Johnny be good as Miracle lose 6-2
August 31, 2006 - Florida State League (FSL1)
Fort Myers Mighty Mussels News Release
FORT MYERS, FL (August 31, 2006) - The Fort Myers Miracle weren't scheduled to face Sarasota Reds starter Johnny Cueto on Thursday night at Hammond Stadium. Cueto's scheduled start was Wednesday, but the Reds instead waited to throw him on Thursday and the Miracle wished they hadn't. He shut down the Miracle for 7.0 innings and the Miracle lost 6-2 to the Reds. If the Tampa Yankees lost on Thursday the Miracle magic number is down to two, if not it stays at three and their lead in the Western Division is down to 0.5 game (the Yankees and Tigers were tied at three in the ninth at the time of this story).
Cueto had given up just one run in his last 23 innings and stifled the Miracle over 7.0 innings. The only threat the Miracle had against Cueto came in the fifth. Deacon Burns led off with a double down the first base line. With one out Erold Andrus struck out, but the ball skipped away from catcher Kris Kroski, allowing Burns to take third and Andrus to reach first. Korey Feiner, however, grounded into a double play to end the inning. Cueto went 7.0 shutout innings allowing four hits while striking out seven.
The Reds scored two runs in the third off of Miracle starter Oswaldo Sosa. Sosa walked Marland Williams and Cody Strait to lead off the inning. Tonys Gutierrez' single scored Williams to make it 1-0. Jay Garthwaite's fly out to center advanced Strait to third who then scored on Jeremiah Piepkorn's sac fly to make it 2-0.
That's the way they game stayed until the eighth. With one out Gutierrez singled to left off of Sosa. Garthwaite then hit a grounder to short. Trevor Plouffe flipped the ball to J.R. Taylor covering second, but he dropped the ball and everyone was safe on the error. Sosa left for J.P. Martinez. He gave up an RBI single to Piepkorn and a two run single to Travis Lawhorn which made it 5-0. Sosa went 7.1 innings allowing four runs (three earned) on four hits while walking two and striking out five.
The Miracle finally connected in the eighth when Andrus led off the inning with a solo homer to right, his fifth of the season and second in as many nights to make it 5-1. With one out Taylor and Brandon Roberts had back-to-back singles. Plouffe's grounder was mishandled by second baseman Hector Tiburcio, allowing Taylor to score and make it 5-2. David Winfree, however, grounded into a double play to end the inning.
The same two teams meet Friday evening at Hammond Stadium at 7:05 p.m. The Miracle send LHP Kyle Aselton (9-4, 3.39) to the hill against Reds RHP Justin Mallett (2-2, 3.51). The game can be heard live on Sports Radio 770 ESPN. It is Fan Appreciation Night with a post game fireworks show presented by Sun Harvest Citrus.
Florida State League Stories from August 31, 2006
- Johnny be good as Miracle lose 6-2 - Fort Myers Mighty Mussels
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