Blue Jays Mount Big Comeback, Beat Mets 9-5 in Series-Opener

Port St. Lucie, FL — The Dunedin Blue Jays (34-36, 2-2) erased a five-run deficit in the second inning en route to a comeback victory over the St. Lucie Mets (25-43, 1-2) in their series-opener at Clover Park.

St. Lucie took an early lead in the second, due in large part to a grand slam by Kevin Villavicencio off Blue Jays starter RHP Alex Amalfi to open up the scoring and make it 4-0. After back-to-back walks following the slam, Amalfi was removed from the game after an inning and two thirds.

RHP Felipe Bello entered the ballgame, surrendering an RBI-single to his first batter, but getting the final out, heading to the third down 5-0. From then on, Bello was unhittable. Bello went another two innings, with the only baserunner he allowed being a walk due to a pitch clock violation, keeping the Mets at bay.

Dunedin started to chip away at the lead in the fourth with Ryan McCarty doubling to left, stealing third, and coming in to score on a wild pitch by St. Lucie starter Layonel Ovalles to put the Blue Jays on the board. Then in the fifth, Glenn Santiago singled to lead off the inning, advancing two bases on another wild pitch and a deep fly out before JC Masson drove him in on an RBI-groundout to make it 5-2.

The Blue Jays bullpen would keep the team in it, with minor league-rehabbers RHP Joey Murray and LHP Brody Rodning both pitching scoreless frames in the fifth and sixth innings, respectively. Then in the seventh, Dunedin would cut the deficit even more.

Santiago tripled to lead it off, and Masson would reach on a walk to put runners on the corners with just one out. But with two outs, Manuel Beltre would chop a ball to third, a routine play that should’ve ended the inning and the threat, but Villavicencio’s throw was down the line, forcing a collision between Beltre and Mets first baseman Eduardo Salazar. The ball would get away, scoring Santiago from third and Masson all the way from first, putting Dunedin to within one before the Mets finally escaped.

In the eighth, Jeff Wehler would walk and move to second on a passed ball, putting the tying run in scoring position. Roque Salinas would drive him in immediately on a single to center, tying the game up at 5-5 and putting the potential go-ahead run aboard. After a Santiago walk, Victor Mesia singled to center as well, but Salinas was held at third, causing Santiago to be caught in a run-down between second and third for the second out.

With runners on the corners again, Masson stepped back up to the plate. Masson, who had been activated from the IL prior to the game and hadn’t played for Dunedin since May 21st, crushed a first-pitch changeup, sending it 400 feet to right field for his first Single-A home run, a three-run shot to give the Blue Jays their first lead of the night, 8-5. The Levis, Quebec native, whose family was in attendance Wednesday night, circled the bags, putting an exclamation point on the Blue Jays’ comeback efforts.

The Blue Jays would tack another run on in the ninth for good measure, and LHP Harry Rutkowski would slam the door in the bottom of the inning, putting a bow on a 9-5 victory in which the Blue Jays would end it by scoring nine unanswered runs. With the win, Dunedin improved to 2-2 in the second half, and started off the twelve games in twelve days on a high note. The two teams will square off again on Thursday night, with game two’s first pitch scheduled for 6:10 p.m. and pregame coverage beginning on the Dunedin Blue Jays Radio Network at 5:55 p.m.