Mets edge Miracle, 3-1
PORT ST. LUCIE – The St. Lucie Mets edged the Fort Myers Miracle 3-1 Tuesday night.
The Miracle tagged MLB rehab starter Rafael Montero for a run in the second inning. Engelb Vielma led off with a triple into right-center field. Montero then retired Michael Quesada on a flyout to left, but Zack Granite drove in Vielma on a groundout to second. Granite bounced a first pitch to a pulled in Jeff McNeil, but the second baseman mishandled the ball and settled for the out at first while Vielma scored.
In the bottom of the second, the Mets tied the game. Dominic Smith started with a double into left-center off Miracle starter Stephen Gonsalves. After Matt Oberste lined out to first, Victor Cruzado hit a high drive that deflected off the glove tip of Marcus Knecht on a diving attempt in left-center. Smith rounded third and tied the game.
Gonsalves kept the Mets off the board for the remainder of his four innings. Over six frames, Gonsalves gave up just one run on four hits with two walks and four strikeouts.
The Mets got to the Miracle bullpen in the seventh. Zack Jones surrendered a walk to the first hitter Maikis De La Cruz. After a strikeout of Ahmed Rosario, De La Cruz stole second. Lednier Ricardo then pulled an 0-1 pitch from Jones (2-2) into left to drive in De La Cruz and put the Mets up 2-1.
In the eighth, St. Lucie added an insurance marker off reliever Tyler Jay. Jhoan Urena tripled into right-center. Ryan Walker’s cut-off throw from the outfield hopped over Aderling Mejia’s shoulder at third base and popped into the Mets’ dugout. Urena was awarded home to push the Mets advantage to 3-1.
St. Lucie’s bullpen held the Miracle to four hits over the final seven innings. Marco Molina went 4 2/3 innings after Montero’s first two frames. Mike Hepple improved to 3-2 with 1 1/3 innings of scoreless work. Kyle Regnault recorded his fourth save in a perfect ninth.
The Miracle (62-54, 24-22) wrap up the season series with the Mets (59-55, 24-20) on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. Kohl Stewart (4-7) is expected to start for the Miracle.