Tortugas stun Mets with 9th inning comeback
PORT ST. LUCIE Fla. (June 9, 2023) – The Daytona Tortugas stunned the St. Lucie Mets with a 7-3 comeback win in 10 inning at Clover Park on Friday night. The Mets led 3-0 with one out in the ninth inning when Cade Hunter blasted a three-run homer off Miguel
PORT ST. LUCIE Fla. (June 9, 2023) – The Daytona Tortugas stunned the St. Lucie Mets with a 7-3 comeback win in 10 inning at Clover Park on Friday night.
The Mets led 3-0 with one out in the ninth inning when Cade Hunter blasted a three-run homer off Miguel Alfonseca to tie the game 3-3.
The Tortugas scored four runs in the top of the 10th to break the game open. Yassel Pino opened the inning with a sharp RBI single off Joe Joe Rodriguez to drive in the free runner Logan Tanner.
Hector Rodriguez added a RBI single, Yerlin Confidan scored on a throwing error by catcher Fernando Villalobos and Ariel Almonte capped the inning with another run-scoring single to make it 7-3.
The Mets loaded the bases in the bottom of the 10th but Luis Mey struck out Rhylan Thomas and got Wilfredo Lara out on a comebacker to end the game.
The Mets received a great start from Douglas Orellana, who was pitching a no-hitter through five innings. Orellana retired the first 10 batters he faced. Rodriguez hit a two-out triple in the sixth for Daytona’s first hit. Orellana recovered to strike out Carlos Jorge to keep the Mets in front, 1-0.
Luke Bartnicki recorded a strikeout and a double play in the seventh. He also pitched a 1-2-3 eighth.
Daytona only had one hit and three base runners through eight innings. Against Alfonseca in the ninth, Confidan hit a leadoff single, Jorge drew a walk and Hunter smashed his fifth home run of the season to force extra innings.
The Mets grabbed a 1-0 lead on a leadoff home run by Jose Hernandez in the fourth inning. It was his first hit for St. Lucie.
The Mets scored twice in the seventh inning on a RBI single by Jacob Reimer and a sac fly by Yeral Martinez to go up 3-0. The hit by Reimer extended his hitting streak to seven games.
The Mets ended up squandering several chances to score throughout the game. They went just 1 for 13 with runners in scoring position and stranded a season-high 14 runners.
The Mets (18-36) and Tortugas (23-32) play the fifth game of their series at Clover Park on Saturday. First pitch is 6:10 p.m. It’s Marvel Defenders of the Diamond Night at the ballpark with postgame fireworks.