Tarpons belt out 12 hits, beat Mets 9-5

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (April 18, 2024) – The Tampa Tarpons defeated the St. Lucie Mets 9-5 at Clover Park on Thursday night.

The Tarpons pounded out 12 hits and drew 10 walks. They kept the pressure on the Mets by scoring in five of the first six innings. Yankees first round draft pick George Lombard Jr. went 2 for 2 with a double, four walks, three runs scored and three stolen bases.

The Mets worked nine walks from Tarpons pitching but could not take advantage. The Mets mustered just four hits in the game and only two after the first inning.

Tampa scored against Mets starter Wyatt Hudepohl in the first inning when Lombard Jr. walked, stole second and third base and scored on a ground out.

The Mets tied the game in the bottom of the first after Colin Houck led off with a double and scored on a bloop hit by Vincent Perozo.

The Tarpons scored a run in the third, two in the second and one in the fifth to build a 5-1 lead. The Mets made a charge in the bottom of the fifth by scoring three times. Perozo lofted a sac fly and Nick Morabito laced a RBI triple to cut the deficit to 5-4. However, Tarpons reliever Aaron Nixon was able to strike out Yohairo Cuevas to strand Morabito as the tying run on third.

The Tarpons immediately answered the Mets rally by breaking the game open with a four-run sixth. Enmanuel Tejeda ripped a RBI double. Coby Morales and Daury Arias each hit a run-scoring single. The damage was done against Mets relievers Layonel Ovalles and Alan Perdomo.

The Mets walked four times in the bottom of the seventh but could not get a hit to blow open the inning. A free pass issued by Osiel Rodriguez to Estarling Mercado forced home a run to make it 9-5. Rodriguez was able to strike out Sebastian Castro to strand the bases loaded.

Hudepohl took the loss. He was charged with two runs on five hits over 3.0 innings. Hudepohl walked three and struck out three.

Ovalles gave up five runs in 2.1 innings of relief.

Tampa starter Cade Smith pitched 3.2 innings in a no-decision. He allowed one run on three hits while striking out five.

Yoljeldriz Diaz gave the Tarpons 1.1 innings of relief to get the win.

Perozo went 1 for 1 with three walks and two RBI in the loss. He extended his hitting streak to four games.

The Mets (4-8) and Tarpons (4-8) play the fourth game of their series at Clover Park on Friday. First pitch is 6:10 p.m. Kids can run the bases after the game.