Clearwater Threshers Fizzle Late, Lose 9-6 Slugfest to Dunedin Blue Jays

The Clearwater Threshers climbed out of a hole, grabbed the lead and barely had time to admire the view before Dunedin shoved them back in. Final: Blue Jays 9, Threshers 6. So much for enjoying the comeback.

This wasn’t a night when Clearwater forgot to bring the bats. The Threshers collected 11 hits and turned a 4-0 deficit into a 5-4 advantage. The problem was keeping that advantage long enough for it to mean something.

From Clearwater tailgates to fans watching in St. Pete, Dunedin and out on the beaches, this is the kind of local matchup that supplies plenty of conversation afterward. For the Threshers crowd, the subject is obvious: how does a comeback that loud end with a walk to the car that quiet?

A slow start, then a proper racket

Dunedin wasted no time making itself comfortable. Jake Cook opened the scoring with a solo homer to center in the top of the 1st. Ryan Cooney followed with a single to center that brought home Aldo Gaxiola for a 2-0 lead.

Then Raimundo De Los Santos got involved, which became a recurring inconvenience for Clearwater. His double to left scored Ryan Franden in the 2nd. His RBI single in the 3rd brought in Dean West. Dunedin led 4-0, while the Threshers spent four innings looking for an answer.

In the bottom of the 5th, they finally found one.

Reece Moroney doubled to center to score Jack Hopko. Matthew Ferrara singled to right, bringing home Victor Cardoza and Moroney. Ferrara also scored on a fielder’s choice off Jonathan Hogart’s bat during the rally.

Clearwater’s five-run inning flipped the game to 5-4. After all that early frustration, the Threshers had given the home crowd something worth getting loud about. It wasn’t just damage control anymore. They had the lead.

The shutdown inning that wasn’t

The top of the 6th is where this one turned sour.

Jake Bennett drove a sharp liner to right for his first triple of the season, scoring Dameury Pena and Gaxiola. Just like that, Dunedin was back ahead, 6-5. Cooney followed with a sacrifice fly to center to bring Bennett home and make it 7-5.

That’s the sequence that sticks. Clearwater had done the hard work of erasing a four-run deficit, only to hand the advantage straight back. The celebration barely had a chance to settle before the scoreboard needed another uncomfortable update.

Dunedin added insurance runs in the 8th and 9th. Clearwater answered with a run in the 9th, but there was no second escape act. The Blue Jays had room to breathe; the Threshers had a 9-6 loss to chew on.

A spark isn’t a finish

Ferrara gave Clearwater a genuine bright spot, with his two-run single central to the rally. Gonzalez contributed useful relief work. There were performances worth keeping, even if the result belongs in the bin.

But the defining contrast was simple: Clearwater’s biggest inning changed the lead; Dunedin’s response changed it right back. Eleven hits and a comeback give you a chance. They don’t give you a win.

Find the full game log and Threshers schedule for the details and what’s next.

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