Six-Run Inning Propels Mets to 6-3 Win over Lakeland
May 29, 2015 - Florida State League (FSL1)
St. Lucie Mets News Release
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (May 29, 2015) - One big inning was enough to lift the St. Lucie Mets past the Lakeland Flying Tigers on Friday at Tradition Field.
With two outs and the bases empty in the third, the Mets broke out for six runs on six hits and a walk on their way to a 6-3 victory over the Flying Tigers.
Kevin McGowan won his third straight start. He allowed one unearned run in 5.1 innings.
Akeel Morris pitched for the first time since Sunday and got the six-out save, his eighth of the year. Morris struck out three and got Jiwan James to ground out as the tying run to end the game.
The Mets and Flying Tigers split the four-game series.
All appeared to be going well for Flying Tigers starter Kevin Ziomek in the third. He struck out Phil Evans and got a ground out from Jeff Glenn to begin the frame. It went down hill from there.
Champ Stuart and Jeff McNeil hit back-to-back singles, then Miakis De La Cruz walked to load the bases. After falling behind 0-2, Matt Oberste worked the count back to even and ripped a three-run double to put the Mets up 3-2.
Dominic Smith doubled to plate Oberste to make it 4-2. It was the 10th double in 13 games for Smith. He extended his hitting streak to 11 games.
Amed Rosario singled to bring home Smith for a 5-2 lead. Rosario advanced to second as the throw back to the infield was mishandled by Tyler Hanover.
Stefan Sabol, promoted from Savannah to fill the void left by Michael Conforto, socked an RBI single to center to score Rosario and make it 6-2.
Sabol ended up going 2 for 3 with an RBI, two singles and a walk in his St. Lucie debut.
Conforto, the two-time FSL Player of the Week, was promoted to Double-A Binghamton earlier in the day.
The Flying Tigers scored two of their runs in the top of the third. The first run was unearned, as Champ Stuart turned Hanover's routine single into a run when he misplayed the ball in center field and it rolled all the way to the wall allowing Hanover to score.
The other unearned run against McGowan came in the fifth when a passed ball got away from Glenn allowing David Gonzalez to score from third.
McGowan was lifted in the sixth after getting Francisco Martinez to fly out to Sabol in left on his 95th pitch.
Mike Hepple took over and tossed 1.2 scoreless innings before turning the game over to Morris in the eighth and ninth.
Jeff McNeil collected two more hits to improve his FSL-leading average to .355.
Ziomek was charged with the loss. He gave up six runs, five earned, and seven hits in 2.2 innings.
The Mets (23-25) continue their seven-game home stand on Saturday when they welcome the Fort Myers Miracle (24-24) to Tradition Field. First pitch is 6:30 p.m.
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