Lugo homer lifts Mets over Flying Tigers, 3-2

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (May 12, 2022) – St. Lucie third baseman William Lugo blasted a go-ahead home run in the sixth inning to lift the Mets past the Lakeland Flying Tigers at Clover Park on Thursday night.

The Mets trailed 2-1 with two outs in the sixth inning when Lugo hit hanging slider from Carlos Pena into the Jim Beam Bourbon Bar beyond left field for the lead.

Joshua Cornielly pitched a perfect seventh inning on just nine innings. Grant Hartwig closed out the game by retiring all six batters he faced in the eighth and ninth innings. Hartwig struck out four and earned his third save in three tries.

Mets starter Calvin Ziegler was electric in his sixth career start. The 19-year-old righty struck out nine and gave up just two hits and two runs (one earned) over a career-high 5.2 innings.

Ziegler has not given up more than two hits in a game in any of his six starts. He now has 39 strikeouts in 24.2 innings this year.

Ziegler retired the first nine Lakeland hitters, including five on strikeouts. Carlos Mendoza broke the streak with a leadoff bunt single in the fourth.

Mendoza also had a RBI single in the sixth. Those were the only two hits for the Flying Tigers on the night.

Mets outfielder Alex Ramirez went 1 for 4 with a run-scoring single in the fifth inning that gave the Mets a 1-0 lead.

Mendoza’s single in the sixth tied the game. A two-out error on the Mets let in a second Lakeland run, but Lugo got the Mets off the hook in the bottom of the sixth with his third homer of the season.

The Mets (20-10) and Flying Tigers (13-16) play the fourth game of their series on Friday. Fans can take advantage of the Family 4 Pack, which includes four tickets, four hot dogs, four sodas and one giant popcorn for $50. Game time is 6:10 p.m.