D-CUBS RALLY TO 8-7 VICTORY
Rebel Ridling Strikes Again With 12th Home Run
The Daytona Cubs (64-52, 30-16) rallied from a 6-1 deficit to knock off the Dunedin Blue Jays (60-56, 19-27) 8-7 on Thursday night’s series opener. Rebel Ridling blasted another home run and tied the game with an RBI double in the seventh inning. Alex Maestri pitched three solid innings to pick up the win. Dunedin handed Trey McNutt his worst start since coming to Daytona as they blasted him for three runs in the top of the third inning and three more in the fourth. All three runs were unearned against him in the third inning as he committed an error on a comebacker in the middle of the frame.
In the fourth inning, two straight singles and a walk loaded the bases with one out for shortstop Ryan Goins. The nine-hole hitter came through with a double down the line that scored two.
The D-Cubs would steamroll right back into the ballgame with a three run inning of themselves in the bottom of third inning. The big blow was Rebel Ridling’s 12th home run of the season driving in Ryan Flaherty from second base off Blue Jay starter Henderson Alvarez.
In the top of the seventh inning Mark Soblewski homered for the sixth time of the season off D-Cubs reliever Alex Maestri to give Dunedin a 7-4 lead.
The D-Cubs deficit was short lived down the stretch when the Blue Jays had to turn to the bullpen. Evan Crawford and Ross Buckwalter combined to give up four runs including three in the bottom of the seventh inning. LeMahieu, Flaherty, and Rebel Ridling each drove in a run in the seventh and Mark Reed scored off a wild pitch in the bottom of the eighth to give the D-Cubs their first lead of the night at 8-7.
James Leverton entered the ballgame in the ninth inning trying to lock down his fifth save of the season, and succeeded when Yan Gomes lined into a double play with one out.
Alex Maestri (3-1) picked up the tough victory with three innings out of the bullpen and Ross Buckwalter (1-4) took the loss. James Leverton picked up his fifth save of the season. Despite Trey McNutt’s off night he took the no-decision keeping his record at an un-blemished 3-0.
The Cubs continue the series with the Blue Jays on Friday night at 7:05 p.m. It is another Fantastic Friday presented by Hooters as ladies can enter to win great prizes throughout the game. Kids can also run the bases following the game courtesy of Rita’s.