Miracle Throw Game Away Lose 5-4 in 10
June 10, 2006 - Florida State League (FSL1)
Fort Myers Mighty Mussels News Release
LAKELAND, FL - The Fort Myers Miracle worked so hard on Saturday night to come back from a 4-0 deficit against the third best pitcher in the Florida State League. They managed to force extra innings only to have an errant pick off attempt cost them the game in the 10th as they lost for the third straight time to the Lakeland Tigers, 5-4 at Joker Marchant Stadium.
In the 10th inning Miracle reliever J.P. Martinez walked the lead off man Clete Thomas. He went to second on a balk and Martinez intentionally walked Jeff Larish. He got Garth McKinney to foul out for the first out of the inning. Martinez then tried to pick off Thomas at second, but threw the ball into center field. Centerfielder Justin Arneson, charging hard, overran the ball and that allowed Thomas to score all the way from second for the winning run. The Miracle are now 1-4 in extra inning ball games.
The Miracle, who fell to 34-28, fell behind 4-0 after two innings when Anthony Swarzak was roughed up in the second. He walked Jeff frazier and then gave up a two run homer to Nick McIntyre, his third of the season. Brent Dlugach then doubled and stole third. Chris Robinson followed with a sac fly to make it 3-0. Gilberto Mejia followed with a double, moved to third on an infield single by Thomas and then scored on a balk by Swarzak.
The Miracle were stifled by Tiger starter Jair Jurrjens, who entered play 5-0, 2.01, third best ERA in the FSL. They managed just two hits off of him through six innings, but finally got to him in the seventh. With one out Brock Peterson extended his hitting streak to nine games by blasting a solo shot over the left-center field wall, his sixth of the season, to make it 4-1. Kyle Geiger then doubled and with two outs Deacon Burns drove him home with a single which forced Jurrjens out of the game. Jeff Hahn relieved Jurrjens and walked Korey Feiner and hit Arneson to load the bases. Trevor Plouffe then hit a high chopper off the plate which Hahn tried to bare hand, but dropped for an error and that allowed Burns to score which made it 4-3. Matt Tolbert grounded out to end the inning.
The Miracle tied it in the ninth off of Jeff Bonine. Burns led off with a single to left and was balked to second. Pinch hitter Jeremy Pickrel advanced Burns to third on a ground out and Arneson followed with a walk. Plouffe then struck out, but on the first pitch Tolbert saw he lined a single into left-center which scored Burns to tie the game. After Garrett Guzman walked to load the bases, Peterson grounded out to third to end the inning.
The Miracle fell to 0-20 when trailing after seven innings and have now lost seven of nine to the Tigers who trail them by just a half a game. The Miracle would remain tied with the Blue Jays for first if they lost on Saturday evening (they were trailing 8-2 in the ninth at the time of this story) with eight games to play.
The Miracle now head to Bright House Networks Field to take on the Clearwater Threshers in a three game series beginning Sunday at 1:05 p.m. The Miracle send RHP Kevin Slowey (3-1, 1.19) to the hill.
Florida State League Stories from June 10, 2006
- Miracle Throw Game Away Lose 5-4 in 10 - Fort Myers Mighty Mussels
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