Reds walk off winners after Miracle blow 9 run lead

Fort Myers Miracle 10 at Sarasota 11

W: T. Young (1-1, 2.16); L: J. Lugo (2-5, 4.53)
HR: FTM: D. Berg (6), W. Robbins (5). SAR: J. Francisco (20).

Despite home runs by Danny Berg and Whit Robbins, the Fort Myers Miracle could not hold on to an early lead, losing 10-11 to the Sarasota Reds in extra innings Sunday afternoon at Ed Smith Stadium.

Juan Portes singled in the top off Red's start Matt Klinker. Singleton doubled and Danny Berg singled to drive in Portes. After Whit Robbins went down on strikes, Wilson Ramos sacrificed in Singleton. Johnny Woodard would take a walk, and Danny Santiesteban doubled to drive in Berg and Woodard. Garrett Olson's single would plate Santiesteban before Yancarlos Ortiz went down on strikes.

Yuber Rodriguez walked in the bottom of the first, and a passed ball by Ramos moved him to 2nd. Heisey singled to score Y-Rod to put the Reds on the board.

The Miracle took the run back on Berg's solo shot homer over the left field fence in the top of the 2nd.

Garrett Olson would single in the top of the fourth, and Portes doubled him in, one out later. Singleton doubled to plate Portes, then moved to 3rd on Berg's ground out. Robbins launched his fifth home run of the season over the right field wall adding two more, to make the score 10-1. That did it for Klinker as the Reds brought in Steve Ottness, who got Wilson to ground out, giving the Reds a chance at bat.

Ozzie Sosa gave up a single to Juan Francisco in the bottom of the 4th and Todd Frazier doubled. Logan Parker would single to score the pair before Sosa could get Carson Kainer to ground into a force out and Daniel Perales to line out. Justin Tordi would single to move Kainer to 3rd, but Jake Long flew out to end the inning.

Y-Rod doubled in the bottom of the 5th, and Chris Heisey singled him in. Francisco took a walk, before Frazier lined out. Parker would sacrifice in Heisey. Sosa then issued walks to Kainer and Perales, and Jeff Smith walked out to the mound to retrieve the ball, giving it to Blair Erickson. Tordi would double off Erickson however to clean off the bags and Long's follow up line drive brought in Tordi before Erickson could get Y-Rod to strike out swinging.

Francisco's homer in the bottom of the 6th saw the Miracle's lead evaporate completely, leaving the game tied.

Sosa would leave the mound, having allowed 8 runs, 7 earned on 8 hits and five walks while fanning 3 in 4.2 innings. Please get well soon Tyler Robertson, we need you desperately! Erickson would give up 2 on 3 hits and a pair of walks, fanning 5 over 2.1 innings. Anthony Slama worked the next two, walking 2 and striking out 4 to take the game into overtime.

The Miracle bats fell silent after the fourth inning, getting only 1 hit off Ottness, one off Joseph Krebbs, and 3 off Zach Stewart. They'd take a walk off Terrell Young in the top of the 11th, but he'd strike out two, bringing the Reds up to bat.

With one out on the board, Jose Lugo would walk Perales, then hit Justin Tordi with a pitch. Long would fly out, but Lugo walked Y-Rod to load the bags. He then walked in Heisey to force in the game winning run. I'm sure Mr. Lugo had much to think about on the bus ride back from Sarasota.

Portes and Singleton both finish up the contest 3-for-6 with a pair of runs and a RBI each. Portes had a double, Sing had two. The two yard birds, Berg and Robbins, were 2-for-5 each, Robbins with 2 runs, Berg with one, Each had 2 RBIs,and Berg also added a walk on the side. Olson, down near the bottom of the order, was also 2-for-5 with a run and a RBI. Woodard and Ortiz finished up 1-for-5, Woody with a walk and a run. Santiesteban was 1-for-4 with a double and a run and a pair of RBIs. Danny Lehmann, pinch hitting for Ramos, was 1-for-2 with a walk.

The Miracle now head home to for a six-game home stand that starts out with three against the Dunedin Blue Jays.

Spencer Steedley (0-2, 10.38) will get the start against Dunedin's Adrian Martin (6-2, 4.85). Start time is 7:05.

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Monday is Bobblection night!

The popular Goldklang Group promotion is back and Fort Myers Miracle fans have a chance to let their voices be heard on which candidate should be the new president. Voting begins at 6 p.m.

