Tarpons bounce back, hold Mets down in 5-1 win

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (April 17, 2024) – The Tampa Tarpons kept the St. Lucie Mets’ bats in check in a 5-1 victory at Clover Park on Wednesday afternoon.

A day after allowing 11 runs on 19 hits, the Tarpons pitched much more effectively by holding the Mets to one run on a wild pitch and five hits.

Tampa starter Luis Serna baffled hitters with a mid-70s curveball and struck out nine while walking only one in 4.2 innings. Serna gave up just two hits and one run.

Montana Semmel pitched 2.1 innings of relief behind Serna to get the win. Hueston Morrill tossed the final 2.1 innings to get the save.

Mets pitching, which allowed just two earned runs over the previous three games, was not as sharp. Starter Ernesto Mercedes walked three and threw three wild pitches in 3.1 innings. He gave up five hits and three runs (two earned).

Tampa scored the game’s first run in the second inning. Mercedes walked two batters and uncorked a wild pitch to allow runners to advance to second and third. Then with two outs, third baseman Jesus Baez committed a fielding error that brought in a run to make it 1-0.

In the fourth inning after another wild pitch advanced runners to second and third, Manuel Palencia hit a two-run single to up the Tampa lead to 3-0.

The Mets broke through in the fourth when Serna threw a wild pitch that allowed Baez to score from third. However, Serna rebounded with consecutive strikeouts to end the inning and strand the tying run at second.

The Tarpons scored twice off Mets reliever Jack Wenninger in the sixth inning. Brenny Escanio hit a two-out RBI triple to make it 4-1. Escanio then scored on the second wild pitch of the inning by Wenninger to make it 5-1.

Wenninger pitched well otherwise. He logged 5.0 innings to finish out the game, striking out seven and not issuing a walk. He was charged with two runs and gave up three hits.

Vincent Perozo led the Mets offense by going 2 for 4 with a double. The double extended the Mets streak to seven games in a row with an extra base hit.

Estarling Mercado was 1 for 4. He extended his hitting streak to four games.

The Mets (4-7) and Tarpons (3-8) play the third game of their series at Clover Park on Thursday. It’s the first Dollar Night of the year with $2 Bud Light, Budweiser and Busch Light 16 oz. aluminum bottles, $2 Bud Light and Michelob Ultra drafts, $2 hot dogs, $2 24 oz. fountain soda and $2 popcorn. First pitch is 6:10 p.m.