FSL1 Charlotte Stone Crabs

'Crabs Come Up Short

July 9, 2015 - Florida State League (FSL1)
Charlotte Stone Crabs News Release


PORT ST. LUCIE, FL (July 8, 2015) - In a series of missed opportunities over the last two nights, the difference was the Stone Crabs execution in the later innings. On Tuesday night, a run in the eighth and ninth broke a 3-3 tie and gave the 'Crabs a well-deserved win in game one. But after hammering out seven hits in the first four innings off Casey Meisner, they only picked up one more single the rest of the way. And after leaving the go-ahead run at second base in each of the last three innings, the Mets finally pounced and got a game-winning single from Jairo Perez in the ninth to snap a four game losing streak.

With Casey Meisner on the mound for his third start with St. Lucie, the Texan got pummeled early. He walked Marty Gantt to start the ballgame and let Kean Wong get on with a single. Two batters later, Mike Marjama just missed a home run with a bullet of a double right beneath the left field foul pole for his 26th run batted in and a 1-0 lead. Perhaps it was a sign of things to come because Jace Conrad and Pat Blair couldn't get the ball out of the infield and left runners at second and third.

The Mets came right back against Buddy Borden in the bottom of the inning with a one out single from Jeff McNeil. With two outs, June's FSL Player of the Month, Dominic Smith, got a hold of an 0-1 pitch and drilled it the opposite way over the wall in left center to put the Mets on top 2-1. Despite the first baseman's first home run in exactly a month, the Mets were awfully quiet after that and only had three base hits before the ninth inning.

Pat Blair opened the fourth with a grounds rule double that bounced once over the wall in left center to put the tying run in scoring position. Yoel Araujo then picked up his second hit with a one out bunt single up the grass at third to put runners at the corners for Braxton Lee. After a single in the second, Lee tied the game with a sacrifice fly to center for his 15th run batted in.

Smith's home run in the first did little to deter Borden, who hit cruise control and retired 10 straight starting with one out in the fifth as he pitched beyond the seventh for the first time in his professional career. An infield single by Champ Stuart with two outs in the eighth spelled the end for Borden, who allowed just five hits across seven and two thirds while striking out six. Helping the righthander along was catcher Armando Araiza, who threw out all three Mets base stealers, including the dangerous Stuart, who was caught at second in the third and eighth.

Lee led off the seventh with a single, moving to second on a walk to Wong with one out. Mike Hepple came in from the Mets bullpen and continued his strong numbers against the 'Crabs by getting Adames to ground into an inning-ending double play. Hepple hurt himself in the eighth when he hit Jace Conrad with one out, following the mistake with a walk to Pat Blair. A double steal resulted in Conrad in getting thrown out at third for the second out, and Araiza struck out to retire the side. In the ninth, Gantt drew a leadoff walk against Kyle Regnault before swiping second for his sixth steal of the season. Once again, a strikeout ended the threat as Wong swung through a 3-2 pitch for the final out.

After getting the final out in the eighth, Edwin Fierro came out for his first full inning in the ninth in his Stone Crabs debut. The Mets got a perfect start when McNeil laced a leadoff double into the gap in left center. Matt Oberste grounded out to third, and Smith was intentionally walked to set up a force at any base and a possible inning-ending double play. On a 1-0 pitch, Perez sent everyone home with a game-winning single into left as Gantt bounced the throw over home plate.

The teams reconvene on Thursday night at 6:30 PM in the deciding game of the series. You can follow all the action by listening to the game on www.stonecrabsbaseball.com via TuneIn Radio, or tuning into 91.7 FM-WVIJ in the Port Charlotte area. The Stone Crabs Pregame Show starts at 6:10 PM on the Stone Crabs Radio Network!

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Florida State League Stories from July 9, 2015


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