Flying Tigers stun Mets with walk-off 9-8 win

LAKELAND, Fla. (July 8, 2023) – The St. Lucie Mets suffered a bullpen implosion with two outs in the ninth inning in a stunning 9-8 defeat against the Lakeland Flying Tigers on Saturday at Joker Marchant Stadium.

The Mets were up 8-6 entering the bottom of the ninth and reliever Elliot Johnstone quickly struck out the leadoff hitter and retired the next batter on a ground out.

An out away from a win, trouble started when Johnstone walked Daniel Cabrera to bring up Andrew Jenkins as the tying run. Johnstone fell behind Jenkins and Jenkins knocked a single up the middle. Cabrera scored on an error in center field by Jefrey De Los Santos to make it 8-7.

Bailey Reid replaced Johnstone on the mound looking for the last out. Seth Stephenson pinch ran for Jenkins and promptly stole second base. Reid threw a wild pitch that advanced Stephenson to third base. With a full count pitch to Jose De La Cruz, Reid threw another wild pitch that scored Stephenson to tie the game 8-8 and sent De La Cruz to first on a walk.

Reid then walked Manuel Sequera and plunked Abel Bastidas to load the bases.

Luke Bartnicki relieved Reid and walked Archer Brookman on the eighth pitch of the at-bat to force home De La Cruz as the winning run.

It was the ninth straight win for Lakeland and the fifth straight loss for St. Lucie.

All told in the bottom of the ninth, three Mets pitchers issued four walks, hit a batter and a threw two wild pitches – all with two outs.

The loss spoiled a great comeback effort by the Mets. They trailed 5-1 in the fifth inning but came back to tie the game when Dyron Campos hit a two-run single in the frame that made it 5-5.

Yeral Martinez tied the game 6-6 with leadoff home run in the sixth inning. Jett Williams blasted a RBI triple later in the inning to put the Mets up 7-6.

Johnstone pitched brilliantly in the middle and late innings, at one point retiring 10 of 11 batters. He fell one out shy of 4.2 scoreless innings to polish off a win. Instead he was charged with two runs on two hits over 4.1 innings.

Reid took the loss. He did not get an out while giving up one run on two walks.

De Los Santos led the Mets with two hits and double at the plate.

Jacob Reimer (hamstring) returned from the IL and went 1 for 3 with a double, walk, hit-by-pitch, and two RBI.

The Mets (3-10, 27-51) and Flying Tigers (9-5, 35-44) conclude their six-game series at Joker Marchant Stadium on Sunday. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.