Jupiter Strikes Late As Mets Fall 5-4 in Game 2.

Jupiter, Fla. (July 8th, 2026) – The St. Lucie Mets fell short tonight by a final score of 5-4 after the Jupiter Hammerheads struck late and the Mets could not complete the comeback. The Hammerheads have evened the series at one game apiece.

It was the Hammerheads who struck first, as rehabbing starter Luis Rodriguez was unable to find the strike zone consistently, walking the first two batters who would score after Victor Ortega singled with 2 outs in the inning, giving Jupiter a 2-0 lead.

The Mets offense got right back in it with two runs of their own in the 2nd after Chase Meggers reached second base on a fielding error by Luis Arana. He was then driven home on a base hit by Branny De Oleo, who later scored on an RBI groundout by Jeremy Rodriguez to tie the game.

It was another strong outing from Mets Pitcher Tyler McLoughlin, who finished with a final line of 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, and 3 strikeouts. McLoughlin has now allowed just one run in his last 10 outings and, in that span, has racked up 20 strikeouts, allowed just 6 hits, and walked only 9.

The Mets would add on to their lead in the 6th inning. Trey Snyder reached first on a single to start the inning. After attempting to steal second, a throwing error by Jupiter's catcher Jeremy Almonte allowed Snyder to go from 2nd to home, making a diving play at the plate, beating out the throw from Luis Cova in centerfield to make it 4-2 Mets.

Joel Diaz had a strong performance on the mound, pitching two quick 1-2-3 innings. Diaz, in his two games back with St. Lucie, has pitched three innings and has not given up a run.

Things would go awry for the Mets in the bottom of the 7th, though, after they struggled to find the strike zone with a two-run lead. Joel Lara, who took the loss (0-2) walked four batters, three of whom came in the 7th inning. After a single from Luis Arana that scored Jeremy Almonte, and then an RBI ground out from Echedry Vargas, the Hammerheads would tie the game. Jupiter would then take the lead on a wild pitch, allowing Luis Arana to score.

St. Lucie was then shut down by Braulio Salas, who got the win (6-3), and Hayden Cuthbertson, who picked up his first save.

With the loss, the Mets fall to 4-11 (37-44), while the Jupiter Hammerheads improve to 6-11 (43-40). The Mets will take on the Hammerheads in game 3 of this 6-game series on Thursday, with first pitch scheduled for 12:00 PM EST.