Blue Jays Strike First and Strike Late, Down Tarpons 5-1

April 16, 2023 – Florida State League (FSL) – Dunedin Blue Jays News Release

DUNEDIN, Fl. – After consecutive losses, and consecutive nights where the bats were held to a soft whisper, the Blue Jays lineup showed it can make some noise Saturday night in their 5-1 victory over the Tampa Tarpons.

Blue Jays starter Alex Amalfi set the tone early for Dunedin, keeping the Tarpons off the scoreboard through his career-long four innings of work. In just his second professional start, Amalfi missed bats and induced soft contact, allowing a single in the first, but nothing after.

Yondrei Rojas took over for Amalfi to begin the fifth, going three and two thirds in relief. Rojas shook off a tough outing his last time out, scattering four hits and only allowing one run. Harry Rutkowski entered the game with two outs in the top of the eighth, but didn’t have to get an out himself thanks to a caught stealing by catcher Sammy Hernandez, the last of three on the night by the 18-year-old out of Puerto Rico. Rutkowski came back out to pitch a perfect ninth inning, securing his first save of the season.

Hernandez did more than impress with just his arm, he showed off the bat as well. With Sean Hermann pitching for Tampa, Hernandez crushed a 3-1 fastball for his first professional home run, a 404-foot bomb to give Dunedin a 1-0 lead in the fourth.

Later, in the seventh, Tucker Toman doubled the Blue Jays’ lead, hitting a bullet to the left-centerfield gap that he legged out for an RBI triple, scoring Roque Salinas from first. Peyton Williams drove in Toman just two pitches later on a sacrifice fly to left to make it 3-0.

The Tarpons plated their lone run in the top of the eighth, but Rikelbin De Castro gave Dunedin a bit of insurance in the bottom of the frame, hitting his first home run of the season, a two-run shot to give the Blue Jays a 5-1 lead, the eventual final.

Dunedin will go for the series win over the Tarpons on Sunday at TD Ballpark. It will be the first Sunday Funday of the new year, with $2 mimosas and $2 Bud Light Seltzers available at Eddie’s Bar. First pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m. and coverage will begin at 11:45 a.m. on the Dunedin Blue Jays Radio Network.

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