Both teams held to just three hits in twice-delayed series finale
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla—The Daytona Tortugas held the St. Lucie Mets to just three hits, but the Mets maximized their offense as the Tortugas suffered a 3-0 defeat in the series finale at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.
St. Lucie (9-5, 43-36) took the series as Daytona (8-6, 37-43) was also held to three hits and suffered their second shutout loss of the season.
After an 18-minute delay to begin the game, St. Lucie took the lead with a two-out rally in the top of the first. Back-to-back walks brought Trace Wilhoite to the plate, who drove in both men with a two-run triple to left, putting the Mets in front 2-0.
Daytona went down in order in each of the first two frames, but came to life in the third, as Luis Reyes doubled to lead off the inning, then moved to third on an Iverson Espinoza single. However, St. Lucie pitcher Daviel Hurtado struck out the next three, stranding runners on the corners.
A brief deluge then halted place once more, as the teams paused for a 19-minute delay in the top of the fourth. Once play resumed, Jacob Edwards took the hill for Daytona and retired all six batters he faced over 2.0 scoreless innings. Edgar Colon followed with a 1-2-3 sixth.
In the bottom of the sixth, Daytona threatened once more, this time against reliever Jose Chirinos. Luis Leones was hit to begin the inning before Alfredo Duno walked. On ball four, though, Leones was running and overslid the bag at second, committing the first out. That out proved to be costly, as two more men walked to load the bases, but Chirinos recorded a pair of strikeouts, as Daytona left the bases and failed to score despite four runners reaching base.
Colon threw a scoreless seventh and began the eighth with a groundout, but Yonatan Henriquez cracked a 384-foot home run to right, stretching the St. Lucie lead to 3-0.
Neither team threatened to score after that point, as the Tortugas couldn’t find the offense in a 3-0 setback to end the series.
Daytona will have Monday off before beginning a six-game series against the Jupiter Hammerheads on Tuesday evening at Jackie Robinson Ballpark. Tuesday will be a Taco Tuesday and Breast Cancer Awareness Night. First pitch will be at 6:35 p.m. Gates will open at 5:30, while pregame coverage with the Voice of the Tortugas, Brennan Mense, will begin on the Tortugas Radio Network and MiLB.tv at 6:20 p.m.
Tickets for every Tortugas home game are available on our website, by calling 386-257-3172, or by visiting the Jackie Robinson Ballpark box office at 110 E. Orange Avenue.
ABOUT THE DAYTONA TORTUGAS
The Daytona Tortugas are in their tenth season as the Single-A Affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds and a member of Minor League Baseball’s Florida State League. The Tortugas play at historic Jackie Robinson Ballpark in Daytona Beach, Florida that was recently designated a National Commemorative Site. Jackie Robinson Ballpark also plays host to Bethune-Cookman University, the Jackie Robinson Ballpark Museum, and many community events and initiatives of all sizes throughout the year.