Bobblection allows Miracle fans to cast votes by choosing a bobblehead doll with either Barack Obama or John McCain's likeness.

Upon entering Hammond Stadium, fans will be directed to actual Lee County Election voting machines to cast their vote. After voting electronically, the fan then will pick up their bobblehead of choice. The first of the candidates to run out of all 500 bobbleheads will be declared the winner.

The Miracle are the sixth and last team of the Goldkang Group to vote, and the results of the Bobblection will be tallied and announce shortly thereafter.

The Goldklang Group provides operational consulting and management services in all areas relating to sports franchise and event acquisition, promotion and operation.

Bobblection is the one non-guaranteed promotion for season ticket holders. You MUST be a the game to receive a bobblehead.

While the Miracle were blowing a 9-run lead in Ed Smith stadium, the Miracle of the future, the Jake Mauer coached GCL Twins were rallying past the GCL Reds at the Lee County Sportsplex. Anderson Hidalgo was 2-for-5 for the Twins with a pair of runs and a pair of runs scored, including a home run. The Twins are battling the GCL Pirates for the South Division lead and a playoff spot.

Brandon Roberts was promoted to AA New Britain Saturday. He takes the spot of former Miracle Brock Peterson on the Rock Cats roster. Peterson was promoted to AAA Rochester. The Centralia, Washington, 1st baseman was 0-for-4 with 1 strike out in his first Red Wing's game on Sunday.

Let's Go Miracle, Ed Pelegrino's blog on the News Press is holding a survey. You might also receive one of 15 Whit Robbins card to be given away. If you get your daily Miracle fix here at www.miraclefans.com, please stop by, take his brief survey, and write in www.miraclefans.com for question #4. Don't forget to register for the Whit Robbins card give away.

Team USA's exhibition game game on Saturday against Team China was cancelled. Team USA faces Korea on Wednesday at 6:00 a.m. for their first Olympic game. (USABaseball.com)

Twins, Reds split two

Fort Myers 11 at Sarasota 3

W: C. Gutierrez (2-0, 2.35); L: S. Carroll (6-5, 3.51)
HR: SAR: J. Francisco (18).

The Fort Myers Miracle found their bats late in the suspended contest against the Sarasota Reds, coming away with an 11-4 victory against their I-75 rival.

Scott Carroll would replace Rafael Gonzalez, who threw only one inning before the game was interrupted by rain. Juan Portes would come in for the Miracle to replace Brandon Roberts, who had played in the first inning of the suspended game, getting as far as 3rd base before being left stranded.

In the top of the 2nd inning, Danny Berg would take a walk to start out. Danny Lehmann then singled, and a sac-bunt by Yancarlos Ortiz moved the pair of runners. Portes would sacrifice in Berg. Edward Ovalle followed that up with line drive to right to plate Lehmann, giving the Miracle a 2 run lead early.

Wilson Ramos would walk off Carroll in the top of the third. Following a fly out to Johnny Woodard, Eli Tintor tripled to drive in Ramos. Berg singled in Tintor, but Lehmann would ground into a force out that took Berg out at second and Ortiz lined out before they could do anything more with the inning.

Alex Burnett would allow back-to-back singled to Eddy Rodriguez and Yuber Rodriguez. Chris Heisey ground into a force out that took E-Rod out at 3rd and moved Y-Rod to 2nd. After Justin Tordi was retired on strikes, Juan Francsico went yard for his 18th of the season, launching a ball over the left field fence to give the Sara-Reds 3.

Carroll would work five innings, and was still on the mound in the top of the six to issue another walk to Berg. Lehmann singled and Ortiz reached on a force attempt when Carroll mis-threw the ball. Berg would come in, to make it 5-3 Miracle. Portes would pop out before Ovalle doubled to score Lehmann. Steve Singleton's line drive to right plated Ortiz and Ovalle, helped out by a Daniel Perales throwing error. Singleton thought he could make it to 3rd while the Reds tried to recover the ball, but was mistaken, as E-Rod fired the ball to Francisco to take him down at 3rd. Ramos would single before Woodard popped out to send the Reds up to bat.

Burnett worked four, allowing 3 runs on 4 hits while fanning 5. Carlos Gutierrez would come in for the next three, giving up a pair of runs and a walk while striking out 3.

Dan Zeffro would replace Carroll in the top of the 7th, giving up a lead off double to Tintor. Berg singled Tint to 3rd, and Lehmann's sac-fly put him over the plate. Ortiz's ground out moved Berg to second and a Portes line drive saw him over the plate to make the score 10-3, Fort Myers.

