April 20, 2023 – Florida State League (FSL) – Dunedin Blue Jays News Release
Jupiter, FL – The Blue Jays evened up the series against the Palm Beach Cardinals with their 1-0 victory on Tuesday in a fast-paced pitcher’s duel. Kendry Rojas made his second start of the season, putting up another very strong performance. The 20-year-old lefty out of Cuba went five shutout innings, struck out three, and didn’t allow a base hit until the fifth inning.
Rojas was lifted after the fifth, making way for lefty Ian Churchill, who for an inning, shared the mound with his former college teammate at the University of San Diego, Cardinals starter Brycen Mautz. After Churchill went three-up-three-down in the bottom of the sixth, Palm Beach went to the bullpen, bringing in MiLB-Rehabber Michael Brettell for the seventh.
Brettell took over for Mautz, who had pitch six perfect innings, striking out eleven D-Jays along the way. After getting Adrian Pinto out on a bunt attempt to start the inning, Brettell hit Tucker Toman and Peyton Williams back-to-back, giving Dunedin their first two baserunners, and then threw a wild-pitch moving both into scoring position. Ryan McCarty took advantage of the scenario, sacrificing himself on a fly out to centerfield, plenty deep enough to bring in Toman from third, and break the scoreless tie, all without the benefit of a hit.
Dunedin finally got a base hit in the seventh after Rikelbin De Castro singled to left, but couldn’t manage another run. Churchill got through the seventh unscathed, making way for Ryan Chasse, out for the six out save.
Chasse went three-up-three-down in the eighth, but ran into a bit of trouble with two outs in the ninth, hitting Chris Rotondo and walking Darlin Moquete, giving the red-hot Michael Curialle a chance to tie or even win the game. But on a 2-2 count, Curialle flew out to right, giving Chasse his first save of the year, and giving the Blue Jays the 1-0 win.
Both pitching staffs were phenomenal, only allowing three total hits in a ballgame that took only an hour and 53 minutes, the first sub-2 hour game this season for Dunedin that went the full nine innings. The Blue Jays will look to get back to .500 on Thursday, first pitch is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. and will be live on the Dunedin Blue Jays Radio Network, with coverage beginning at 5:45 p.m.
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