Triana, Tortugas walk to comeback over Mets, 14-9

21-year-old reaches base five times, drives in four, as Daytona takes opener

1B Michel Triana reached base five times and drove in four runs, as the Daytona Tortugas erased a five-run deficit to defeat the St. Lucie Mets, 14-9, on Tuesday night at Clover Park. (Aldrin Capulong)

By Justin Rocke

May 25, 2021

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - Behind by five after an inning, Mets RHP Noah Syndergaard — making his second rehab start with the club — was removed with an apparent injury. The Tortugas responded by drawing 15 walks and scoring 14 of the game’s final 18 tallies, as Daytona defeated

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - Behind by five after an inning, Mets RHP Noah Syndergaard — making his second rehab start with the club — was removed with an apparent injury. The Tortugas responded by drawing 15 walks and scoring 14 of the game’s final 18 tallies, as Daytona defeated St. Lucie, 14-9, on Tuesday night at Clover Park.

LF Wendell Marrero (2-3, 2 R, BB, SO) was plunked to begin the top of the third, and that opened the floodgates for the Tortugas (10-9). 2B Tyler Callihan (2-5, 2 R, 2B, BB) followed with a double to right and consecutive walks to SS Gus Steiger (0-4, 2 R, 2 BB, SO) and 3B Rece Hinds (1-3, 3 R, 2 RBI, 3 BB) gave Daytona its first run.

After a wild pitch scored Callihan and a walk to CF Allan Cerda (0-3, 2 R, 3 BB, 2 SO) reloaded the bases, 1B Michel Triana (3-4, 3 R, 3B, 4 RBI, 2 BB, SO) dunked a single to center. Two runs scored on the base-hit to pull Daytona within one, 5-4.

Following a pitching change and another free pass to fill the bags, C Daniel Vellojín (1-4, 2 RBI, BB) drew yet another four balls to chase home another tally to knot it at five. In all, the ‘Tugas sent 11 men to the plate in the third.

St. Lucie (13-6) briefly snatched the lead back in the home half of the frame on a run-scoring ground out, but it was short-lived.

Four-consecutive walks with one away in the fourth inning — including a bases-loaded free pass to RF Danny Lantigua (0-4, RBI, 2 BB, 3 SO) — quickly tied it at six. A ground out to first off the bat of DH Garrett Wolforth (0-5, 2 RBI, 2 SO) and a single from Vellojín garnered two more runs and enabled Daytona to jump ahead, 8-6.

Triana created a run himself in the sixth. The Cuban-born first baseman stung a triple to right-center and scored on a ground ball to second with the infield in to make it 9-6.

A bombardment of singles from Marrero and Callihan lit the fuse in the seventh. Back-to-back walks to Steiger and Hinds dented the scoreboard once more.

Now up four, Triana sliced a liner to left-center — producing two more RBI — giving the Tortugas a 12-6 advantage. Daytona made it an eight-run affair, as Hinds scored on a wild pitch and Triana was allowed to tap the pentagon on a balk.

St. Lucie accrued three more to their total in the bottom of the eighth. 1B Warren Saunders (3-4, 2 R, 3 RBI) drove in one with a single and LF Cole Kleszcz (1-3, R, 2B, 3 RBI) registered a two-run double, but RHP Stevie Branche (1.2 IP, 2 SO) entered, halting the threat. The 24-year-old induced a double play to end the attack with the ‘Tugas still nursing a svelte edge.

Branche stayed on for the ninth and retired the Mets to seal the victory for Daytona.

Taxed for five runs in the first on a two-run single by Saunders and a double from 3B José Peroza (1-3, 2B, 3 RBI) that brought in three, RHP Carson Spiers (5.0 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 6 ER, BB, 6 SO) remained resilient. The Clemson alum battled through five innings to garner his second victory of the season.

Syndergaard allowed two men to reach in the first on an error and a walk before exiting with an apparent injury. RHP Junior Santos (1.0 IP, 2 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, SO) issued the initial five for the Mets before RHP Sammy Tavárez (1.1 IP, 3 R, 3 ER, 6 BB, 2 SO) struggled with his command and suffered his first defeat.

It will be a matinee on Wednesday with the first pitch in Port St. Lucie scheduled for 12:10 p.m. LHP Evan Kravetz (0-0, 0.79) is expected to toe the slab for the Tortugas in game two of the series. The Mets are projected to counter with RHP Justin Lasko (2-0, 2.40)

After the road trip, the ‘Tugas will return to Jackie Robinson Ballpark for a six-game series against the Clearwater Threshers, Low-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies, on Tuesday, June 1. It will be a Breast Cancer Awareness Night presented by Radiology Associates Imaging, as Daytona players and coaches will don special pink-tinted uniforms to mark the occasion. It will also be a Silver Sluggers Night — the best club in baseball for fans 60-and-over — presented by Conviva Cares Solutions.

Season tickets, 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.