Stone Crabs win wild affair over Mets, 13-10

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (June 22, 2017) - The Charlotte Stone Crabs outlasted the St. Lucie Mets 13-10 on Thursday at First Data Field in front of a crowd of 3,638.
 
The game marked the start of the Florida State League's second half and the end of the Mets three-game winning streak.
 
Charlotte held leads of 5-0, 6-1 and 7-4, but the Mets repeatedly clawed back and eventually took an 8-7 lead with four runs in the sixth. J.C. Rodriguez hit a two-run double to tie the game 7-7 and he later slid home head first to put the Mets in front for the first time.
 
The Crabs responded with two runs in the seventh off reliever Josh Torres to regain the lead, 9-8. The Mets rallied once more in the bottom of the seventh. Peter Alonso smashed a two-run homer, his fourth long ball of the season, to put the Mets ahead 10-9.
 
But again the Mets and Torres could not hold the lead. Charlotte scored four times in the eighth to go up for good. Peter Maris tied the game on a sac fly and Brett Sullivan's RBI single later in the inning made it 11-10.
 
After Alonso hit his home run, Stone Crabs relievers Brandon Lawson and Dalton Moats combined to retire eight consecutive Mets to end the game. Lawson earned the win while Moats got the save.
 
Mets starter Joseph Shaw was roughed up. Over 5.1 innings he allowed 10 hits and seven runs (six earned). Torres took the loss after surrendering five earned runs in two innings.
 
Michael Paez, who was promoted to St. Lucie from the Columbia Fireflies, went 2 for 5 with a RBI double in his debut.
 
Paez, John Mora, Alonso, Patrick Mazeika and Eudor Garcia all had two-hit games.
 
For Charlotte, Dalton Kelly went 4 for 5 and fell a triple short of the cycle. He drove in three runs and scored three runs.
 
The Mets (0-1, 33-36) and Stone Crabs (1-0, 32-37) play the second game of their series on Friday at First Data Field. First pitch is 6:30 p.m. Fans are encouraged to come in costume to celebrate Halfway to Halloween.