Franco homer lifts Crabs to 2-1 win over Mets

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (July 16, 2019) - Baseball's top prospect Wander Franco broke a 1-1 tie with a two-out solo home run in the fifth inning to propel the Charlotte Stone Crabs to a 2-1 win over the St. Lucie Mets at First Data Field on Tuesday.
The Stone Crabs won for the 19th time in their last 21 games and increased their FSL South Division lead to four games over the Mets, who lost for just the third time in 12 games.
Both teams scored a run in the first inning. Ronaldo Hernandez hit a RBI single to bring home Franco, who previously singled and stole second.
The Mets tied the game 1-1 in the bottom of the first on a RBI single by Carlos Cortes. Jeremy Vasquez followed with a double to set the Mets up with two runners in scoring position with only one out. However, the Mets could not take the lead. Dan Rizzie hit a grounder that resulted in the second out coming at home plate. Cody Bohanek then yanked a ball down the third base line that Jim Haley dove and stopped. Haley rifled a throw to first base to get Bohanek to end the inning and take away a go-ahead extra base hit.
The starting pitchers settled down and dueled. Charlotte's Shane McClanahan retired 18 consecutive Mets after Vasquez's double.
Mets starter Thomas Szapucki retired 10 of 11 Stone Crabs from the end of the second inning through two outs in the fifth. Szapucki struck out the first two batters of the fifth inning but Franco lined a two-out home run for what turned out to be the winning run.
The last time the Mets and Stone Crabs played on July 3rd, the Stone Crabs also won 2-1 on a tie-breaking solo home run from Hernandez in the fourth inning.
McClanahan got the win. He held the Mets to one run in 6.2 innings. It was just the second earned run he's allowed in 36 innings since being promoted to Charlotte. His ERA jumped from 0.31 to 0.50.
Szapucki took a tough loss. He scattered four hits and allowed two runs in 4.2 innings. Szapucki, who missed all of last year after undergoing Tommy John surgery, set his season highs in innings and pitches (76).
Three Mets relievers - Darwin Ramos, Yeizo Campos and Marcel Renteria - combined for 4.1 shutout innings.
The Mets had one last opportunity at the plate in the eighth inning. Hansel Moreno led off with a single but was erased on a caught stealing. One pitch later Blake Tiberi worked a walk. Jacob Zanon followed with another walk.
Stone Crabs closer Chandler Raiden entered and retired Carlos Cortes on a line out to the warning track in right field. Raiden then retired Vasquez to end the inning.
Manny Rodriguez picked up a two-out single in the bottom of the ninth but Raiden got Edgardo Fermin to pop out to end the game and pick up his eighth save.
The Mets (18-10, 50-44) and Stone Crabs (21-5, 56-36) play the second game of their series at First Data Field on Wednesday. It's Camp Day at the ballpark with the contest starting at 10:30 a.m.