Mets beat Jupiter in finale, claim East Division title

Kendall scores go-ahead runs, reaches base 4 times

September 19, 2021

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (Sept. 19, 2021) – The St. Lucie Mets defeated the Jupiter Hammerheads 7-4 on Sunday afternoon in the season finale to win the Low-A Southeast East Division title. It’s the first division championship for the Met since 2016 when they won the second half of the

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (Sept. 19, 2021) – The St. Lucie Mets defeated the Jupiter Hammerheads 7-4 on Sunday afternoon in the season finale to win the Low-A Southeast East Division title.

It’s the first division championship for the Met since 2016 when they won the second half of the 2016 Florida State League South Division.

Sunday’s game was tied 4-4 in the bottom of the eighth inning. Kevin Kendall started the inning with a single. He advanced to third base on a ground ball base hit by Alex Ramirez. That brought up Jack-Thomas Wold, who hit a chopper back to Jupiter pitcher Jesus E. Sanchez. Sanchez hesitated with the ball before throwing wildly to third base to get a retreating Kendall. The errant throw ricocheted into the Mets bullpen, allowing Kendall to score from third and Ramirez all the way from first base to give the Mets a 6-4 lead.

Wold eventually scored on a wild pitch to give the Mets a 7-4 advantage.

Daniel Juarez, who was making his St. Lucie debut, got the first out of the ninth. After a walk Juarez was replaced by Grant Hartwig. Hartwig struck out Jose Salas then got Cody Morissette to ground out to Kendall at short to end the game.

Juarez pitched 2.1 scoreless and hitless innings to get the win. Hartwig earned his third save.

Ramirez went 2 for 4 with a triple, two RBI and two runs scored.

Kendall went 2 for 2 and reached base in all four trips to the plate. He scored three runs.

Despite winning the East Division, the Mets will not be going to the postseason. MiLB’s playoff rules state the top two teams in the league regardless of record will be the only playoff participants. Tampa and Bradenton in the West Division finished with better records than St. Lucie.

The Mets finished the season 60-55, including a 41-27 record against East Division opponents. They won four of the five games in the series against the Hammerheads to erase a three game deficit at the start of the series. The Mets went 14-9 vs. Jupiter this season.

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