Game Recap: Pregent homers for first pro hit, Mets fall to Tortugas 6-1

 

Daytona pitchers combine to throw just 86 pitches

 

ST. LUCIE METS PRESS RELEASE: DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (August 2, 2023) – The Daytona Tortugas jumped out to an early lead and cruised to a 6-1 victory over the St. Lucie Mets on Wednesday night at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.

 

Two Daytona pitchers combined to throw just 86 pitches in the win. Starter Jared Lyons only needed 48 pitches over 5.0 innings. He gave up two hits and one run while walking one and striking out one. He earned his first win of the season.

 

Reliever Frainger Aranguren faced the minimum 12 batters over the final 4.0 innings to collect his second save. He struck out three and threw just 38 pitches.

 

The Tortugas scored twice off Mets starter Douglas Orellana in the first inning. Cam Collier lined a sac fly to left and Johnny Ascanio hit a two-out RBI double to make it 2-0.

 

Collier singled home a run in the third and Ascanio followed with a squeeze bunt to bring in another run for a 4-0 lead.

 

Orellana lasted 3.0 innings and took the loss. He scattered five hits, allowed four runs, walked two and struck out three. He threw 79 pitches.

 

Ariel Almonte led off the fourth inning with a home run against reliever Luis A. Rodriguez for a 5-0 lead.

 

The Mets got on the board in the top of the fifth when catcher Christian Pregent opened the frame with a home run off Lyons. It was the first professional hit for Pregent, who was the Mets 10^th round draft pick out of Stetson.

 

Karell Paz followed the homer with a single but he was erased on a double play induced by Lyons. Paz would be the last Mets batter to reach base until Nick Morabito hit an infield single with one out in the ninth. Aranguren responded by getting Diego Mosquera to hit into a game-ending double play.

 

The Mets collected just three hits from Pregent, Paz and Morabito. Wilfredo Lara went 0 for 3 to end his seven-game hitting streak.

 

Reliever Miguel Alfonseca pitched 2.0 scoreless innings to end the night on the mound for the Mets.

 

The Mets (33-64, 9-23) and Tortugas (42-53, 13-17) play the third game of their series at Jackie Robinson Ballpark on Thursday. First pitch is 6:35 p.m.