Threshers Lose Rubber Match To Jays

The Clearwater Threshers enter the All-Star break with a 5-3 loss Thursday (June 16) to the Dunedin Jays.

Manager, Dusty Wathan started Joseph Esposito instead of Jonathan Pettibone for reasons that we are unaware of.

The move proved costly as the Jays scored four runs in the first and never looked back.

The Threshers played like they were already on the All-Star break. 

Facing the D-Jays fifth starter, Ryan Tepera, Clearwater managed  just five hits in seven innings.Ten days earlier, they sent him to the showers in the fourth. 

The Threshers, who have been on the wrong end of comebacks recently, mounted one themselves in the top of the ninth. With three runs across and the bases loaded, Cesar Hernandez, already 2-2, hit into a double play.

On deck: The Threshers are off until Monday ( June 20) when they host the Tampa Yankees.

Need to Know: Two Threshers who have had outstanding seasons will be taking their services to AA Reading. Pitcher Justin Friend is second in the Florida State League with 19 saves and has a 2.12 ERA. He will be joined by converted pitcher to positional player, Joe Savery. Savery's .307 batting average trails only All-Star catcher Sebastian Valle among the Threshers regulars.