Murphy Falls HR Shy of Cycle in 4-1 Win

FORT MYERS, Fla. (May 1, 2017) - RHP Dereck Rodríguez (W, 1-2) tossed seven innings of one-run baseball for the Fort Myers Miracle (12-13) to grab a series opening 4-1 win over the Daytona Tortugas (13-12). Max Murphy fell a home run shy of the cycle while Shane Kennedy provided a two-run home run in the win.
Fort Myers plated three of their four runs in the fourth inning. Murphy began the frame with a triple to right-centerfield off starter RHP Jonathon Crawford (L, 0-1). After Chris Paul walked, Zander Wiel reached on a fielder's choice to score Murphy, narrowly avoiding a double play. With Wiel on the basepaths, Kennedy skied a two-run shot to left-center to put the Miracle up 3-0.
Daytona scored their lone run in the top of the sixth on a Gavin LaValley sacrifice fly. In the seventh, Paul sliced a single to right to score Nelson Molina, putting the eventual final score, 4-1, on the board.
Rodriguez allowed five singles scattered throughout his start to go along with six strikeouts of the Tortugas' hitters. RHP Williams Ramirez (H, 1) cruised through the eighth, and RHP Nick Anderson (Sv, 1) earned his first save of the year with a 1-2-3 ninth.
Game Two of the four-game series begins at 6:35 PM ET on a 2-for-1 Tuesday at Hammond Stadium. Fans can enjoy 2-for-1 tacos, domestic draft beer and fountain soda. RHP Cody Stashak battles with RHP José López.
To stay up to date on upcoming promotional nights, follow the Miracle online at Miraclebaseball.com or through social media; Twitter: @MiracleBaseball, Instagram: fortmyersmiracle, Facebook: Fort Myers Miracle, Snapchat: ftmyersmiracle. For further information or questions regarding the 2017 25^th Anniversary Season, call the Miracle offices at (239) 768-4210.