Marauders Slug Way to Win, End Three-Game Skid
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Marauders bats built a convincing lead Tuesday night, and the bullpen weathered late turbulence to hold on for an 8-6 win over the St. Lucie Mets at Clover Park. Right-hander Nick Garcia (5-2) went a career-high five and one-third innings, allowing just two hits, while
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Marauders bats built a convincing lead Tuesday night, and the bullpen weathered late turbulence to hold on for an 8-6 win over the St. Lucie Mets at Clover Park.
Right-hander Nick Garcia (5-2) went a career-high five and one-third innings, allowing just two hits, while his catcher, Endy Rodriguez, recorded two hits and two RBI to help lead the offensive attack for the Marauders (42-24).
Rodriguez kicked off the scoring with a first-inning RBI-triple that scored Hudson Head, who had singled. Dariel Lopez followed with an RBI-groundout to plate Rodriguez for a quick 2-0 Bradenton lead against St. Lucie starter Luis Moreno (2-2).
The Marauders rallied for four more runs in the sixth against Mets (35-32) reliever Joe Cavallaro. Loading the bases on a single, a walk, and a hit batter, Bradenton got a walk from Maikol Escotto, forcing home a run and chasing Cavallaro from the game. Head laced a two-run single, and Rodriguez followed with an RBI-single of his own for a 6-0 Marauders advantage.
Garcia, meanwhile, spun five scoreless innings to begin his start. But pitching into the sixth for the first time in his career, the right-hander allowed a one-out solo homer to Jaylen Palmer, ending a stretch of 10 straight batters retired. A single by Omar de los Santos knocked Garcia from the game, and Parker Brahms took over in relief. An infield single and a wild pitch put two men into scoring position. Warren Saunders lifted a sacrifice fly and Alex Ramirez lined an RBI-double, cutting the Marauders’ lead in half, 6-3.
Jack Herman stretched the Bradenton lead to 8-3 with a two-run homer in the top of the seventh, and in the bottom half, Oliver Mateo pitched into and out of trouble, walking two to open the frame but striking out three straight to keep the Marauders lead at five.
The Mets, though, pushed back in the eighth against Wandi Montout, who made his first appearance after over a month on the injured list. The right-hander walked the bases full in between a pair of strikeouts, then uncorked a wild pitch that allowed a run to scamper home. Matt O’Neill delivered a two-run single for St. Lucie, making the score 8-6 and bringing the tying run to the plate, but Alex Roth entered in relief and needed just one pitch to induce an inning-ending groundout.
Enmanuel Mejia worked around a one-out single for a scoreless ninth to earn the save, ending a three-game losing streak for the Marauders.
The win saw three Marauders hitters—Head, Herman, and Rodriguez—collect two hits and two RBI each, and Rodriguez extended his on-base streak to 17 games.
The series continues Wednesday with first pitch scheduled for 12:10 p.m. at Clover Park. RHP Luis Ortiz will start for the Marauders against RHP Junior Santos for the Mets.
For more information about the Bradenton Marauders, please call (941) 747-3031, visit BradentonMarauders.com, or email [email protected].