'Tugas decimate Mets in restart; fall in extras in nightcap

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - On Thursday night, two ballgames could not have had two more different outcomes. Continuing Wednesday’s suspended affair, the Tortugas blasted 13 hits en route to a 15-2 dismantling. St. Lucie Mets pitching out-dueled Daytona in the nightcap, winning an eight-inning affair, 2-0, in front of 1,058 fans at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.

A suspension in the middle of the third did nothing to hamper Daytona’s bats in the lid-lifter. Already ahead 2-0 thanks to C Garrett Wolforth’s (1-4, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI, BB) home run prior to the monsoon on Wednesday, the Tortugas (5-4) picked up where they left off when the contest resumed.

2B Tyler Callihan (4-5, 2 R, 2B, 2 RBI) singled to start the day and 3B Rece Hinds (1-4, 3 R, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 2 SO) followed with a walk. Three batters later, RF Austin Hendrick (3-4, 2 R, 2 2B, 4 RBI, BB, SO) powered a liner to right field that went to the wall. Three runs scored on the two base-hit to stretch the Tortugas edge to 5-0.

Ahead 6-0 in the fifth thanks to a 1B Alex McGarry (1-2, 2 R, RBI, 2 BB) sacrifice fly an inning prior, the ‘Tugas put the contest to bed.

Four consecutive free passes ignited the rally, as a bases-loaded walk to SS Gus Steiger (1-4, R, RBI, BB, SO) made it a 7-0 affair. Then the 2019 Cincinnati Reds’ draftees jumped in on the fray. Callihan and Hinds provided the thump as the duo registered back-to-back two-run, two-baggers. CF Allan Cerda (0-2, R, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 2 SO) capped the six-run, 10-batter attack with a sacrifice fly.

The Tortugas made it 15-0 in the seventh on a bases-full walk to Cerda and repeated RBI singles from DH Danny Lantigua (1-4, R, RBI, BB, SO) and Hendrick.

St. Lucie (6-3) was finally able to dent the scoreboard in their final two turns at-bat. 1B/C José Colina (0-2, RBI, 2 BB) collected an RBI walk in the eighth and SS Shervyen Newton (0-4, R, BB, 3 SO) crossed on a ground out in the ninth.

RHP Frainger Aranguren (4.0 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 2 SO) took the hill to start the halted ballgame and provided much-needed length for the Tortugas’ pitching staff. The Venezuela native hurled four scoreless innings to collect his first win of the season.

Daytona LHP Evan Kravetz (3.0 IP, 2 BB, 6 SO) took a tough-luck no-decision despite hurling three hitless innings before the rains fell on Wednesday. Mets RHP Garrison Bryant (2.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 SO) did not return on Thursday but was saddled with his initial defeat of 2021.

In game two, the offense was much tougher to come by for both squads.

Tortugas RHP Jason Parker (4.0 IP, 3 H, BB, 7 SO) — who lasted just one inning in his professional debut last week — was scintillating on Thursday. The North Carolina State alum punched out seven over four spotless innings in a no-decision.

His counterpart, St. Lucie’s 19-year-old RHP Junior Santos (4.0 IP, 3 H, BB, 5 SO), matched him frame-for-frame.

Scoreless going into extra innings, the Mets had men at the corners and one out. With SS Branden Fryman at the plate, 2B LT Struble (1-3, R, BB, SO) broke for second base. The throw was just a smidge late and popped out of the second baseman’s mitt.

3B José Peroza (1-3, R) dashed for home after the bobble and scored the contest's first run. The toss to the dish was errant, however, and Struble never broke stride and scored from first.

RHP Reyson Santos (1.0 IP, SO) — who garnered the save on Tuesday — hurled a perfect home half of the eighth to seal the St. Lucie victory and his third save of the year.

RHP Austin Faith (3.0 IP, 4 SO) — celebrating his 23rd birthday on Thursday — hoisted three hitless innings to collect his second triumph. Daytona’s RHP Carson Rudd (1.0 IP, H, 2 R, BB, SO) suffered his first defeat despite not yielding an earned run.

The Tortugas continue their "Season of Shell-ebration" on Friday night with their second fabulous Postgame Fireworks Show of the homestand. Gates will open at 6 p.m. with the first pitch scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

Daytona is scheduled to hand the ball to RHP Case Williams (0-0, 6.00 ERA) — Cincinnati’s No. 23 farmhand per MLB Pipeline — for his second career start. St. Lucie is projected to counter with RHP Dylan Hall (0-0, 4.50 ERA).

Season ticket, multi-game plans, group packages, and more are currently available and can be purchased online at www.daytonatortugas.com or by calling the Tortugas’ Ticket Office at (386) 257-3172.

ABOUT THE DAYTONA TORTUGAS
The Daytona Tortugas are the Low-A Affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds and a member of Minor League Baseball’s Low-A Southeast. The Tortugas play at Jackie Robinson Ballpark in downtown Daytona Beach. Jackie Robinson Ballpark also plays host to Bethune-Cookman University, the Jackie Robinson Ballpark Museum, and many community events and initiatives of all sizes throughout the year.