Game Recap: P.B. Cardinals Shock St. Lucie Mets with Huge 9th Inning Rally

Palm Beach scores 5 runs in final inning for 8-7 win 

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (July 31, 2022) – The Palm Beach Cardinals pulled off a shocking 8-7 comeback win against the St. Lucie Mets on Sunday afternoon at Clover Park. (Box Score)

Trailing 7-3 with one out in the ninth inning, the Cardinals scored five times against Mets reliever Michael Krauza to take the lead. 

RJ Yeager got the rally started with a two-run homer that made it 7-5. After Krauza got the second out of the inning, Chris Rotondo kept the game going with a single. That brought up Darlin Moquette, who rocketed a home run to left field to tie the game 7-7. The next batter Thomas Francisco took Krauza deep to right field with a homer off the foul pole to put the Cardinals ahead 8-7. 

Cardinals reliever Andrew Marrero worked around a leadoff walk in the bottom of the ninth and retired the next three batters to end the game. 

The Mets had a chance to extend their 7-3 lead in the bottom of the eighth with runners on second and third and no outs, but Nelfi Contreras recorded two strikeouts and a pop out to keep the Cardinals within striking distance. He got the win. 

Palm Beach led 3-0 through three innings. The Mets scored three times in the fourth inning to tie the game 3-3. Omar De Los Santos hit a tying two-run single. 

The Mets plated four runs in the bottom of the fourth to jump ahead 7-3. Tanner Murphy walked with the bases loaded to put the Mets up 4-3. William Lugo was hit by a pitch to force home another run. Junior Tilien followed with a two-run single. 

The Mets reloaded the bases with one out in the fourth but did not score again. 

Mets starter Jeffrey Colon pitched five solid innings, scattering five hits and allowing three runs. He struck out six. 

Miguel Alfonseca pitched two scoreless innings and Jace Beck struck out three in a scoreless eighth. 

Tilien and De Los Santos had two hits apiece. 

The Mets (55-40, 15-15) are off on Monday. They start another home stand at Clover Park on Tuesday against the Daytona Tortugas. First pitch on Tuesday is 6:10 p.m.