Rincon and Otto Kemp followed up with a single apiece before Jordan Dissin cleared the bases with a three-run shot to left, giving the Threshers a 4-0 lead in the opening frame.

A bases-loaded walk in the second scored the Blue Jays first run, cutting the Threshers lead to 4-1. Tucker Toman added a run on a leadoff homer in the third to bring the Threshers lead down to 4-2.

Emaarion Boyd was hit by a pitch from Blue Jays reliever Michael Brewer to lead off the fourth. Ricardo Rosario sent a three-one pitch to right-centerfield for his second homer of the game, doubling the Threshers lead to 6-2.

Dunedin plated two on a single and a bases-loaded walk to cut the Threshers lead in half at 6-4 after six innings. A one-out walk to Dissin started a short rally for the Threshers, with the free pass followed by a single by William Bergolla that moved Dissin to third. Felix Reyes took a fastball by Blue Jays reliever Keiner Leon to deep right field that was caught, but Dissin scored on the sacrifice fly to extend the lead back to 7-4.

The Blue Jays added a run in the eighth and put the tying run at the plate in the ninth. But in a 1-1 count, Glenn Santiago grounded into a game-ending double play to seal a 7-5 win for the Threshers.

Zach Haake allowed two runs on five hits in 4.0 innings with one walk and five strikeouts in a no-decision. Dominic Pipkin (1-0) allowed two runs on three hits in 1.2 innings with two walks and one strikeout to earn the win. Konnor Ash didn’t allow a run in 1.1 frames with two walks and two strikeouts. Jonh Henriquez earned the save in 2.0 innings, allowing one unearned run on two hits with one walk and two strikeouts.

Rosario is the first Thresher with a multi-homer game in 2023...He hit his first two homers of the season...Dissin and Rosario each tied their career highs with three RBIs...Henriquez earned his first save of the season...Pipkin took his first win of the year in his first outing with the Threshers...Reyes extended his hitting streak to a season-high five games...Kemp reached with a hit for the fourth-straight game...The Threshers continue the second half on the road in Dunedin against the Blue Jays on Saturday, June 24th... First pitch is at 6:30 pm EST... You can purchase tickets for Threshers games at ThreshersBaseball.com/tickets or by calling 727-467-4457.