Mets - Yankees split double dip
Kyle Allen got the start for the Mets in game one of the double header. Allen ran into trouble in the third inning as the Yankees plated two runs on a solo home run and an RBI double putting the Mets in a 2-0 hole. Tampa added another run in the fourth inning making it a 3-0 game. Stefan Welch gave the Mets their only run of the game when he hit his tenth home run of the season, a solo shot that pulled the Mets to within two at 3-1. That would be all the offense the Mets could come up with as they could not rally from behind dropping game one.
Kyle Allen got the loss allowing three runs on eight hits with five strikeouts in four innings of work. Allen falls to 3-4 on the season. St. Lucie had only two hits in the game, Stefan Welch's solo home run and a single by Juan Lagares. John Church relieved Allen and tossed three innings of shutout baseball allowing only one baserunner while striking out three.
St. Lucie jumped out to an early lead in game two of the double dip. Juan Lagares scored on an RBI double by Wilmer Flores to give the Mets an early 1-0 lead after one innings. The Mets added four more runs in the second inning keyed by a three-run home run off the bat of Lagares giving the Mets a 5-0 advantage. The lead would not last long. The Yankees rallied for five runs in the fourth inning chasing Mets starter Scott Moviel from the game and erasing the Mets commanding five-run lead. The game would remain tied 5-5 as the teams exchanged zeros for the next seven innings. With the game still tied 5-5 in the bottom of the twelfth inning, Rylan Sandoval lead off with a double and was sacrificed over to third by a Juan Centeno bunt. After two consecutive intentional walks, the stage was set for Cory Vaughn. With the bases loaded and only one out, Vaughn was hit by a pitch forcing in the game winning run.
The Mets bullpen was phenomenal in the 6-5 win. Five pitchers combined to throw the final 8.2 innings keeping the Yankees off the scoreboard as only one Yankee reached second base after their big fourth inning. Mike Powers got the win. Jeff Kaplan, Josh Edgin and Eric Niesen each threw two shutout innings in the win. Brandon Sage went 1.2 scoreless innings in relief of Moviel. Juan Lagares was the key to the Mets offense with three hits, three RBI and two runs scored. Rylan Sandoval, who scored the game-winning run, had two hits and two runs scored. Juan Centeno also had two hits with scoring once and driving in one.
The Mets continue their series with the Tampa Yankees Sunday afternoon at Digital Domain Park. Armando Rodriguez gets the start for the Mets. Rodriguez comes into the game with a 1-2 record and an ERA of 2.45 in seven starts for St. Lucie. Rodriguez has tallied 37 strikeouts to 13 walks while holding opposing batters to a .193 average in 33 innings of work.