Mets and Manatees split two game

VIERA, Fla. (July 25, 2015) - At long last the St. Lucie Mets and Brevard County Manatees wrapped up their series with two games on Saturday at Space Coast Stadium.
 
The teams split the doubleheader with the Mets winning the first game 5-1 and the Manatees bouncing back for a 6-4 win in game 2.
 
In game 1, the Mets were at the plate trailing 1-0 when play resumed. They wasted no time jumping on the Manatees, as Jeff McNeil singled on the first pitch he saw from Jorge Ortega. The hit pushed Yeixon Ruiz to second base and Ruiz and McNeil quickly executed a double steal.
 
Maikis De La Cruz tied the game with a sac fly and Matt Oberste broke the tie with an RBI double. Stefan Sabol then knocked an RBI single to make it 3-1.
 
Oberste collected RBI singles in the third and fifth to make it 5-1.
 
On the mound, Logan Taylor took over for Mickey Jannis and tossed five scoreless innings to get his third straight win. Taylor allowed just one hit and no runs. He walked four and struck out three.
 
Robby Coles pitched a perfect seventh to close out the game.
 
Oberste went 3 for 3 with three RBI. Ruiz went 3 for 4. De La Cruz was 2 for 3 with two runs scored.
 
Ortega took the loss for Brevard County.
 
In game 2, the Mets jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning thanks to RBI singles by Dominic Smith and Sabol and a two-run double by Oberste.
 
However, starter Miller Diaz could not hold onto the lead. The Manatees scored three runs in the bottom of the first on a wild pitch and a two-run single by Jose Pena.
 
Diaz kept the Manatees at bay until the fifth. Taylor Brennan erased a two-run deficit with a two-run homer to give the Manatees a 5-4 lead. Angel Ortega would add an RBI single later in the frame.
 
Reliever Tristan Archer pitched the final five innings for the Manatees without allowing a run to get the win.
 
The Mets (49-49, 14-14) return home to Tradition Field on Sunday to begin a season-long eight-game home stand. First pitch against the Daytona Tortugas is 4 p.m.