St. Lucie snaps 8-game losing streak
TAMPA, Fla. (September 3, 2023) – The St. Lucie Mets finished the road portion of their 2023 season with a 7-4 victory over the Tampa Tarpons on Sunday afternoon at Steinbrenner Field. The victory also snapped an eight-game losing streak (Box Score).
The Mets took advantage of some shoddy Tarpons pitching early in the game by scoring three runs in the third inning and three more in the fourth inning to build a 6-1 lead. Only one of the runs came on a hit.
Jose Hernandez went 3 for 4 with a triple, double, single, hit-by-pitch and three runs scored from the nine spot. He also stole a base.
Starting pitcher Ernesto Mercedes allowed just one unearned run over 5.0 innings. He scattered three singles, did not walk a batter and struck out five to earn his first win.
Mets reliever Ramon Henriquez pitched the final 2.2 innings scoreless to pick up his first save. He stranded the bases loaded to end the game.
The Mets run scoring started in the third inning when Hernandez clubbed a double and advanced to third on a ground out. Nick Morabito then drew a walk and stole second base. Ronald Hernandez lofted a sac fly to make it 1-0. Wilfredo Lara followed with a RBI double for a 2-0 lead. Later in the inning Karell Paz was plunked by Alex Bustamante with the bases loaded to force home Lara for a 3-0 lead.
Ronald Hernandez drew a bases loaded walk in the fourth inning to make it 4-1. Nolan McLean hit a sac fly for a 5-1 lead and Morabito scored from third base on a wild pitch by Montana Semmel to make it 6-1.
The Tarpons scored the next three runs to make it 6-4. George Lombard, Jr. doubled and scored on a Jean Calderon wild pitch in the sixth. Lombard, Jr. hit a two-run single in the seventh to make to cut the Tampa deficit to 6-4.
Henriquez entered the game and quickly recorded two fly outs to end the seventh.
The Mets added an insurance run in the eighth. Jose Hernandez led off with a single and Morabito doubled Hernandez home for a 7-4 lead.
Henriquez stranded runners at second and third in the bottom of the eighth by getting Daury Arias to ground out to first base.
Henriquez plunked the leadoff hitter in the bottom of the ninth and Lombard, Jr. followed with his fourth hit of the game to immediately bring the tying run to the play. Henriquez buckled down to strike out Josh Moylan and Jackson Castillo. Omar Martinez drew a walk to load the bases.
Henriquez recovered to get Brenny Escanio to line out to Morabito in center field to end the game.
The Mets (41-82, 17-41) are off on Monday. They start their final series of the year on Tuesday at home against the Daytona Tortugas. First pitch from Clover Park on Tuesday is set for 6:10 p.m.
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