Stone Crabs clip Mets 2-1

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. (July 3, 2019) - The Charlotte Stone Crabs edged the St. Lucie Mets 2-1 on Wednesday at Charlotte Sports Park.
Renaldo Hernandez hit the first pitch from Carlos Hernandez in the bottom of the fourth for a home run that broke a 1-1 tie.
The Mets did not put a runner in scoring position the rest of the game and lost for just the second time this season when outhitting their opponent (outhit the Crabs 7-4).
The Mets had their backs against the wall early. Thomas Szapucki was making his St. Lucie debut but only recorded one out in the bottom of the fourth when the game was delayed by rain for 46 minutes. Szapucki did not return when play resumed, so the Mets bullpen had to pitch the final 7.2 innings.
The final two batters Szapucki faced before the rain both reached on errors by shortstop Manny Rodriguez. The Stone Crabs turned one of those errors into a run when Kaleo Johnson grounded out to bring home Wander Franco from third.
The Mets tied the game 1-1 in the fourth when Cody Bohanek and Matt Winaker hit back-to-back doubles.
Darwin Ramos, Carlos Hernandez and Yeizo Campos limited the Stone Crabs to one run on four hits over 7.2 innings.
The Stone Crabs used Major League rehabber Anthony Banda in the first inning. He worked around a leadoff double from Blake Tiberi to keep the game scoreless.
Charlotte's originally scheduled starter Stephen Woods Jr. was not affected by the rain delay. He went to work in the second inning and ended up pitching 4.1 innings of one-run ball to get the win. Woods Jr. improved to 6-1 on the year with half of those wins coming vs. the Mets.
Jeremy Vasquez went 0 for 4. His 15-game hitting streak was snapped.
After starting the second half 7-1, the Mets have now lost six of their last eight to drop to 2.5 games behind the Stone Crabs for first place in the FSL South.
The Mets (9-7, 41-41) return to First Data Field on Thursday for their Independence Fireworks Extravaganza! First pitch vs the Daytona Tortugas is 6:30 p.m.