The Tampa Tarpons swept the Dunedin Blue Jays in a Thursday night doubleheader in Tampa, winning the opener 5-3 and the second game 2-0. The sweep extended Tampa’s winning streak to 10 games. The Tarpons entered the doubleheader with a 42-18 record, while the Dunedin Blue Jays entered at 30-30.
J.T. Etheridge earns 10th win in opener
J.T. Etheridge pitched five innings in the first game, allowed one unearned run and earned his 10th win of the season. The Dunedin Blue Jays took a 1-0 lead in the third inning after capitalizing on a Tampa miscue. Anthony Potestio put Tampa ahead with a 421-foot home run in the fourth inning.
The Tampa Tarpons added two more home runs in the sixth inning. Tyce Armstrong led off the inning with a home run, and Luke Pettitte followed with a ground-ball single before Diego Castellanos hit a home run to extend Tampa’s lead to 5-1. The Dunedin Blue Jays scored twice in the seventh inning, but Tampa held on for the 5-3 victory.
Edinzo Marquez leads second-game shutout
Edinzo Marquez pitched 5.2 scoreless innings and allowed two hits in the second game. The Tampa Tarpons scored both runs in the second inning after Brando Mayea reached on an error and Diego Castellanos drew a walk. Luis Escudero doubled to score Mayea, and a walk to Blake Schaaf brought Castellanos home for a 2-0 lead.
Dax Kilby also drew a walk during Tampa’s second-inning rally. The Dunedin Blue Jays brought the tying run to the plate in the seventh inning, but Josh Tiedemann induced a 5-4-3 double play to preserve the shutout. The victory was Tampa’s 11th shutout of the season.
Tampa Tarpons scheduled for Latin Heritage Night
The Tampa Tarpons and Dunedin Blue Jays were scheduled to return the following night for Latin Heritage Night at George M. Steinbrenner Field. First pitch was scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
Source: Original report