Cubs squash rally, edge Mets 3-1

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (June 2, 2014) - A ninth inning rally by St. Lucie fell short and the Daytona Cubs slipped by the Mets 3-1 at Tradition Field on Monday.

Cubs' reliever Michael Jensen struck out the side in the ninth, but it wasn't easy. He gave up two singles and then walked Cam Maron to load the bases. That brought up Phillip Evans with the tying run on second and winning run on first. Jensen settled down to strike out Evans swinging on a 1-2 pitch.

Had the Cubs lost, it would have been excruciating. They left 14 runners on base in the game, while the Mets didn't even put multiple runners on base until the ninth.

Nathan Dorris only needed 78 pitches to shut down the Mets through 6 2/3 innings. He allowed a leadoff triple to Dilson Herrera in the first and T.J. Rivera's RBI sac fly two batters later. Otherwise, he was dominant. Dorris retired 10 consecutive hitters at one point, and after giving up a harmless single to Evans in the fifth, retired five more in a row.

Dorris gave up four hits and one walk.

Mets' starter Michael Fulmer labored through five innings. He allowed just two runs, but surrendered eight hits, three walks and he hit a batter.

Chad Krist put the Cubs on the board in the first on a bases loaded single with one out. Maikis De La Cruz threw out Zeke DeVoss at the plate on Krist's hit to keep it 1-0.

The Cubs broke the 1-1 tie for good in the third. Dan Vogelbach led off with a double. Afters a strikeout and a ground out, he moved to third. Jeimer Candelario then hit a ball up the middle that was backhanded by T.J. Rivera. Rivera's throw to first appeared to be on time, but the one-hopper could not be scooped by Jairo Perez to end the inning. Vogelbach scored to make it 2-1.

Fulmer ended up throwing 94 pitches. He stranded eight runners.

The Cubs picked up their final run in the sixth against Seth Lugo. Lugo plunked Gioskar Amaya to start the inning and threw a wild pitch to advance him to second. Later in the inning with runners on first and second, DeVoss grounded a ball to the hole at short. Herrera threw to Rivera at second for one out, but Rivera's turn to first on the double play attempt was wide of Perez and the throwing error allowed Amaya to score.

In a MLB rehab appearance for New York, Gonzalez Germen pitched a scoreless ninth. He walked one and struck out two.

Herrera and Rivera had four of the Mets seven hits.

The Mets (33-24) remain just 0.5 games behind the Fort Myers Miracle, who lost to Tampa on Monday, in the Florida State League South Division. Only 13 games remain in the first half.

The Mets wrap up their six-game home stand at Tradition Field when they host the Cubs (21-34) again on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.