Miracle record first shut out, sweep of the season

Whit Robbins

Fort Myers 2 at Clearwater 0

Record: 4-4

W: M. Fox (1-0, 3.60); L: C. Monasterios (1-1, 2.70); SV: R. Delaney (3)
HR: FTM: W. Robbins (1).

The Fort Myers Miracle won a pitchers duel Thursday night, sweeping the series from the Clearwater Threshers thanks to a 2-run yarder by Whit Robbins in the 7th inning.

Deolis Guerra took to the mound for the Miracle, working through 5 innings allowing 4 hits and 5 walks while only striking out 2. Meanwhile his Thresher counterpart Carlos Monasterios suffered his first loss of the season, working though seven innings and allowing both runs (earned) on only 2 hits and 3 balls while striking out 4.

A wild pitch by Guerra with only one out allowed Clearwater's P.J. Antoniato onto 3rd base in the 2nd, but a timely strike out to Welinson Baez and a line out by Carlos Leon ended the inning before the Miracle could suffer any damage.

Danny Valencia made it as far as 3rd base in the top of th 4th for the Miracle, but with 2 outs on the board, Wilson Ramos ground into a force out which caught Woodard and ended the inning.

Loaded the bases in the bottom of the 5th, in part due to another wild pitch by Guerra, but Gus Miller's pop out to second left them stranded with the game still scoreless.

Matt Fox entered the game in the bottom of the sixth and worked 2, picking up wth win when Ramos drew a walk and Robbins hit one deep over the right field wall.

A pair of singles and a walk loaded the bases for the Miracle in the top of the 8th, but Woodard ground out causing the side to retire.

Robert Delaney worked the last two stanzas for Fort Myers, who return home Friday night to face the Dunedin Blue Jays with a special 6:05 PM start time.

The Miracle managed only 4 hits in the game, but picked up six free passes off the Phillies Farm. The win ties the Miracle for 3rd place in the standings with Lakeland, while Clearwater with a 2-6 record took sole possession of last place.

Dunedin leads the West division with a 6-2 record and swept the Miracle earlier this week at Knology Park. Big lefty Tyler Robertson will take the start for the Miracle.

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Appetite for Destruction: The ultimate Guns N’ Roses tribute band, “Appetite for Destruction” hits the stage after Friday’s 6:05 p.m. game.

The band looks like Guns N’ Roses, they sound like them and from the moment you hear the words, “you know were you are? You’re in the Jungle baby…” until long after the concert ends, you feel like you got a glimpse of what it was like when GNR rocked Los Angeles back in 1987. All the favorites—Sweet Child o’ Mine, Paradise City , Patience and many, many more will be played. Tickets are only $12 for the game and concert.

Miracle down Threshers with 13 hit attack

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Fort Myers 9 at Clearwater 3

Miracle firstbaseman Johnny Woodard went 3-for-6 Wednesday night, leading the Miracle attack as they pounded out 13 hits in route to a 9-3 win over the Theshers at Bright House Field.

Whit Robbins opened the scoring when he drew a walk in the 3rd, moved into scoring position on a Danny Santiesteban double, then came home on a sac-fly off the bat of Allan de San Miguel to put the Miracle on the board in the top of the 2nd.

Brian Dinkleman singled to start the 3rd and Danny Valencia took a walk, but with 2 outs, Juan Portes singled in Dinkleman. Robbins followed that with a walk, while Santiesteban singled to drive in Valencia. A walk to de San Miguel prompted the Threshers to bring Nathan Johnson up to the mound. Yancarlos Ortiz would reach on a fielding error that also allowed Robbins and Santiesteban to score. Dinkleman would fly out though to end the inning with score 6-0 Miracle.

Welinson Baes tripled off Miracle starter Jeff Manship to lead off the bottom of the 3rd. He would score on a Quintin Berry ground out, putting the Threshers on the board.

Canadian Rene Tosoni trippled to lead off the 4th, and came home on a Woodard single after Valencia groundout. Portes and Robbins would both single, but back-to-back strike outs to Santiesteban and de San Miguel left the bags loaded to end the inning.

Clearwater's Matthew Spencer doubled to start out the bottom of the stanza, and was followed up by a Jake Blalock single to drive him in. After John Urick ground out and Baez struck out, Fidel Hernandez reached on a throwing error by Ortiz, that allowed Blalock to come home.

The game quieted down hitting wise after that, although the Miracle added a pair in the top of the 9th with Tosoni and Valencia leading off with walks. Woodard's single brought in Tosoni, while Valencia scored of a Portes ground ball to right.

Woodard, Portes and Santiesteban each accounted for 2 runs for the Miracle. Manship worked five innings, allowing 3 runs (2 earned) on 7 hits and 1 walk while striking out 4.

Jose Lugo, Aaron Craig and Anthony Slama finished up on the mound for the Fort Myers squad.

