Benson HR lifts Miracle to 4-3 win
JUPITER – Joe Benson’s home run in the top of the ninth inning helped the Fort Myers Miracle top the Palm Beach Cardinals 4-3 Wednesday night.
The Cardinals tied the game in the eighth inning, but Benson led off the ninth with his fifth homer, a line drive to left-center.
The Miracle (30-23), who take a two-game lead in the South Division standings over Charlotte, won the three-game series 2-1 and won the season series with Palm Beach 10-8.
The Cardinals (23-28) scored two runs in the fourth inning after Chris Swauger’s leadoff triple for a 2-0 lead off Tyler Robertson. Osvaldo Morales slugged a run-scoring double, followed by Matt Carpenter’s RBI groundout.
The Miracle answered in the top of the fifth. After a leadoff double by Nick Romero, Ben Revere walked with two outs. Estarlin de Los Santos lined one into center, scoring Revere all the way from first to tie it at 2-2.
Evan Bigley’s ground-ball single hit sharply through the left side put the Miracle up 3-2.
Robertson went to work and held the Cardinals scoreless through the seventh.
Blair Erickson got into a jam in the ninth, but finished for his 13th save.
The Miracle return home to Hammond Stadium Thursday night to host the second-place Stone Crabs (28-25).