It is tough to win a double header at the best of times but Dunedin had to win one to win the Co-Championship of the FSL. They did indeed sweep the doubleheader for their first championship in team history. In game one Vlad Jr and Cavaan Biggio carried the load. In game two Bo and Vladdy were hitless but Connor Panas hit two home runs. The pitching was excellent in both games.
Vancouver won game one of their series. Again pitching dominated with each team having just six hits. Nate Pearson dominated early before fading a little in the fourth. The C's used three other pitchers to get home. The game was scoreless until the eighth when Logan Warmoth hit a two run home run, that was the difference in a 2-1 game.
Dunedin had lost game one on Tuesday so their proverbial backs were against the wall in this best of three series. They took care of business 4-1 in game one. Cavan Biggio singled in the fourth inning to drive in two runs. He came to the plate again in the seventh and homered to give the Jays a 3-0 lead. Tampa hit a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh but Vlad Jr answered that with a home run in the top of the eighth. The Jays had five hits, Biggio was 2-3 with a walk and Vlad Jr was 3-4. The other seven hitters were hitless.
Jordan Romano started, pitched 6.2 innings, and unusually for him had zero strikeouts. The only blemish was the solo home run. He gave up five hits and walked one. Kirby Snead took it the rest of the way getting the last seven outs.
The Jays did not have many hits in game two, they had four through eight innings before "exploding" for three hits in the ninth. Connor Panas homered in the second to give Dunedin a 1-0 lead and he homered again in the seventh to tie the game.
TJ Zeuch started and pitched four innings as he is still working his way back from injury. He did allow one run but it was unearned after a two base error by Bo Bichette. He was followed by Conor Fisk. Fisk gave up a solo home run in his first inning.
The game was tied headed to the ninth. The Jays had just escaped a bases loaded jam. Juan Kelly walked with one out. With two outs, Edward Olivares singled, then Jake Thomads also singled to drive in the go ahead run. DJ Davis then doubled in both runners to make it a 5-2 game. Zach Jackson had recorded two outs in the eighth. He continued in the ninth and did allow a run on two hits but closed it out for the win.
With the impending hurricane the Jays were declared the co-champions of the FSL. This has happened before as hurricanes in Florida in September are not unusual. In the final game, the clinching game, Bo and Vladdy were hitless although they both walked. Panas had his two hits while Olivares and DJ Davis also had two hits each.
The Vancouver game is summarized in the comments below. Pearson dominated early, both teams had chances to score but failed until the eighth when Warmoth went deep. Zach Logue starts in game two today.
Shi Davidi has a farm report up. He talks with various front office personnel. Vince Horsman thinks Ryan Borucki is ready for the major leagues. Among the pitchers in AA he thinks Sean Reid-Foley has made excellent progress.