Mets Mangle Tortugas in Series Opener, 4-0

July 4, 2022 – Florida State League (FSL) – Daytona Tortugas News Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – RHP Chase Petty matched a career-best in strikeouts, while RHP Owen Holt set a new career-high in the same category. However, St. Lucie posted crooked numbers in the fourth and ninth, as the Mets shut out the Daytona Tortugas, 4-0, in front of 2,475 fans at Jackie Robinson Ballpark on Monday night.

Scoreless through three innings, St. Lucie (5-5, 45-30) jumped ahead in the top of the fourth. 3B William Lugo (0-4, R, BB, 2 SO) walked to start the inning and advanced to third when SS Junior Tilien (1-3, R, 2B, BB, SO) doubled into left-center field.

After a strikeout, 2B Justin Guerrera (1-3, RBI, BB, SO) poked a single into center to score Lugo and give the Mets a 1-0 advantage. 1B Jack-Thomas Wold (2-4, RBI, 2 SO) promptly powered an RBI single of his own into right, stretching St. Lucie’s lead to 2-0.

In the ninth, the Mets put their final touches on a victory. Following a one-out single to left from DH Raúl Beracierta (1-4, R, 3 SO), C Fernando Villalobos (2-3, R, HR, 2 RBI, BB) launched a drive into the auxiliary parking lot beyond the right-field wall. The 20-year-old’s second home run of the season doubled St. Lucie’s edge to 4-0.

Daytona (3-7, 32-43) advanced a runner to third in four separate innings but could not bring them home.

3B Michel Triana (0-2, 2 BB, SO) walked in the second, moved to second on a wild pitch, and took third on a ground out before a strikeout ended the inning. The Tortugas put their first two hitters aboard on a walk and an error in the third, but a double play and a strikeout quelled the threat.

DH Austin Callahan (1-4) started Daytona’s fifth with a single and moved over to third on a balk and a wild pitch, but a strikeout kept him stranded. In the eighth, DH Michael Trautwein (1-2, BB, SO) started the frame with a single and SS Ilvin Fernández (0-2, BB, SO) walked before a punchout and a pair of flyouts ended the attack.

Despite matching a career-best with six strikeouts, Petty (4.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 SO) was saddled with his third defeat of the year for Daytona. Holt (3.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 6 SO) tallied a career-high with six whiffs of his own out of the bullpen.

RHP Tony Dibrell (1.2 IP, BB, 3 SO) was removed due to pitch count in the second inning in a minor league rehab start for the Mets, taking a no-decision. RHP Jeffrey Colón (5.1 IP, 2 H, BB, 8 SO) punched a career-best eight over 5.1 innings of…