St. Lucie 15 - Palm Beach 5

The St. Lucie Mets dismantled the Palm Beach Cardinals 15-5 on Thursday at Roger Dean Stadium.

The Mets tied a season high in runs and opened up a 13-0 lead in the seventh inning before the Cardinals could score.

Most of the damage was done in the second inning. Already up 1-0, the Mets plated seven runs on six hits in the second against Joe Cuda. Aderlin Rodriguez and Eudy Pina each belted a two-out, two-run singles. Brandon Allen and Maikis De La Cruz notched RBI singles while Brandon Nimmo drew a bases loaded walk to force home a run.

Cuda only lasted 1 1/3 innings. All eight runs he allowed were earned.

The Mets added another run in the third and three more in the sixth when De La Cruz smashed a two-run double and Nimmo collected another RBI on a double.

De La Cruz’s fourth RBI of the night, a ground out in the seventh, made it 13-0.

Matt Williams put the Cardinals on the board with a two-run homer in the seventh, but Rodriguez got the runs back in the eighth with a towering two-run bomb of his own.

While the Mets were pouring it on, Steven Matz turned in another dominant performance on the mound. The lefty pitched 5 2/3 shutout innings, scattering four singles. He struck out six and was removed in the sixth after throwing 92 pitches.

Seth Lugo worked the final 3 1/3 innings and was credited with his first save.

De La Cruz and Rodriguez each had four RBIs. Allen, Eudy Pina and Phillip Evans had three-hit games. Allen added drove in three runs.

Nimmo walked four times and has 19 bases on balls this season. - team press release