ST. LUCE -The Fort Myers Miracle fell 8-7 in rain-shortened five inning game to the St. Lucie Mets Friday night at Digital Domain Park.
The Miracle held a 7-4 lead entering the bottom of the fifth inning with a steady rain falling. Mets shortstop T.J. Rivera reached on a throwing error from Daniel Santana, Alan Dykstra earned a walk and Cory Vaughn reached on a fielder's choice to put runners on the corners with one out.
Miracle reliever Miguel Munoz was then taken deep by Rafael Fernandez on a 1-1 pitch. Fernandez's home run tied the game 7-7. The next batter, Blake Forsythe, worked the count full on Munoz (1-5) before hitting a home run over the right field wall to give the Mets an 8-7 lead.
Fort Myers would get the final two outs, but then the tarp would go on the field and play would not be resumed.
The Miracle jumped out to a pair of early leads in the game, only to blow both over the course of the game. In the first inning, Danny Ortiz picked up an RBI on a one-out triple. Kyle Knudson would drive in Ortiz with a single up the middle to give the Miracle a 2-0 lead.
St. Lucie answered with three runs in the bottom of the first including a two-run homer from Cory Vaughn off Miracle starter Marty Popham.
Fort Myers returned in the top of the second with a two-out rally to regain the lead off of Mets starter Chase Huchingson. Angel Morales was issued a walk and Santana was struck by a pitch before Levi Michael delivered a RBI single to tie the game 3-3.
Ortiz was also hit by a pitch to load the bases and that brought up Josmil Pinto. Working the count full on Huchingson, Pinto blasted a grand slam way over the fence in left to push Fort Myers to a 7-3 advantage. The homer was Pinto's sixth of the season and he now leads the active roster with 30 runs driven in.
Taylor Whitenton earned the win to improve to 5-2 after recording just one out; a strikeout of Angel Morales to end the top of the fifth.
