Daytona Beach, FL - Matt Boyd (0-1) was blown up real good by the Cubs in the opener of this best-of-three series. He was mangled for seven runs on eight hits over 3.1 innings. Two of the runs came on a home run by Dan Vogelbach. Boyd struck two and walked nobody. Fellow lefty Tony Davis could not provide relief as Kyle Schwarber - the fourth overall pick in the 2014 draft - belted a grand slam that scored two inherited runners. Davis was charged with two runs on two hits and a walk but he whiffed three over 1.2 innings. Kramer Champlin was cuffed around for another two runs on four hits with one strikeout over two frames. Southpaw Chad Girodo put up nothing but zeros on his pitching line in a perfect eighth inning.
Dunedin's solitary run came in the sixth inning on a Marcus Knecht RBI single off fellow Canadian and winning pitcher Rob Zastryzny. L.B. Dantzler and Mitch Nay recorded two-hit games with Nay getting the only extra-base hit with a double and he also drew a walk. Dwight Smith Jr. also got aboard three times with a single and two walks. Peter Mooney had the other base hit. Nick Baligod, Shane Opitz and Jorge Saez heard ball four once with Baligod scoring the only run.
Tuesday's Linescore
*** 3 Stars!!! ***
3. Mitch Nay, Dunedin
2. Dwight Smith Jr., Dunedin
1. L.B. Dantzler, Dunedin
3 Stars images from MiLB.com.
Wednesday's Schedule & Probable Starters
Daytona @ Dunedin (Game 2), 6:30 pm ET - Taylor Cole (8-9, 3.07).
Spokane @ Vancouver (Game 1), 10:05 pm ET - Ryan Borucki (1-1, 1.90).