Game Recap: St. Lucie Mets Shock Blue Jays, Steal Game 1 of FSL Finals on the Road

 

Graphic/Photo courtesy of Helene Haessler and St. Lucie Mets via Twitter

Dominguez hits go-ahead home run with Mets down to final out 

DUNEDIN, Fla. (September 18, 2022) – The St. Lucie Mets stunned the Dunedin Blue Jays with a 6-5 comeback win in game 1 of the Florida State League Championship Series on Sunday night at TD Ballpark. (Box Score) 

With the Mets trailing 5-4 and down to their last out of the ninth, Carlos Dominguez launched a go-ahead two-run home run to center field off Blue Jays reliever Trey Cumbie to put the Mets up 6-5. 

Dominguez had been 0 for 4 with two strikeouts and a double play ball going into his final at-bat. He finished the regular season as the FSL home run leader with 20 but had not homered since August 18^th in Lakeland. 

Mets reliever Raimon Gomez (1-0) entered the game with one out in the sixth inning. He retired all 11 batters he faced to end the game. 

The Mets now head home to Clover Park where they can win their first FSL championship since 2006. Game 2 of the best-of-three series is Tuesday at 6:10 p.m. The Blue Jays will be looking to extend the series to a decisive game 3 on Wednesday. 

The Mets got off to a fast start on Sunday when Raul Beracierta hit a two-out, two-run single in the first inning for a 2-0 lead. 

The Blue Jays tied the game in the bottom of the first with a pair of runs against Mets starter Layonel Ovalles. Ovalles walked in a run with the bases loaded then Estiven Machado hit run-scoring ground out to make it 2-2. 

Tanner Murphy hit a two-out RBI single in the third inning to put the Mets up 3-2. 

Cade Doughty hit two-run homer off Ovalles in the bottom of the third to give the Blue Jays a 4-3 lead. 

Dunedin extended its lead to 5-3 on a RBI single by Josh Kasevich in the fourth inning. 

Brad Malm led off the seventh inning with a triple. He was brought home by Kevin Parada's RBI infield single to cut the deficit to 5-4. 

The three Mets pitchers – Ovalles, Felipe De La Cruz and Gomez – limited the Blue Jays to 1 or 7 with runners in scoring position. Mets pitchers have now held batters to 3 for 30 with runners in scoring position in three playoff games.

The next two games of the Series will be at Clover Park in Port St. Lucie.  Game 2, Tuesday Night, 9/20, at 6:10.  If necessary, Game 3 will be Wednesday, also at 6;10.