Hu, Miracle coast 7-0
Chih-Wei Hu hurled seven scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts to guide the Fort Myers Miracle to a 7-0 win over the St. Lucie Mets Friday night at Hammond Stadium.
Hu (1-0) allowed just three baserunners and went to a three ball count just twice. Issuing only one walk and giving up two hits, Hu faced only three over the minimum in his seven innings. Tim Shibuya and J.T. Chargois completed the shutout each tossing a scoreless frame. Shibuya gave up one hit in the eighth and Chargois put the Mets down 1-2-3 in the ninth.
The Miracle offense was lifted by Jason Kanzler in the second inning. After busting an 0-for-23 slump in Thursday’s game with a bunt single, Kanzler opened the scoring with a long two-run homer off Mets starter Marco Molina. Marcus Knecht started the inning with a four-pitch walk. Then, Molina (0-1) fanned Logan Wade and Michael Quesada back-to-back. Kanzler stepped up and demolished a first pitch fastball beyond the Sun Harvest Citrus lawn in left field to put the Miracle up 2-0. The homer is Kanzler’s first of the season.
In the fifth, Kanzler again ignited the offense with a leadoff double down the third base line. Engelb Vielma attempted a bunt that rolled just past the pitcher’s mound. Molina made a sliding stop, but threw wild to first. The throw caromed into right field and Kanzler raced home to push the Miracle lead to 3-0. The play was scored a hit for Vielma and a throwing error allowing the run to score.
Fort Myers broke the game open in the sixth. Mitch Garver singled to left to start the inning and Max Kepler reached on a fielder’s choice error by Dominic Smith that moved Garver to third. Molina walked Knecht to load the bases and exited in favor of lefty Kyle Regnault.
Entering with the bases loaded, Regnault struck out Wade and Quesada for the first two outs. Kanzler was down 0-1, when he checked his swing on a pitch. The home plate umpire ruled Kanzler swung for strike two. Kanzler argued the call and was ejected.
Chad Christensen hopped off the bench and inherited an 0-2 count. On the next pitch, Christensen served a single into right field that plated two Miracle runs. Then, as Vielma was digging into the box, Regnault was guilty of a balk that forced a third Miracle run to the plate to make it 6-0.
Knecht added insurance in the eight with an RBI single to center to bring home Max Kepler.
Molina went five innings for St. Lucie and gave up six runs, but only two were earned, on five hits with three walks and six strikeouts. FGCU alum Ricky Knapp pitched the eighth and allowed a run for the Mets.
The Miracle (4-5) return to Hammond Stadium Saturday for a rematch with St. Lucie (5-4). Ethan Mildren (0-1) is set to start for the Miracle opposite Logan Tyler (0-0) for the Mets.