The Clearwater Threshers defeated the Dunedin Blue Jays 8-6 on Aug. 18, 2026, at BayCare Ballpark in Clearwater, Florida. Clearwater scored six unanswered runs across the seventh and eighth innings after Dunedin had taken a two-run lead. The result came in the series opener.
Jake Bennett gave the Dunedin Blue Jays the lead with a go-ahead two-run home run in the sixth inning. It was his fourth home run in four games. Bennett finished 1-for-3 with two RBIs, one run scored and one walk.
Bennett has hit safely in six consecutive games, batting .409 with four home runs, 12 RBIs and a 1.458 OPS during that span. He has recorded an RBI in four consecutive games and in five of his last six games. Ten of his last 13 balls in play during the six-game hitting streak left the bat at 105 mph or faster.
Jack Nedrow pitched 5.1 innings for Dunedin, allowing two runs, one earned run and five hits with no walks and one strikeout. He has a 1.59 ERA across three outings totaling 11.1 innings since returning to Dunedin on Aug. 9, 2026. Dameury Pena went 2-for-4 with one run scored and one stolen base.
Pena recorded his second consecutive multi-hit game and his fourth multi-hit game in six contests. He is 11-for-25 with a .440 batting average and seven runs scored across his last six games. Giaconino Lasaracina went 1-for-4 with a home run, one RBI and one run scored.
Lasaracina hit a game-tying solo home run in the fifth inning that left the bat at 105.7 mph to the opposite field. It was his fifth home run since joining Dunedin. Ryan Cooney went 2-for-4 with a double, extended his hitting streak to six games and recorded his first professional multi-hit performance.
Source: Original report