Mets sweep Miracle
PORT ST. LUCIE – The St. Lucie Mets completed a three-game sweep of the Fort Myers Miracle Monday night with a 5-1 win.
L.J. Mazzilli returned to the Mets lineup with a thump after serving a 50-game suspension. In the second inning, Mazzilli launched a two-run homer to center field off Miracle starter Mat Batts. Champ Stuart reached on an error by Engelb Vielma with one out. After Batts (0-1) retired Jeff McNeil on a fly out to center, Mazzilli hit a line drive on a 3-2 pitch that bounced off the top of the wall and over to put the Mets up 2-0.
St. Lucie added another pair of runs off Batts in the sixth. With one out, Dominic Smith doubled into left. Batts struck out Ahmed Rosario, but surrendered an RBI single to Stefan Sabol to push the Mets lead to 3-0.
Batts exited the game in favor of Brian Gilbert. The first hitter, Colton Plaia, hit a fly ball to shallow right that dropped between three Miracle players and Sabol raced around to score, 4-0.
Finished after 5 2/3 innings, Batts’ final line included four runs, two earned, on eight hits with no walks and seven strikeouts.
In the seventh, McNeil led off with a triple off Gilbert. After a strikeout by Mazzilli, Maikis De La Cruz shot a ground ball through the right side for an RBI and a 5-0 Mets lead.
St. Lucie starter Logan Taylor fired seven scoreless frames with only three hits allowed, four walks and four strikeouts. Taylor (1-3) earned his first win of the season.
The only Miracle run came off Mets reliever Mike Hepple in the eighth. Zack Granite reached on a one-out single to left. After Marcus Knecht struck out, Alex Swim doubled down the third base line and Granite crossed home.
The Miracle have now lost a season-high five games in a row and finished the road trip 2-5.
The Miracle (24-27) return to Hammond Stadium Tuesday to face the first-place Charlotte Stone Crabs.