Mets rally in 8th to beat Tortugas 4-2

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (August 2, 2022) – The St. Lucie Mets scored three runs with two outs in the eighth inning to rally past the Daytona Tortugas 4-2 on Tuesday at Clover Park.

The Mets improved to 11-1 vs. the Tortugas at home this season and 17-4 overall against the Reds affiliate.

The Tortugas started the bottom of the eighth with a 2-1 lead but that was put in immediate jeopardy when center fielder Jay Allen misplayed a fly ball from Jack-Thomas Wold for a two-base error that put Wold on second base with no outs.

Daytona pitcher Julian Aguiar managed to get the next two batters out, but Omar De Los Santos hustled through first base for an infield single that scored Wold from third base to tie the game 2-2.

De Los Santos stole second, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored when Carlos Dominguez bashed a go-ahead double to make it 3-2. Justin Guerrera ripped a single to bring home Dominguez for a key insurance run.

Mets reliever Benito Garcia (2-1) retired the side in order in the ninth to end the game. Garcia also pitched scoreless eighth, working around a leadoff double, to get the win.

Daytona scored its only runs on a two-run homer by Hayden Jones off MiLB rehabber Kyle Wilson in the fourth inning.

Harol Gonzalez, making his second MiLB rehab start for St. Lucie, tossed three scoreless innings.

Daytona starter Jose Acuna, who was a St. Lucie Met last week, made his organizational debut for the Reds. He was acquired in the Tyler Naquin trade between Cincinnati and New York. Acuna was impressive against his old team, limiting the Mets to one unearned run over five innings. He scattered four hits, did not walk a batter and struck out six.

The Mets (56-40, 16-15) and Tortugas (38-56, 9-20) play the second game of their six-game series on Wednesday. First pitch is scheduled for 6:10 p.m. at Clover Park.