The Daytona Tortugas scored 11 unanswered runs over the final three innings Thursday to defeat the St. Lucie Mets 17-3 at Clover Park. The Mets cut the Daytona lead to 6-3 in the fifth inning with three doubles, including back-to-back RBI doubles by John Smith III and Julio Zayas. The Tortugas broke the game open in the seventh inning, taking advantage of six walks issued by Mets relievers Jean Brito and Luis Sotillo to score six runs and build a 12-3 lead.
Daytona added five more runs in the eighth inning off Zayas, who pitched the final two innings for the Mets after serving as the designated hitter. Zayas pitched a scoreless ninth inning and induced a double play. The Mets scored first on a RBI single by Reed Stallman in the second inning, but Tortugas starter Mason Morris escaped further damage with the bases loaded by starting a 1-2-3 double play off the broken bat of Kooper Schulte.
The Tortugas used that momentum to score five runs on five hits off Mets starter Jose Lopez in the third inning. Bernard Moon hit a two-run double in the inning, his Florida State League-leading 28th double. Lopez pitched 5.1 innings overall and gave up six runs on seven hits with one walk and six strikeouts. It was the longest outing by a Mets pitcher since the first game of the second half on June 19.
Elian Pea went 2 for 5 with a double, his third straight two-hit game. Smith III finished 2 for 4 with a double and RBI. The Mets, now 14-23 in the second half and 47-56 overall, continue their series against the Tortugas at Clover Park on Friday. All veterans and active duty military receive free admission courtesy of LYNQ Real Estate, and kids 14 and under can run the bases after the game.