Yanks Sweep Mets

The Tampa Yankees completed a four-game sweep of the St. Lucie Mets by overcoming a 5-0 deficit in the first inning on Wednesday at Steinbrenner Field.

The Yankees scored seven runs in the fourth and five more in the fifth to run away with a 13-6 win.

The Mets looked sharp early. Jared King singled in a run in the first with the bases loaded and Aderlin Rodriguez plated a run with a ground out. Then Gavin Cecchini blasted a three-run homer to put the Mets up 5-0.

Mets starter Michael Fulmer cruised through the first three innings, allowing just one hit and striking out five.

But it all unraveled in the fourth. Greg Bird singled, Dante Bichette, Jr. reached on L.J. Mazzilli’s error and Fulmer hit Eric Jagielo on the foot on an 0-2 pitch to load the bases. Fulmer threw a wild pitch that allowed Bird to score and then walked Aaron Judge to reload the bases. Angelo Gumbs then singled to make it 5-2.

With the bases reloaded again, Trent Garrison singled home two runs to cut the Mets lead to 5-4. Jose Rosario followed with an RBI single to tie the game.

After Danny Oh struck out and Cito Culver walked, Fulmer was replaced by Jake Kuebler. Bird came up for the second time in the inning and hit a sac fly to put the Yankees ahead. Bichette, Jr. followed with an RBI single to make it 7-5. Judge finally grounded out to end the fourth.

Kuebler stayed in to pitch the fifth but the Yankees got to him. Kuebler launched Rosario’s bunt attempt with two runners on over the head of Mazzilli covering first base to allow a run to score. Later in the frame Gilbert Gomez dropped a fly ball hit to center that allowed two more runs to score and the Yankees held a commanding 12-5 lead.

In the fourth and fifth innings, the Yankees scored 12 runs on nine hits and were helped out by four errors, a wild pitch and a passed ball. They sent 24 batters to the plate in the two frames.

The Mets committed five errors in the game.

Fulmer took the loss. He gave up seven runs, four earned, in 3 1/3 innings while striking out six.

Brady Lail, who gave up five runs and four hits in the first, ended up pitching six innings. After the first he didn’t allow any more runs and gave up just two singles.

The bottom three in the order for Tampa - Gumbs, Garrison and Rosario - combined to go 9 for 13 with seven runs scored and five RBIs.

Maikis De La Cruz and Mazzilli had two-hit games for the Mets. team press release