The Tribune

By Renaldo Dorsett

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

IT was a big day from Chavez Young both at the plate and in the field for the Dunedin Blue Jays to seal a win and series split against the Charlotte Stone Crabs as they close in on the first half pennant.

Young went 3-4 (including a double and a home run), with three RBI, two runs scored in an 8-7 win at Jack Russell Stadium in Clearwater, Florida.

The Stone Crabs took an early 3-0 lead before Young got the Blue Jays on the scoreboard with a line drive home run to right field to lead off the second inning.

Defensively in centrefield, Young robbed Joey Wendle of a hit in the third inning to keep Dunedin within striking distance.

In the fourth inning, Young continued his big day at the plate with a double in the gap to drive home Christopher Bec.

Dunedin would eventually tie the game 4-4 heading into the fifth. Young’s glove saved another run in the seventh inning with diving catch off Carl Chester. The Blue Jays would go on to break the game open in the bottom of the seventh.

Young singled and stole second base to place himself in scoring position. He was plated on a Noberto Obeso single to give the Blue Jays five runs in the inning and an 8-4 lead.

The Blue Jays currently lead the race for the Florida State League North’s First Half Pennant at 38-24.

Four teams will advance to the Florida State League playoffs.

Winners of both halves within the division play each other in a best-of-three series for the Division Championship.

The Division Champions will move on to the League Championship Series.

The All-Star Break is this upcoming weekend with the North vs South midseason classic on June 15.

Young finished 3-5 with one home run, three RBI and scored two runs as the Dunedin Blue Jays took three of four games to close out the series with the St Lucie Mets.

In a three-hour and 35-minute game, which was the longest game of the year for Dunedin, Young helped to break the game open with a nine-run fourth inning to put the Blue Jays ahead for good. It was the most runs scored by Dunedin in a single inning this season.

After a single from teammate Christopher Bec, Young then took a 3-2 pitch to left field for his second home run of the year and give Dunedin a 2-0 lead.

The lineup came around and in Young’s second plate appearance of the inning, he delivered an RBI single to plate Bec once again.

In the Single A-Advanced Florida State League, Young recorded his third multi-hit game in just over a week for the surging Dunedin Blue Jays.

Since he returned to the lineup, Young continued his production in his first season of Single A-Advanced baseball. Young was placed on the temporarily active list on April 29 to return home following the death of his mother and returned to the team on May 11.

He went hitless in his first four games back with the club but followed with multi-hit games in just over a week as the Blue Jays surged into the division lead.

The following night, he hit back-to-back home runs for the first time this season and propelled the Blue Jays to an 8-5 win over the Florida Fire Frogs.

Young progressed to Single A-Advanced in the offseason. Through 47 games, he hit .227 with a with 40 hits, eight doubles, five home runs, 21 RBI, nine stolen bases and 23 runs scored.