Miracle, Erickson hold on tight in 6-5 win over Reds
May 11, 2009 - Florida State League (FSL1)
Fort Myers Mighty Mussels News Release
FORT MYERS -- The Sarasota Reds demonstrated why no lead is ever safe in baseball as a six-run Miracle lead evaporated to one in the last two innings. However, Blair Erickson held on to save his third straight, and the Fort Myers Miracle secured a 6-5 win in the series' opening game.
The Miracle (20-10) entered the eighth inning with a 6-0 lead thanks to a four-run second. All four runs were scored with two down, starting with Chris Cates' bases-loaded two-RBI single. Chris Parmelee took Rafael Gonzalez deep and gone to right field to lead off the third. It was Parmelee's second homer at Hammond Stadium and fifth of the season. He finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored.
Henry Arias took the ball in the eighth inning and allowed four runs -- two on a wild pitch and throwing error by catcher Jair Fernandez and one on a mammoth blast to left from Neftali Soto --- before he gave way to Santos Arias. Santos allowed a hit before inducing a double player to escape the inning.
Against Miracle closer Blair Erickson in the ninth, the Reds (11-19) got a run on a sacrifice fly and sent the go-ahead run to the plate before Erickson blew Alex Buchholz away on three pitches to end the game.
Carlos Gutierrez (2-1) won his second straight with a line of six innings, three hits, no runs, three walks, and three strikeouts. Steve Hirschfeld threw a scoreless seventh before Henry Arias logged one-third of an inning with two hits, four runs, and two walks. Santos Arias recorded two outs and one hit, while Erickson surrendered three hits, one run, and struck out two.
Matt Klinker (0-1) took the loss after recording a win in his last outing, a Double-A spot start. Klinker lasted two innings and gave up four runs, while Rafael Gonzalez was touched for five hits, two runs, and one walk with one strikeout in two innings. Joseph Krebs, Justin Freeman, and Logan Ondrusek combined for the final four innings of one- hit, scoreless relief.
The Miracle now have a three-game lead in the FSL South after Charlotte's loss on Monday night.
Travis Webb (1-2, 4.62) and Deolis Guerra (2-2, 5.40) will start for their clubs in Tuesday's 7:05 p.m. contest at Hammond Stadium.
Florida State League Stories from May 11, 2009
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