Miracle drop heartbreaker to Mets, 4-3, in 17 innings
Maikis De La Cruz walks off St. Lucie with sacrifice fly
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (April 23, 2015) - The St. Lucie Mets outlasted the Fort Myers Miracle on Friday night at Tradition field with a 4-3 walk-off win after 17 innings and over five hours of baseball.
Tied 3-3 since the seventh inning, the Mets and Miracle traded zeros with neither bullpen willing to budge. In the 17th, Miracle manager Jeff Smith brought in Madison Boer, the seventh pitcher of the game for Fort Myers. Boer (0-2) retired Yeixon Ruiz on a ground out to short, but Champ Stuart singled through the left side to reach base. Jeff McNeil followed with a roped base hit into right and Stuart advanced to third.
Boer then intentionally walked Michael Conforto for a third time on the evening to load the bases. Maikis De La Cruz stepped up to the plate. Leading the Florida State League in hitting entering the game, De La Cruz was just 1-for-7 on the night. On a 1-2 pitch, De La Cruz hit a fly ball down the right field line that Chad Christensen tracked down for the second out, but Stuart tagged up and scored to end the five-hour and three-minute marathon. De La Cruz's RBI on the sacrifice fly was his only run batted in of the game.
The Mets got the early lead off Miracle starter Ethan Mildren in the second inning. Dominic Smith led off with a single into center field then advanced to second on a wild pitch. Mildren got Matt Oberste to line out to second and Ahmed Rosario to ground out to short. Then, Jhoan Urena ripped a 2-2 pitch into the gap in right center field to plate Smith and put the Mets up 1-0.
In the third, the Miracle drew even agains Mets starter Logan Taylor. Jason Kanzler doubled into left to start the inning and was sacrificed over to third by Engelb Vielma. Taylor walked Niko Goodrum to put runners on the corners. Aderling Mejia then hit a one hopper that deflected off the glove of Tayler and rolled down the side of the mound. Mejia was safe at first and Kanzler dashed home to tie the game, 1-1.
Mildren had difficulty in the third when De La Cruz, Adrian Abreu and Oberste started the inning with three consecutive base hits. Mildren limited the damage by inducing a double play out of Rosario while a run scored. Urena then smacked a 1-0 pitch up the middle for a second St. Lucie run, 3-1. Mildren retired Colton Plaia to end the inning. A quality start, Mildren struck out four over six innings and gave up three runs on eight hits.
Goodrum delivered a solo home run off Taylor in the fifth. Working a full count, Goodrum hammered a fastball against the wind and over the wall in right center field for his second homer of the season, 3-2.
Taylor's night ended after five innings and two runs allowed on seven hits with six strikeouts.
The Miracle drew even in the seventh. Kanzler led off with a bloop single into right field off Mets reliever Julian Hilario. Vielma then laid down a sacrifice bunt, but Hilario bobbled the ball and Vielma reached first. Goodrum earned a walk to load the bases. Then, on a 2-0 pitch, Mejia laced a single through the left side to score Kanzler and even the game, 3-3.
With the bases loaded and no outs, the Mets brought in Robert Coles from the pen. Coles retired the side without allowing a run and began a stretch of 16 in a row retired by the St. Lucie bullpen that spanned in to the 12th inning.
The Mets used five bullpen arms to toss 12 innings after Taylor exited the game. Kyle Regnault notched four scoreless frames and Kelly Secrest picked up the win by shutting down the Miracle in the 15th, 16th and 17th. Secrest (2-0) struck out two and walked one.
Six arms out of the Miracle pen saw action. Tim Shibuya posted three scoreless innnings and gave up just one hit with six strikeouts. J.T Chargois, Brian Gilbert, Brandon Peterson and Alex Muren all registered scoreless outings.
Friday marked the second time in the last 10 months the Miracle were involved in a 17 inning game. On July 18, 2014, the Miracle and Daytona Cubs went 17 innings at Jackie Robinson Ballpark. Fort Myers lost, 11-7, on a walk-off grand slam.
