DUNEDIN (Bradenton Marauders) – A trio of Blue Jays two-run homers sunk the Marauders Friday night as the team fell to Dunedin, 8-4, at TD Ballpark.
Justin Meis (0-1) took the brunt of the damage for the Marauders (0-1) across three and one-third innings, surrendering a career-high six runs on seven hits, including two of Dunedin’s home runs.
Rikelbin de Castro, Damiano Palmegiani, and Adriel Sotolongo each slugged two-run homers for the Blue Jays (1-0), who received a strong start from left-hander Ricky Tiedemann (1-0). The southpaw fanned eight Bradenton batters in five innings and held the Marauders to just one baserunner over the first four innings.
Trailing 6-0, the Marauders broke through against Tiedemann in the fifth, as Alexander Mojica earned a one-out walk and Brenden Dixon doubled. Juan Jerez followed with a double to right-center to score both men, but Jerez was thrown out easily when attempting to stretch his hit into a triple.
Sergio Campana was also unsuccessful in taking a baserunning risk in the sixth, attempting to move from first to a temporarily-uncovered third base on a Tsung-Che Cheng drag bunt. The play resulted in a double play and erased Bradenton’s leadoff baserunner.
Right-hander Wilkin Ramos tossed two and two-thirds innings of scoreless relief behind Meis, but Sotolongo’s homer off Marauders lefty Denny Roman in the eighth re-extended Dunedin’s lead to six.
After failing to score in the sixth, seventh, or eighth innings, the Marauders showed late life in the ninth inning against right-hander Conor Larkin. Cheng drew a one-out walk and scored on a triple to right-center by Rodolfo Nolasco, who then raced home on a Jase Bowen groundout. A Mojica groundout to second base ended the game.
Shortstop Cheng and second baseman Dixon provided defensive highlights up the middle for Bradenton in the third and sixth innings, respectively, making sliding plays on groundballs to rob Blue Jays hitters of hits.
The series continues Saturday with first pitch scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at TD Ballpark. RHP Po-Yu Chen will start for the Marauders against LHP Kendry Rojas for Dunedin.
