Messy Start, Brutal Finish Stings Marauders in Series Finale

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — A rocky start, a seven-run Mets seventh inning, and slew of hitting struggles dealt the Marauders a 15-0 loss on Sunday afternoon at Clover Park.

The loss was the largest deficit of the season for the Marauders (43-28), who have now lost seven of nine games. It also handed Bradenton its first series loss since May 18-23, when the club dropped four of six games against Lakeland.

Bradenton also matched its season-high with four errors committed, and relievers Sergio Umana and Parker Brahms were each touched for six runs in the lopsided loss.

Jared Jones (1-2) labored through a 23-pitch first inning for Bradenton. A Maikol Escotto throwing error began the frame, and after a hit-by-pitch, Jose Peroza singled to center field to score lead runner Jaylen Palmer, and an errant throw by center fielder Hudson Head allowed Omar de los Santos to score as well. With Peroza on third base, Jones uncorked a wild pitch that plated Peroza for a 3-0 Mets lead, but after a walk, Jones retired the next two batters to escape the inning.

Jones settled down, holding the Mets (39-33) scoreless over the next four innings. The Marauders offense, meanwhile, could not solve St. Lucie starter Jose Chacin (1-0), who spun six scoreless frames and scattered just three hits while striking out five. The Marauders squandered their biggest opportunity of the afternoon in the second inning, loading the bases with one out on singles by Eli Wilson and Alexander Mojica and an Ernny Ordonez hit-by-pitch, but Jase Bowen grounded into a double play, ending the inning. Chacin proceeded to retire the next 10 Bradenton hitters in a row.

After a clean sixth inning in relief by Marauders righty Sergio Umana, the floodgates opened in the bottom of the seventh. Two singles and a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases, and Palmer followed with an infield single toward second base. Two runs scored, as Bowen made a late and errant throw past first base. An Umana wild pitch scored a run, stretching St. Lucie’s lead to 6-0. After a groundout, Warren Saunders lined a ball down the left field line that plate umpire Kaleb Martin ruled fair. As the ball entered the Mets’ foul-territory bullpen, a St. Lucie reliever appeared to handle the ball, believing it to be foul, but when the umpires failed to rule the ball dead, Saunders circled the bases for a two-run, inside-the-park homer as an astonished Bradenton defensive did not chase the ball immediately. Marauders manager Jonathan Johnston, incensed at the lack of a dead-ball ruling, argued with Martin and was ejected. Parker Brahms soon took over in relief for Umana, yielding a two-run double to Brandon McIlwain for a 10-0 Mets advantage before finishing the inning.

The Mets burned Brahms again in the eighth, as Saunders added an RBI-single and Tanner Murphy drilled a grand slam for a 15-0 Mets lead.

Right-handers Sammy Tavarez and Luis Montas held the Marauders scoreless in the seventh and eighth in relief of Chacin, and Brailin Gonzalez pitched a scoreless ninth to end the game.

Each of the Marauders’ five hits were singles, including a leadoff single in the seventh by Endy Rodriguez, who extended his hitting streak to nine straight games and his on-base streak to 21 games.

The Marauders return home to LECOM Park on Tuesday to open a six-game series against the Dunedin Blue Jays, Low-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays, at 6:05 p.m.

For more information about the Bradenton Marauders, please call (941) 747-3031, visit BradentonMarauders.com, or email [email protected].