St. Lucie 12 - Tampa 6

The St. Lucie Mets bats woke up early in a 12-6 thrashing of the Tampa Yankees on Education Day at Tradition Field.

The Mets clubbed out 17 hits, the second most they’ve had in a game this season. The 12 runs were also the second most in the season for St. Lucie. The win snapped a six-game losing streak in which the offense has only scored eight runs.

Dominic Smith, Jeff McNeil and Maikis De La Cruz each had three hits. Smith, the Mets’ first round draft pick in 2013, had his best day of the season. He went 3 for 5 with a ground rule double, two singles, three runs scored and four RBIs. Smith had only driven in three runs coming into the game.

De La Cruz got the scoring started in the first with an RBI double against Rookie Davis that tied the game 1-1. Smith then laced a two-out, two-run single to left that put the Mets up 3-1. Phil Evans made it a 5-1 lead in the first when he doubled in two runs.

The Mets scored two unearned runs in the third to go up 7-1, and Smith made it 8-1 in the fourth on his ground rule double that plated McNeil.

The Yankees did not go quietly, as they charged back to score five straight runs and cut the Mets lead to 8-6. Miguel Andujar hit a two-run homer off of Mets starter Miller Diaz in the sixth to make it 8-3.

Three straight hits off of Kyle Regnault to open the eighth led to run. Mike Ford then hit a sac fly to make it 8-5 and Danny Oh followed with a single to put runners at the corners.

Mets manager Luis Rojas turned to closer Akeel Morris early to protect the lead. Morris gave up a sac fly that made it 8-6, but he retired the last two batters in the eighth.

The Mets added four insurance runs in their half of the eighth. McNeil singled to start the inning and Michael Conforto doubled. De La Cruz hit sac fly to put the Mets up 9-6 and Smith collected his fourth RBI with a single up the middle to make it 10-6.

With the bases loaded, Evans hit a ground ball under the glove of short stop Tyler Wade that allowed two more unearned runs to score and put the Mets up comfortably 12-6.

Diaz got his first win of the season. He gave up three runs on five hits in six innings. Morris was credited with his third save in three chances.

Everyone in the Mets lineup reached base and only leadoff hitter Champ Stuart was held hitless.

Conforto, Matt Oberste and Evans had two hits apiece. Evans now has four hits, two runs scored and three RBIs in his first two games since coming off the DL. Team press release

The win by the Mets snapped an eight-game losing streak to the Yankees dating back to last year.