St. Lucie, DeGrom Stave off Daytona, 5-4

July 9, 2022 – Florida State League (FSL) – Daytona Tortugas News Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Two-time National League Cy Young Award winner, Stetson University alum, and DeLand, Fla. native RHP Jacob deGrom stole the show from the outset, striking out six in his second rehab start. Daytona nearly erased a four-run deficit with four-straight two-out hits in the ninth, but the Tortugas fell a run short in a 5-4 loss to the St. Lucie Mets in front of a sellout crowd of 3,379 fans at Jackie Robinson Ballpark on Friday night.

deGrom (3.0 IP, 3 H, 6 SO) chugged through the first inning with a harmless three-up, three-down inning. Daytona’s 3B Austin Callahan (1-4, 2B, 2 SO) made sure he would not get through the second unscathed.

The Fremont, Neb. native powered a towering drive off the four-time All-Star that clanged off the very top of the right-center field wall. Callahan chugged into second with a one-out double but was stranded at third.

In the third inning, after deGrom started the frame with a pair of strikeouts, RF Jack Rogers (2-5, R, HR, 2 RBI) laced a single to right and 2B Steven Leyton (3-5, R, 2B) blooped a knock into shallow center to chase the lead man to third. However, like the inning prior, the eight-year Major Leaguer registered a swinging strikeout to end the inning and his night.

St. Lucie (7-6, 47-31) squirted out to an early lead in support of deGrom in the second. 1B Raúl Beracierta (3-4, 2 R, 2B, HR, 3 RBI, SO) started the inning with a single to left and moved to third on another knock from 3B Justin Guerrera (2-3, RBI, BB, SO). After the latter stole second, 2B Warren Saunders (0-3, RBI) hit a tapper to third. The infielder’s only play was to first, enabling Beracierta to score to put the Mets up 1-0.

Beracierta would help create more damage in the third. CF Omar De Los Santos (0-4, R, 2 SO) was drilled with one out and motored over to third base on a soft single to center from SS Junior Tilien (1-5, R, 2 SO). Following a strikeout, Beracierta hit a worm burner past the diving first baseman and all the way to the right-field wall. Both baserunners crossed on the double, stretching St. Lucie’s cushion to 3-0.

After deGrom departed to start the fourth, DH Michel Triana (1-5, R, HR, RBI, 3 SO) launched a high arcing shot down the right-field line. The 22-year-old’s blast left the ballpark and bounced into the auxiliary parking lot for a solo home run – his fifth of the year – to draw Daytona (4-9, 33-45) within two, 3-1.

The Mets…