Game Recap: Tortugas Come Back in 9th, Beat St. Lucie Mets 5-4

St. Lucie Mets Via X/Twitter

St. Lucie winning streak snapped at 4 games

 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (April 24, 2024) – The Daytona Tortugas rallied in the ninth inning for a 5-4 win over the St. Lucie Mets on Wednesday night at Jackie Robinson Ballpark (Box Score).

 

The Mets took a 4-3 lead to the bottom of the ninth. With one out, pinch hitter Connor Burns worked a walk on an impressive 12-pitch at bat against Ryan Ammons. Malvin Valdez followed with another walk to put two runners on.

 

Ricardo Cabrera then belted a double into right-center field. Burns scored to tie the game 4-4. Valdez tried to score from first base on the play but was thrown out at the plate on a relay throw. Mets catcher Vincent Perozo then tried to throw out Cabrera running to third base. The ball sailed over third baseman Jesus Baez and Cabrera scored on the error for the winning run.

 

The loss spoiled a great comeback effort by the Mets, who trailed 3-0 after two innings. Jefrey De Los Santos tied the game 3-3 on a two-out RBI single in the seventh inning. Perozo belted a RBI double with one out in the eighth to put the Mets up 4-3. However, with one out and runners at second and third the Mets could not add to their lead as Dylan Simmons struck out consecutive hitters to keep it a one-run deficit for Daytona.

 

The Tortugas jumped out to an early lead when Alfredo Duno and Ariel Almonte hit back-to-back solo home runs in the second inning off Mets starter Wyatt Hudepohl. Those were the first home runs allowed by the Mets since April 7^th. Yassel Pino added a RBI double in the inning for a 3-0 advantage.

 

Hudepohl settled down and pitched 5.0 solid innings in a no-decision. He scattered six hits, walked three and struck out six.

 

Layonel Ovalles pitched 2.0 hitless innings behind Hudepohl. As the Mets built their comeback, Daytona was held without a hit from two outs in the third until Cabrera's double in the ninth.

 

Colin Houck went 1 for 2 with a single and three walks. Nick Morabito was 1 for 2 with a single and two walks.

 

Perozo went 2 for 4 with a pair of doubles. Chris Suero hit his third double in two games.

 

The Mets (8-9) and Tortugas (9-8) play the third game of their series at Jackie Robinson Ballpark on Thursday. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.