The teams would exchange runs in the 8th inning, with Woodard tripling in Ramos for the Miracle and Logan Parker doubling in Francisco for the Reds, but that would pretty much finish off the game.

Gutierrez got the credit for the win, improving to 2-0 on the season. Matt Williams worked the final two innings for the Fort Myers squad.

Berg finished up 2-for-2 with a pair of walks, 3 runs and a run scored. Ramos and Lehmann were both 2-for-4 with a pair of runs each, Ramos with a walk and Lehmann with a RBI. Titnor was 2-for-5 with a double and a triple, a pair of runs and a RBI. Ovalle was 2-for-6 with a run and 2 RBIs. Portes and Woodard were both 1-for-4, Portes with 2 RBIs, Woodard with a walk, a triple and 1 RBI. Singleton was 1-for-5 with a RBI. Ortiz, who finished up 0-for-4 at the plate, chipped in a run.

After a bit of field grooming and a break in which the dogs attending the game got to go walkies or perhaps get a dog of their own to wolf down, the two teams set up for the rematch.

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Fort Myers 0 at Sarasota 8

W: L. Ondrusek (1-5, 4.19); L: D. Guerra (10-7, 4.93)
HR: SAR: J. Francisco (19), L. Parker (4).

The last time the Fort Myers Miracle bats when whiz, wham, boom and they took a big blow out win, they were shut out in the following game. Such as the case at Ed Smith Stadium on Saturday as the Miracle forgot to swing in the second game, letting the Sarasota Reds blank them 8-0.

Yuber Rodriguez took a walk off Deolis Guerra to start. One out later, Juan Francisco went yard, for his 19th of the season to put 2 on the board. Todd Frazier would go down on strikes before Logan Parker's 4th of the season, made it 3-0 Reds.

Y-Rod singled in the bottom of the 3rd and came home on a Chris Heisey triple. Francisco then singled in Heisey. Guerra was able to induce Todd Frazier to hit into a double play. He'd then walk Parker before Carson Kainer popped out to end the inning.

Jose Lugo replaced Guerra on the bottom of the sixth. He'd get Justin Tordi to strike out before Jacob Long singled. Y-Rod hit a follow up single and Heisey was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Francisco hit into a force out that took Long out at home, but left the bases load. Frazier doubled to drive in two. Parker and Kainer each drew a walk to force in the 8th run.

Whit Robbins was 2-for-3 with a double for the light hitting Miracle. Juan Portes was 1-for-3 with a double. Tintor was also 1-for-3, good for the One hit wonder of the game title.

Logan Ondrusek picked up the win for Sarasota during a bull pen start. He worked five innings for his first win of the year.

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There was a posse report this morning at Gulf Coast League that Pat Neshak would be pitching for the Miracle on Monday. I showed a great deal of doubt about that one, so it was amended to "he'd be at the game" in some capacity or other. LEN3 is reporting in his blog that Neshak as begun a throwing program but that he won't work himself up to throwing from a mound until later this month.

It's possible, depending upon his progress, that Neshak might pitch in Fall Instructional League, then get ready for 2009 spring training. The Twins probably won't want to risk his health by pushing for his recovery too soon.

On a more immediate note, Tyler Robertson played a session long catch this morning prior to the GCL game. He'll may take a GCL start by the end of the next week if all goes as planned.

I wasn't keeping score, but I believe the GCL Orioles were leading when their game against the Twins at the Lee County Sportsplex was suspended due to rain and lightning in the area. Joe Testa had just finished pitching the top of the fifth, starter Martire Garcia was struggling with his control early in the contest.

It's possible the game resumed - I don't think it rained all that long - but it did chase the very small crowd away. I left at that point as well. The GCL Twins play on the road tomorrow against the GCL Reds, while the GCL Red Sox host the division leading Pirates at the City of Palms Complex.

Note: Ah...they did resume! The Twins rallied back for a 5-3 win! Way to go Twins!

Evidently, the GCL has gone to a wild card format. There will be no more buy for the highest ranked team. Instead they highest ranked team will play the wild card - the team with the best record after the Division Leaders. At this point, that would be the Twins, but not if they keep taking losses to the O's the Pirates.

Miracle ace Reds, 5-3

Sarasota 3 at Fort Myers 5

W: A. Burnett (6-2, 3.40); L: A. Smit (5-5, 3.91); SV: A. Slama (14)
HR: FTM: S. Singleton (1).