The Miracle (6-10) will look to take the series in the finale at Tradition Field on Saturday versus the Mets (8-8). Game time is set for 6:30 p.m. and fans can listen to all the action on www.miraclebaseball.com with the "Voice of the Miracle" Brice Zimmerman. The MiracleBaseball.com pregame show starts at 6:05 p.m.
Tied 3-3 since the seventh inning, the Mets and Miracle traded zeros with neither bullpen willing to budge. In the 17th, Miracle manager Jeff Smith brought in Madison Boer, the seventh pitcher of the game for Fort Myers. Boer (0-2) retired Yeixon Ruiz on a ground out to short, but Champ Stuart singled through the left side to reach base. Jeff McNeil followed with a roped base hit into right and Stuart advanced to third.
Boer then intentionally walked Michael Conforto for a third time on the evening to load the bases. Maikis De La Cruz stepped up to the plate. Leading the Florida State League in hitting entering the game, De La Cruz was just 1-for-7 on the night. On a 1-2 pitch, De La Cruz hit a fly ball down the right field line that Chad Christensen tracked down for the second out, but Stuart tagged up and scored to end the five-hour and three-minute marathon. De La Cruz's RBI on the sacrifice fly was his only run batted in of the game.
The Mets got the early lead off Miracle starter Ethan Mildren in the second inning. Dominic Smith led off with a single into center field then advanced to second on a wild pitch. Mildren got Matt Oberste to line out to second and Ahmed Rosario to ground out to short. Then, Jhoan Urena ripped a 2-2 pitch into the gap in right center field to plate Smith and put the Mets up 1-0.
In the third, the Miracle drew even agains Mets starter Logan Taylor. Jason Kanzler doubled into left to start the inning and was sacrificed over to third by Engelb Vielma. Taylor walked Niko Goodrum to put runners on the corners. Aderling Mejia then hit a one hopper that deflected off the glove of Tayler and rolled down the side of the mound. Mejia was safe at first and Kanzler dashed home to tie the game, 1-1.
Mildren had difficulty in the third when De La Cruz, Adrian Abreu and Oberste started the inning with three consecutive base hits. Mildren limited the damage by inducing a double play out of Rosario while a run scored. Urena then smacked a 1-0 pitch up the middle for a second St. Lucie run, 3-1. Mildren retired Colton Plaia to end the inning. A quality start, Mildren struck out four over six innings and gave up three runs on eight hits.
Goodrum delivered a solo home run off Taylor in the fifth. Working a full count, Goodrum hammered a fastball against the wind and over the wall in right center field for his second homer of the season, 3-2.
Taylor's night ended after five innings and two runs allowed on seven hits with six strikeouts.
The Miracle drew even in the seventh. Kanzler led off with a bloop single into right field off Mets reliever Julian Hilario. Vielma then laid down a sacrifice bunt, but Hilario bobbled the ball and Vielma reached first. Goodrum earned a walk to load the bases. Then, on a 2-0 pitch, Mejia laced a single through the left side to score Kanzler and even the game, 3-3.
With the bases loaded and no outs, the Mets brought in Robert Coles from the pen. Coles retired the side without allowing a run and began a stretch of 16 in a row retired by the St. Lucie bullpen that spanned in to the 12th inning.
The Mets used five bullpen arms to toss 12 innings after Taylor exited the game. Kyle Regnault notched four scoreless frames and Kelly Secrest picked up the win by shutting down the Miracle in the 15th, 16th and 17th. Secrest (2-0) struck out two and walked one.
Six arms out of the Miracle pen saw action. Tim Shibuya posted three scoreless innnings and gave up just one hit with six strikeouts. J.T Chargois, Brian Gilbert, Brandon Peterson and Alex Muren all registered scoreless outings.
Friday marked the second time in the last 10 months the Miracle were involved in a 17 inning game. On July 18, 2014, the Miracle and Daytona Cubs went 17 innings at Jackie Robinson Ballpark. Fort Myers lost, 11-7, on a walk-off grand slam.
The Miracle (6-10) will look to take the series in the finale at Tradition Field on Saturday versus the Mets (8-8). Game time is set for 6:30 p.m. and fans can listen to all the action on www.miraclebaseball.com with the "Voice of the Miracle" Brice Zimmerman. The MiracleBaseball.com pregame show starts at 6:05 p.m.