Miracle get jump on Stone Crabs 8-7
PORT CHARLOTTE – A three-run homer from an unlikely batter helped carry the Fort Myers Miracle to an 8-7 victory Tuesday night over the Charlotte Stone Crabs in the first game of the Florida State League South Division Championship Series.
Infielder Estarlin de Los Santos, who had just one home run all season and has four home runs in a four-year minor league career, launched a three-run bomb deep to right field in the fifth inning that made the score 6-2. The Miracle would not relinquish the lead again.
The Dominican-born middle infielder, who started at second base and hit second in manager Jeff Smith’s order, went into a home run trot as the ball struck the awning on a building behind the right field bullpen at Charlotte Sports Park. He finished 3-for-5 with a double, triple, home run, and four RBI.
The Stone Crabs had pulled ahead 2-1 in the fourth, but Joe Benson led off the top of the fifth with a solo homer to left to tie the game. The Miracle scored five runs in the inning, one coming in on a throwing error by Stone Crab shortstop Matt Hall.
Charlotte closed it to 6-3 in the bottom half, but the Miracle replied with two more in the sixth.
The Stone Crabs scored four in the bottom half, all with two outs, to slice the lead to 8-7, but neither team would score again as the Miracle bullpen of Steve Hirschfeld and Joe Testa held firm.
David Bromberg (1-0) wasn’t at his best, but still recorded the victory with seven earned runs on 10 hits in 5 2/3 innings.
The Miracle take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series with Game 2 at 7:05 p.m. Wednesday at Hammond Stadium.