The Miracle look to sweep their first series of the season tonight as they rematch the Threshers for a 7:05 start. Right hander Deolis Guerra is expected to start for Fort Myers.

The team returns home to Hammond Stadium on Friday for a special 6:05 start time. The game will be followed by a concert from Appetite for Destruction, a Guns 'N' Roses tribute band. Tickets are $12 for the game and the concert.

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Aussies help Miracle win

Cole Devries

Fort Myers 2 at Clearwater 1

W: C. Devries (1-0, 6.14); L: J. Savery (0-1, 1.50); SV: R. Delaney (2)
HR: FTM: D. Berg (1).

A pair of Aussies made the difference for the Fort Myers Miracle Tuesday night as they got back into the win column. Allan de San Miguel doubled in Edward Ovalle to tie up the contest in the fifth inning.

Danny Berg's homer in the 7th then put the Miracle on top and closers Danny Vais and Rob Delaney shut down the Clearwater attack for the Fort Myers victory.

The defending FSL champion Threshers took an early lead when Jake Blalock doubled off Cole Devries. He would come home on John Urick's ground ball single.

But that would be all Clearwater would get. Devries, a Minnesota native, worked six innings for the Twins High-A affiliate, allowing the one run on four hits while striking out 3. Vais and Delaney held the Threshers to a hit a piece.

Joseph Savery suffered his first loss of the season for the Philly Farm Team, giving up both runs on 7 hits and 2 walks in seven innings worth of work. He had a pair of strike outs to his credit.

The two teams rematch tomorrow at Bright House Field starting at 7 PM.

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Miracle drop 3rd straight to Dunedin

Brian Dinkleman

Fort Myers 4 at Dunedin 7

Record 1-4

W: A. Benitez (1-0, 0.00); L: A. Burnett (0-1, 7.20); SV: Z. Dials (2)
HR: None.

E: Portes (1, throw).

The Fort Myers Miracle squandered an early 4 run lead, allowing Dunedin to catch up and then surprass them in the fifth inning for the win.

Back-to-back singles by Yancarlos Ortiz and Brian Dinkelman to start the game paid dividends when Danny Valencia doubled in the pair. A wild pitch moved to Valencia to 3rd, and he'd tally on a single to Rene Tosoni. It looked like it might a long night for Blue Jay's starter Gustavo Chacin, but he finally got Edward Ovalle to strike out and Juan Portes to ground into a double play.

Dinkleman would double in the second inning to bring in Whit Robbins, who'd taken a walk at the bottm of the order. Meanwhile Alex Burnett would allow to double to Sean Shoffit in the bottom of the first, but Ramos Wilson would catch him stealing 3rd.

Shoffit would single again in the bottom of the third, but Travis Snider would hit into a force out. Brian Dopirak then doubled to move Snider to 3rd, and he'd score on a J.P. Arencibia single to put Dunedin on the board.

A Shoffit single and a Snider walk would put the Blue Jays on base, followed by a single to Dopinak. A single by Cory Patton that brought in two triggered a pitching change for the Miracle, who brought in Anthony Slama. A single by Arencibia saw the game tied up. Bradley Emaus would ground into a double play, but it was enough to allow Patton across the base for the go ahead run.

Dunedin would take advantage of former first round pick Matt Fox, with Patton singling and Arencibia doubling to give the Jays an insurance marker. A Jesus Gonzalez triple would bring in Arencibia to close out the scoring.

The loss sees the Miracle out of Knology Park without a win in their last three as they head over to Clearwater to take the 2-3 Threshers for three before returning home on Friday.

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Three Canadian Crushers

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The original Canadian Crusher - Justin Morneau of the Minnesota Twins. The 2006 league MVP hails from British Columbia.


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The Fort Myers Miracle version of the Canadian Crusher, Rene Tosoni. Tosoni is also from British Columbia and is in his second year of Professional Ball. He is being rushed a bit through the system as he was signed as a 21-year-old, so we shall see if he can handle the play at the High-A level.

Tosoni is a little bit more versatile than Morneau or Waltenbury as he can also play 3rd base and outfield.

Last season he hit a combined average of .300 in games spit between rookie Elizabethton and Low-A Beloit.


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Jon Waltenbury from Ontario, picked by some to be Morneau's likely replacement despite the number of good first baseman at the upper levels. Minnesota would like to hang on to Morneau for as long as they can, which would allow Waltenbury time to develop. He had some trouble connecting during his first year of professional ball, hitting only .244 for the rookie level Gulf Coast League Twins, but is reportedly tearing the cover off the ball in extended spring training this year.

And a bonus...Ed and Justin on Opening Night


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If found it somewhat strange that our News Press blogger should show up for opening night in Owls gear and wearing RED no less, when the Miracle were playing the Reds, but what can you do?

You can find Ed's blog online Here. (Note that the link moved from last year.)