Former Miracle Alex Smit was dealing off the mound for the Sarasota Reds during the early part of Thursday evening's game, but in the end it would a current Fort Myers Miracle Ace who would take game one of the 2nd half of the FSL season.

Steve Singleton would go yard in the second inning for his first home run in a Miracle uniform, but it was all Fort Myers would get off Smit in the first five innings.

Meanwhile, the Reds took an early lead off Miracle starter Alex Burnett. Jose Castro singled out to center. Burnett would get Chris Heisey out on strikes before Todd Frazier's line drive moved Castro to second. Juan Francisco would fly out before Drew Stubbs hit his 17th double of the season to bring in the two runners.

The score would stay 2-1 Sarasota until the bottom of the sixth. Following a fly out to Nick Punto, Edward Ovalle walked. Juan Portes ground out out before Wilson Ramos singled out left to drive in Ovalle. Ramos would progress to 2nd on the throw. Whit Robbins then singled him in with a ground ball out to right to give the Miracle a 3-2 lead.

Stubbs would single off Burnett in the top of the 7th, and come in on Carson Kainer's double out to left, tying up the game.

Smit would finally tire in the bottom of the 7th, allowing a single to Garrett Olson who advanced to 2nd on Jose Castro's throwing error. A wild pitch moved Olson to 3rd. Steve Singleton would draw a walk, and following a pitching change that put Logan Ondrusek on the mound, moved to 2nd on Danny Santiesteban's ground out. Yangervis Solarte then smacked a grounder out to center to drive in the pair, making it 5-3.

Burnett would work seven innings, allowing 3 runs on six hits while fanning 4. Smit would be charged with 5 runs, all earned on 5 hits and a pair of walks while striking out six over six.

Ozzie Sosa gave the crowd a bit of a thrill in the 8th, looking a little shaky during his outing, walking Castro then moving him to 2nd on a while pitch. Heisey would single to move Castro to 3rd, but Sosa would get Frazier out on strikes and Francisco on a fly out to get out of the jam.

Ramos was 2-for-4 with a run and a RBI for the Miracle. Singleton was 1-for-2 with a walk, 2 runs and 2 RBIs, while Olson was 1-for-4 with a run. Robbins was also 1-for-4 with a run scored. Nick Punto and Juan Portes were the one hit wonders for the evening.

Friday is "Water Day" at the ball park as Miracle starter Tyler Robertson (4-2, 2.76) puts it. The big lefty will be pitted against Scott Carroll (3-1, 5.75). The park opens at 9 AM so you can enjoy all the water day festivities, with the game slated to start at Noon.

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And yes, for those who were curious, I did get some great autographs down at the Reds dugout. Drew Stubbs was very nice and signed everything! The only I didn't get was Danny Guerrero, largely because Sharpie had turned the mic on by that point, and I can't outshout Sharpie once he gets going. No biggie. I'm sure he'll be in the stands tomorrow or Saturday.

Sara-Sox

(I had promised some baseball/autograph stories, so here we go...)

One of the problems inherent in following the Gulf Coast League as much as I have the last two years is that it cuts down on my travel in following the Fort Myers Miracle. I do need to try to work more FSL road trips in, it's not like the stadiums are all that far away.

I see a lot of Ed Smith Stadium with the GCL boys, but it's not quite the same as seeing it during a FSL game. Attendance at both is questionable, but the people watching the GCL games are usually hiding up in the rafters, while the people for the FSL games are more or less down in the stands.

Ed Smith was built in 1989, and frankly, is not quite in keeping with the types of facilities built during that time. Originally the Chicago White Sox were using it for spring training, the Cincinnati Reds took it over in 1998, moving from Plant City. During the interum, the Boston Red Sox, who relocated to Fort Myers in 1993, took over the stadium for their High A Affiliate, apply named the Sarasota Red Sox, which operated for 11 years in the facility, with 2004 being their last year in the league.

The last two seasons, Ed Smith has hosted the FSL's Sarasota Reds, probably more in keeping with the number of spring training facilities in the state that also house the teams rookie league and High A league affiliates.

(It should be noted that the Red Sox would LOVE To move their High A affiliate into Fort Myers, but the Fort Myers Miracle affiliated with the Minnasota Twins, who beat the Red Sox into town by a year, and hold the territorial rights to the area. So the Red Sox have little recourse.)

