Marauders Win Thriller 8-7 on Walk-Off vs. Mets

May 10, 2024 – Florida State League (FSL)
St. Lucie Mets News Release

BRADENTON, Fla. – The Bradenton Marauders tallied another walk-off win against the St. Lucie Mets, 8-7, on Friday night at LECOM Park.

Bradenton has won all four games of the series this week. The Marauders also got a walk-off win 3-2 on Wednesday.

The Mets have now suffered five walk-off defeats in their 16 road games this season, including in three of their last five. Bradenton won its eighth straight game and is now 9-1 on its 12-game home stand. The Mets have lost seven consecutive games.

On Friday, the game was tied 7-7 with two outs and the bases empty in the bottom of the ninth. Shalin Polanco hit a hustle double into right-center field against Ernesto Mercedes to keep the inning going. Eddy Rodriguez followed with a game-winning single into center field to bring home Polanco for the 8-7 victory.

The loss was especially painful for the Mets, as they overcame a 6-0 deficit through four innings to take a 7-6 lead in the seventh. The one-run lead was brief. Bradenton tied the game in the home seventh. Mercedes walked Jarel Toledo and then a pair of passed balls on catcher Ronald Herandez moved Toledo to third. With two outs and two strikes on Polanco, Mercedes uncorked a wild pitch that brought home Toledo to tie the game 7-7.

The Marauders scored five runs against Mets starter Jack Wenninger before an out was recorded in the bottom of the first inning. Leading 1-0, the Marauders loaded the bases for Esmerlyn Valdez, who hit a high fly to left-center field. Donovan Antonia missed a leaping catch at the wall and the ball caromed to shallow center. By the time Antonia retrieved it Valdez scored on an inside-the-park home run to make it 5-0.

Wenninger recovered and retired nine straight batters. Solomon Maguire ended the streak when he led off the fourth with a home run for a 6-0 lead.

The Mets began their big comeback in the fifth on a RBI single by Kevin Villavicencio that plated Boston Baro.

Jeffry Rosa clubbed a solo homer in the sixth to make it 6-2. It was Rosa’s first home of the season.

Baro continued the inning with a double and Jose Hernandez followed with a two-run homer, his first of the season, that made it 6-4.

The Mets scored three runs in the sixth to take a 7-6 advantage. Jesus Baez hit a RBI double to make it 6-5. The double extended his hitting streak to 11 games. Later in the inning with two outs, Baro laced two-run single to turn a one-run deficit into a one-run…