Cessa strikes out 10, Mets down Blue Jays 4-3

DUNEDIN, Fla. (June 4, 2014) - The St. Lucie Mets took advantage of three crucial errors by Dunedin as they defeated the Blue Jays 4-3 on Wednesday at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium.

All four runs scored by the Mets were unearned. Luis Cessa struck out 10 Blue Jays over seven impressive innings, and Gonzalez Germen and Randy Fontanez stranded the tying run on third in the eight and ninth, respectively.

Aderlin Rodriguez put the Mets in front in the first. With two on and two-out, he blasted a two run double to score Brandon Nimmo and Cam Maron. Both runs went as unearned against Taylor Cole, as Nimmo reached earlier in the inning on a throwing error by short stop Emilio Guerrero.

The Blue Jays scored all three of their runs and had four of their five hits against Cessa in the third. Nick Baligod laced a two-run triple to tie the game, and with two outs K.C. Hobson singled in Baligod to put Dunedin ahead 3-2.

Cessa settled down and went into cruise control. He retired nine in a row after Hobson's single, striking out five hitters. Stopping the streak was Phillip Evans' error. Cessa brushed it off by getting the last five batters he faced.

Meanwhile, the Mets managed to tie the game in the sixth. With two outs and Nimmo on second, Rodriguez hit a harmless grounder to Guerrero, but the short stop again threw the ball away to first and Nimmo scored.

In the seventh, Eudy Pina grounded a ball right through Hobson's legs at first base to reach with one out. After Pina moved up to second on Wil Browning's wild pitch, Dilson Herrera lined a double to left to score Pina and put the Mets ahead for good, 4-3.

Germen, making his third rehab appearance with St. Lucie, stranded runners at the corners in the eighth when Derrick Chung lined out the Herrera at second.

In the ninth, Fontanez surrendered a leadoff double to Kevin Patterson. He recovered by getting Guerrero to strike out. Peter Mooney grouned out to second to force pinch runner Christian Lopes over to third. Fontanez induced the game-ending ground out to Rodriguez at third. Rodriguez's throw was low, but Cole Frenzel made the scoop at first to preserve the win.

Cessa allowed just five hits and did not walk a batter in his seven innings to earn the win. His 10 strikeouts are a season high.

Fontanez has a team-leading eight saves.

Maron and Evans each had two hits apiece for the Mets.

The Mets (34-25) and Blue Jays (40-18) meet again at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. The game can be heard on www.stluciemets.com with the Voice of the Mets Adam MacDonald.