My last FSL trip to Ed Smith was in 2004. At the time, their parking fees ($1.00) and admission prices ($5.00) were lower than the cost of a Fort Myers Miracle game, but their concessions prices more than made up for the difference. The stadium was "okay"...not really anything to write home about. City of Palms park is laid out along the same site lines, but the ammenities as CoP are better.

In any case, I'd gone over for a two game stint, April 30th and May 1st, with Francisco Liriano and Scott Baker being the starters respectively. (May 1st was the game I finally fell in love with Baker, as he pitched an absolute clinic out there.)

I'd gotten there early...with out of town games I always leave some leeway time for things like traffic and getting lost, and was able to more or less pick my own seat (not that I'd noticed it ever being a problem in that stadium) and watch the Miracle take some warm up practice. I sat next to the visitor's dugout - naturally.

A group of Cub Scouts moved into the section with me, and as they were coming in the they were all talking "We're going to cheer for the Red Sox!"

Anyway, I had a question so I got then Miracle coach Jose Marzan to come over and he stayed to sign some autographs for the kids. I'd also brought a bunch of Miracle pocket schedules which I handed out to the kids that had nothing to get signed. Sortly there after, Travis Bowyer, Brent Tamburrino, Jesus Marchan and quite a few of the other guys came over and was signing too.

Travis, of course, had to be Travis and gave me a hug when he came over, which set the kids off with "Is that your mom?" "Oh no!" Travis says "She's my girlfriend," and of course had to do the whole girlfriend skit for the delight of the stadium. I'm mentioning this because I believe it played a part in what transpired later. But that was just Travis, you know, playing the way he does.

But the kids had a great time and got just about everything they could think of to get signed, signed, no matter how inappropriate it was. We even talked one of the adults into getting his University of Miami hat signed by Hurricanes alumni Danny Matienzo.

The end result being that by the time the game started, they kids had totally forgotten about the Red Sox and were chanting "Let's go Miracle!" or at least "Let's go Miracles!" as the kids were want to do, not realizing that it's Miracle, singular, not plural.

Liriano pitched 4.2 innings, giving up three runs on nine hits, all earned and striking out six. Not quite the stellar numbers he put up for the Twins this last season, but...he was just learning.

Frankie was relieved by Travis Bowyer, who came bounding out of the bull pen and up onto the mound with much enthusiasm. He finished off the fifth inning, walking the first guy (why must he always do that?), before ending it on damage control.

It was in the next inning that "the problem" occured. This guy comes down from over the dugout and says "That guy promised my daughter a baseball and she doesn't have one yet and she's up there crying."

I said "That GUY just got onto the mound and couldn't have promised your daughter anything." Knowing Travis, it wouldn't have surprised me if he'd promised a kid a baseball, but then, he'd usually give them one right away, not wait until later. I honestly don't think anyone "promised" him anything.

Besides this guy was cheering for the Red Sox. Why couldn't he go over and ask THEM for a baseball?

"Well then, maybe it was the guy that was up before him."

"Frankie speaks no english, so unless your daughter speaks spanish, I don't think he promised her anything."

"Well, she was promised a ball and she's up there crying."

"Sorry. I don't have any balls and I can't help you." I don't care if I was there supporting the team, I certainly don't have control of the team's balls.

And if you want your kid to have a baseball so bad, try spending $5 and buy her one.

Yeah, I know. What can I expect from Red Sox fans? I guess the whole Blow-Sox blow up over Dougie Mientkiewicz and his baseball didn't surprise me. Friggin' Bostonians, always gotta have a ball.

So the guy starts hanging over the railing, trying to get the attention of someone in the dugout to give him a baseball. I mean, bad enough when kids stand at the rail and beg, but this was a grown adult!

Finally an usher comes and makes him move.

Man...how rude is that? If you're such a big Sox fan, why would you want your kid to have a scuzzy baseball from the Miracle anyway?

It would have been nice if they Miracle had wooped up on the Sox for that game, but that would have to wait until the following night, as the Miracle blew a ninth inning lead with Justin Olson on the mound, to lose 6-4.

The next night, I had gotten my ticket and was waiting for the gates to open when the guy at the box office called me over again and gave me a baseball.

"What's that for?" I asked him.

"Well, you were here early last night, and you're here early tonight and you came all the way from Fort Myers to support your team. I wish some of our fans were that loyal."

I did NOT give that baseball to a kid.