Miracle romp 16-6
The Fort Myers Miracle bats broke out of a mini-slump Tuesday night, spraying around 15 hits to net a 16-6 victory over the Palm Beach Cardinals at Hammond Stadium.
The win lifts the Miracle (7-4) into a first-place tie with the Cardinals (7-4) in the Florida State League’s South Division standings.
After scoring 27 runs in their first three games this season, the Miracle managed just six in a three-game series with the Port St. Lucie Mets over the weekend. They broke away for eight runs in the fourth inning and seven in the sixth against Palm Beach.
Starting pitcher Deolis Guerra (2-0) defeated Palm Beach in his first appearance of the season against the Cardinals, just as he did in 2008. Despite allowing eight hits in seven innings, Guerra pitched effectively, allowing three runs, two walks, and striking out four.
The Cardinals took an early 2-0 lead on a first-inning RBI single by Shane Peterson and a solo home run to right for Paul Vasquez in the fourth.
Chris Parmelee homered to right, his third of the season. Then, with two out in the sixth, Parmelee delivered an RBI single, Ben Revere and Mark Dolenc closed out the inning with back-to-back two-run singles to make it 15-2.
The Miracle and Cardinals play again at 7:05 p.m. Wednesday.