The Daytona Tortugas defeated the St. Lucie Mets 5-4 on Sunday at Clover Park, winning the seven-game series 4-3. The Tortugas scored five runs across the fourth and fifth innings to build a 5-0 lead before holding off a late Mets rally.
Mets starter Joel Lara cruised through the first three innings, allowing just one baserunner on a walk. Lara struggled in the fourth, walking the first three batters. A wild pitch brought home Ichiro Cano for the first run.
Anielson Buten hit a two-run single with two outs to make it 3-0. Cano hit the first pitch from reliever Jean Brito for a two-run homer in the fifth inning that made it 5-0.
The Mets mounted a comeback in the sixth inning when Elian Pea led off with a double against Lisnerkin Lantigua, extending his hitting streak to 11 games. Kuhio Aloy ripped a two-run double with two outs to get the Mets on the board, and Simon Juan followed with an RBI single to make it 5-3. Juan added a sacrifice fly in the eighth to pull the Mets within one at 5-4.
Daytona pitchers Lantigua and Jesus Colina retired the last six Mets batters in a row to secure the win. Colina earned his first save by retiring the side in order in the ninth with a fly out and back-to-back strikeouts. The Mets fell to 16-25 in the second half and 49-58 overall. They begin a six-game commuter series at the Jupiter Hammerheads on Tuesday with first pitch at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium set for 6:30 p.m.