Tortugas on the Brink After 4-2 Defeat to Open Playoffs
FSL Daytona Tortugas

Tortugas on the Brink After 4-2 Defeat to Open Playoffs

Published on September 10, 2025 under Florida State League (FSL)
Daytona Tortugas News Release


DAYTONA BEACH, Fla - The Daytona Tortugas and St. Lucie Mets hobbled through a game with five errors and five of the six runs scored were unearned, but St. Lucie made enough plays to defeat Daytona 4-2 in game one of the Florida State League playoffs on Wednesday night at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.

In a game that was postponed a day due to rain, St. Lucie (1-0) held Daytona (0-1) to five hits in their first playoff game since 2022, as the Tortugas were unable to come through in front of a crowd of 1,532, the second-largest playoff crowd in Tortugas history.

In the top of the first inning, St. Lucie took advantage of a Daytona miscue to take the lead. With one out, Trey Snyder reached on a two-base throwing error, then stole third. Antonio Jimenez followed with an RBI single to bring in the unearned tally, lifting the Mets to a 1-0 lead.

One inning later, the Mets extended the lead. With one out, Chase Meggers doubled, then an infield hit and a walk loaded the bases. A sacrifice fly by Mitch Voit doubled the lead to 2-0.

In the fourth, St. Lucie doubled the lead once more. Simon Juan singled and Jeremy Rodriguez doubled to put runners on second and third and no outs. Daytona reliever Stephen Quigley struck out the next two, though, and was on the verge of escaping the jam, but two errors were committed on a ground ball, scoring both runners to put the Mets ahead 4-0.

The Tortugas did little against St. Lucie starter Jose Chirinos, who allowed just two hits in his 5.0 innings of work. He was also helped in the fifth, when Snyder made an exceptional diving play in deep center field to save a run and end the inning.

In the sixth, though, Daytona began to chip away. Alfredo Duno reached on an error to begin the inning, went to third on a Tyson Lewis single. A double play then brought Duno home for the first Tortugas run.

One inning later, the Tortugas took advantage of another miscue. Bernard Moon reached on a two-base throwing error to start the inning. After moving to third on a groundout, Alfredo Alcantara singled up the middle to score Moon, trimming the deficit to 4-2.

Daytona reliever Cole Schoenwetter did his part to keep the Tortugas in the game, entering in the fifth and retiring the first seven batters he faced. The right-hander retired 12 out of 13 batters he faced, throwing 4.0 hitless innings with four strikeouts and one walk.

In the eighth, Kien Vu led off with a single, moved to second on a wild pitch, and made it to third on a groundout with one away. However, St. Lucie reliever Tyler McLoughlin owned the rest of the contest, striking out the final two hitters in the eighth, then striking out two more in a 1-2-3 ninth as St. Lucie finished off a 4-2 victory.

The series will shift to St. Lucie for game two of the series on Thursday, September 11. First pitch tomorrow night from Clover Park will be at 6:10 p.m. with pregame coverage with the Voice of the Tortugas, Brennan Mense, on the Tortugas Radio Network beginning at 6:00 p.m.

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Florida State League Stories from September 10, 2025


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