Game Recap: St. Lucie Mets Clip Cardinals 7-6, Williams Reaches Base 5 times

Doubleheader scheduled for Friday at noon

 

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (July 20, 2023) – The St. Lucie Mets edged out the Palm Beach Cardinals 7-6 in game 1 of a doubleheader on Thursday at Clover Park. Due to rain in the area, game 2 did not begin. The teams will now play a doubleheader on Friday starting at noon to get the series on track.

 

In Thursday's victory, the Mets pounded out three home runs and leadoff hitter Jett Williams reached base five times on a triple and four walks. Williams also stole two bases.

 

The Mets jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning on a solo home run by Jose Hernandez off Benjamin Arias. It was Hernandez's fourth homer of the year.

 

A two hour and one minute rain delay halted the game in the bottom of the second inning. When play resumed, the Cardinals scored two runs to take the lead. Javier Bolivar drew a bases loaded walk and Chris Rotondo followed with a RBI single against Joe Joe Rodriguez to put the Cardinals up 2-1.

 

Wilfredo Lara tied the game 2-2 with a two-out RBI single in the third inning.

 

Carlos Dominguez ripped a two-run double with the bases loaded in the fourth inning to put the Mets up 4-2. Jefrey De Los Santos hit an opposite field two-run homer in the fifth inning to increase the lead to 6-2.

 

Michael Curialle hit a two-run home in the bottom of the fifth to cut the Mets lead to 6-4.

 

Jacob Reimer launched a leadoff homer in the sixth inning to put the Mets back up by three, 7-4.

 

Lizandro Espinoza hit a solo homer in the bottom of the sixth to make it 7-5.

 

A sac fly by Curialle for the second out of the seventh brought the Cardinals within a run. Mets reliever Luis A. Rodriguez then retired Joshua Baez on a fly out to center field to end the game. Rodriguez earned his second save.

 

Joe Joe Rodriguez got the win. After giving up the RBI single to Rotondo he retired the final five batters he faced.

 

Ramon Henriquez chipped in with two innings of relief, allowing two runs on the Curialle homer.

 

Sam Coonrod (lat strain) made a second MLB rehab start for the Mets. He pitched a scoreless first inning with a walk and two strikeouts.