Mets Edge Cardinals 6-5 in Exciting Opener
Published on April 3, 2014 under Florida State League (FSL1)
St. Lucie Mets News Release
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (April 3, 2014) - The St. Lucie Mets held on to beat the Palm Beach Cardinals 6-5 in the season opener at Tradition Field on Thursday.
T.J. Rivera broke a 2-2 tie in the fifth with a grand slam that put the Mets ahead for good. The Cardinals answered with three runs in the sixth, but Randy Fontanez pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth while Beck Wheeler closed out the game in the ninth.
Gabriel Ynoa earned the win in his first Florida State League start. He scattered eight hits and allowed three runs, two earned, in 5 1/3 innings.
Michael Mayers took the loss for the Cardinals.
Palm Beach jumped out to a 2-0 lead on an RBI sac fly from Jacob Wilson in the first and an RBI single by Starlin Rodriguez in the third.
Mayers was cruising along until Brandon Nimmo and Rivera greeted him with back-to-back doubles in the fourth to make it 2-1. Jairo Perez tied the game with a two-out single later in the frame.
The Mets did their damage in the fifth. Mayers walked Maikis De La Cruz, gave up a single to Eudy Pina and walked Nimmo to load the bases. Corey Baker came on in relief and gave up a grand slam to Rivera on his second pitch.
The Cardinals rallied with three runs in the sixth and had a chance to tie it in the ninth, but a leaping catch at the wall by De La Cruz in left robbed Anthony Garcia of an RBI extra base hit. Wheeler later struck out Casey Rasmus to end the game.
Rivera finished 3 for 4 with five runs driven in. Nimmo collected two hits, a walk and two runs scored in his FSL debut.
The Mets return to action at Tradition Field against the Cardinals on Friday at 6:30 p.m. Fans who bring two canned good items will receive a free ticket to the game. All proceeds go to the Treasure Coast Food Bank. The evening will end with a postgame fireworks show.
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