Three-Run Lead Slips Away in Series-Opening Defeat

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla—The Daytona Tortugas led 3-0 in the sixth, but the St. Lucie Mets scored five times over their final three innings at the plate as they claimed a 5-3 victory on Tuesday night in the series opener at Clover Park.

St. Lucie (18-34) tied their season high with their fourth straight win as Daytona (23-29) was held to just three hits and could not take advantage of ten walks issued by Mets pitching.

After a scoreless first inning, St. Lucie threatened against Daytona starter Nick Payero in the second. A single and walk put two on with one out and a two-out walk loaded the bases. However, a lineout to right ended the inning with the game still scoreless.

No runs scored over the first three innings, but Daytona broke through in the fourth against St. Lucie starter Ernesto Mercedes. Esmith Pineda drew a one-out walk, then went first-to-third on a wild pitch. The extra base immediately paid dividends as Connor Burns lifted a fly ball to center to bring home Pineda with the game’s first run.

Leading 1-0, Payero threw a scoreless fourth, logging 4.0 scoreless innings with two hits and two walks allowed, while striking out three. He then handed things off to Graham Osman, who erased a one-out walk by starting a 1-4-3 double play to end the inning.

In the top of the sixth, Daytona added to the lead against reliever Jeremy Peguero. With one out, the St. Lucie southpaw walked three straight batters to load the bases for Carter Graham, who crushed a drive to deep center that bounced off the glove of center fielder A.J. Ewing. In the confusion of the play, each runner only advanced one base, but a run scored.

A wild pitch then followed to score Burns and put two men in scoring position with one out. However, a fielder’s choice saw a runner get cut down at the plate and Daytona scored no further runs in the inning, though the lead was now 3-0.

St. Lucie immediately woke up offensively in the bottom of the sixth as a leadoff single and hit batter brought Colin Houck to the plate, who sliced a two-run triple to right to cut the deficit back to one run. However, Osman did not let him score as he sandwiched two strikeouts around a comebacker in which he threw out Houck at the plate to keep Daytona in front 3-2.

After Daytona squandered a two-on, no-out opportunity in the seventh, the Mets pulled ahead in the seventh. Anyer Laureano came on and recorded the first out without incident, but then walked Ewing, then surrendered a two-run home run on the first pitch to Jesus Baez, putting St. Lucie in front 4-3.

The Mets proceeded to add another run in the eighth as a leadoff walk was followed by a double off a deflected ground ball up the middle, with an error on the play scoring Houck to give St. Lucie an insurance run.

St. Lucie didn’t need as Ryan Ammons set down the Tortugas in order in the ninth to nail down a 5-3 win for the Mets.

The Tortugas will play game two against the St. Lucie Mets on Wednesday night. Daytona will throw . First pitch from Clover Park in Port St. Lucie is scheduled for 6:10 p.m. with pregame coverage on the Tortugas Radio Network and MiLB.tv/Bally Live with Brennan Mense beginning at 5:55 p.m.