Gimenez, Dunn Have Career Games in 6-2 Victory
June 4, 2018 - Florida State League (FSL1)
St. Lucie Mets News Release
TAMPA, Fla. - Two of the New York Mets top three prospects put together career games to lead the St. Lucie Mets to a 6-2 extra innings win over the Tampa Tarpons on Monday at Steinbrenner Field.
Top prospect Andres Gimenez enjoyed his first career multi-homer game. He broke a 1-1 tie in the 10th inning with a three-run home run off of lefty reliever Trevor Lane.
Gimenez also provided the Mets with their only run through the first nine innings, a solo homer in the eighth that briefly put St. Lucie up 1-0.
Mets starter Justin Dunn, New York's No. 3 prospect, pitched his best game as a pro. He set a career high in innings pitched with seven and a career high in strikeouts with 10. Dunn faced the minimum through the first five innings. He walked one, allowed just two singles and threw 93 pitches.
Dunn struck out four Tarpons in a row two different times.
Dunn was poised to get a win until Mandy Alvarez hit a leadoff home run in the bottom of the eighth inning against Ezequiel Zabaleta to tie the game 1-1.
Zabaleta was added from extended spring training earlier in the day and was making his St. Lucie and season debut. The Colombia native settled down to force extra innings, and he retired the Tarpons in order in the bottom of the 10th to get the win.
Zabaleta allowed three hits and one earned run in his three innings of work.
After scoring just three runs over their previous 31 innings, the Mets broke out for five runs in the top of the 10th. Not only did Gimenez hit a three-run homer, Desmond Lindsay added a RBI triple and J.J. Franco hit a RBI sac fly.
Mike Paez and Anthony Dimino laced doubles in the inning.
Paez went 3 for 4.
The Mets (23-28) and Tarpons (29-28) play the second game of their series at Steinbrenner Field on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.
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