Mets overcome huge deficit, shock Stone Crabs 9-8

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (July 18, 2019) - The St. Lucie Mets rallied back from a 6-0 first-inning deficit to shock the Charlotte Stone Crabs 9-8 on Thursday at First Data Field.
A crowd of 3,199 roared as Manny Rodriguez delivered a two-out RBI single to left field in the bottom of the ninth to bring home Wagner Lagrange for the winning run.
The Mets avoided the sweep and moved to four games back of Charlotte for first place in the FSL South Division.
It was ugly early. The Stone Crabs took advantage of two errors, a wild pitch, a passed ball and two walks to score six runs (only one earned) in the top of the first inning. Mets starting pitcher Kyle Wilson left after recording just one out due to a blister. Marcel Renteria was thrust into the game and the Mets bullpen had to pitch the final 8.2 innings.
Renteria was tagged for a two-run single by Jake Palomaki that made it 6-0. Renteria then settled down and pitched brilliantly. He retired 10 in a row to finish his outing. He gave the Mets 3.2 innings of one-run ball.
The Mets started to mount their comeback in the second inning when an error on Palomaki at second base opened up the opportunity to score a couple of runs. Rodriguez hit a RBI ground out and Blake Tiberi punched RBI single to make it 6-2.
The Mets scored four in the fourth inning against Stone Crabs starter Michael Plassmeyer to tie the game. Hansel Moreno and Carlos Cortes had run-scoring hits. Jacob Zanon lifted a sac fly. Lagrange, playing in his first game with St. Lucie, tied the game on a single into center field.
The Stone Crabs halted the Mets momentum in the fifth when Kaleo Johnson and Moises Gomez hit back-to-back home runs off of Andrew Mitchell for an 8-6 lead.
Moreno tied the game again in the bottom of the fifth with a two-run homer that made it 8-8.
The teams played scoreless ball in the sixth-eighth innings. The Stone Crabs had two in scoring position with two outs in the top of the ninth when Darwin Ramos got Renaldo Hernandez to line out sharply to Moreno in left-center field.
Stone Crabs reliever Simon Rosenblum-Larson retired the first two batters of the bottom of the ninth but made the mistake of plunking Lagrange. Cody Bohanek followed with a soft single and then pinch hitter Jeremy Vasquez drew a walk to load the bases.
The Stone Crabs brought in left Trey Cumbie. Rodriguez smoked a 1-1 pitch clean into left field for the game-winning hit. Rodriguez went 3 for 5 with three runs scored and a RBI.
Ramos pitched two scoreless innings to get the win.
The Mets (19-11, 51-45) continue their home stand on Friday when they welcome the Clearwater Threshers to First Data Field. Game time is 6:30 p.m.