Jays snap Miracle win streak
DUNEDIN – The Dunedin Blue Jays halted the 10-game winning streak of the Fort Myers Miracle with a 7-2 win Sunday night.
The Blue Jays tagged Miracle starter Mat Batts for four runs in 3 2/3 innings including a three-run third to jolt the offense. Batts (2-2) issued a lead-off walk in the third to Jorge Saez, but then struck out Anthony Alford. Christian Lopes then doubled off the left field wall to put runners at second and third. The next hitter, Rowdy Tellez, sent a soft single into center field and two runs scored. Batts rallied to strike out Matt Dean, but a Bryan Haar error on a grounder from L.B. Dantzler kept the inning alive. Mitch Nay then lined a base hit to center field to score Tellez and put the Blue Jays up 3-0.
In the fourth, Emilio Guerrero started the inning with a double down the third base line, then scored on a single up the middle by Saez 4-0. Batts left the game allowing four runs, three earned, on eight hits with one walk and five strikeouts.
Dunedin starter Luis Santos began the game dealing. Santos struck out eight of the first 11 hitters he faced, but surrendered a solo home run to Jason Kanzler in the top of the fifth. Kanzler sent a 1-0 pitch into the palm trees beyond the wall in left center field to get the Miracle on the board with his fifth homer of the year, 4-1.
Santos could not get out of the fifth and exited after 4 1/3 innings with one run given up on five hits in a no decision.
The Miracle slashed the Blue Jays lead to two in the sixth. With two out and two on, Engelb Vielma softy placed a single into center field and Aderling Mejia scored from second base to cut the deficit to 4-2.
The Blue Jays scored a run on all three Miracle bullpen arms in the sixth, seventh and eighth. In the sixth, Brian Gilbert allowed an RBI single to Tellez. The next inning, Tyler Jay surrendered a two-out RBI triple to Guerrero and Tellez knocked in his fourth run of the game with a solo homer off Todd Van Steensel in the eighth to make it 7-2.
Dunedin snapped a three-game losing streak and also stopped the Miracle season-high winning streak at 10 games.
The Miracle (41-33, 3-1) send Kohl Stewart (3-4, 3.62) to the mound in game three with Dunedin (33-41, 1-3) Monday night.