Press Release: Jordan Walk Breaks Tie, St. Lucie Mets Edge Tarpons 4-3

Clenney, Montas combine to close out Tampa 

TAMPA, Fla. (August 17, 2021) – The St. Lucie Mets edged the Tampa Tarpons 4-3 on Tuesday at Steinbrenner Field. 

Rowdey Jordan drew bases-loaded walk with two outs in the eighth inning to force home JT Schwartz as the go-ahead run. 

Luis Montas pitched a scoreless eighth and ninth to close out the game for his fifth save. He lowered his season ERA to 0.63. 

Nolan Clenney did not give up a hit or run in the sixth and seventh innings to earn his first win in the Mets organization. 

The Mets went 3 for 19 with runners in scoring position but mustered just enough offense to snap a three-game losing streak. Seven of the nine starters collected a hit. Kevin Kendall went 2 for 4 with a double, walk, RBI and stolen base. 

Alex Ramirez opened the scoring in the first inning by racing home from third base on a wild pitch by Tarpons starter Juan Carela. 

The Tarpons scored all three of their runs in the second inning against Mets starter Robert Colina. Benjamin Cowles hit a tying single that made it 1-1. Carlos Narvaez came up next and belted a two-run homer to put the Tarpons up 3-1. 

Ben Rice followed with a single, making it four straight Tarpons with a hit off Colina. However, Colina then induced a double play ball from Eric Wagaman to get out the inning. That started a stretch of 10 of 12 batters retired by Colina to end his outing. 

Colina pitched 5.0 innings allowing three runs on four hits. He walked two and struck out four. 

The Tarpons did not get another hit after Rice's one out single in the second inning until Rice singled with two outs in the ninth. Montas got Wagaman to fly out on the next pitch to end the game. 

The Mets scored their second run on a two-out RBI single by Kendall that plated Branden Fryman, who doubled to start the inning. 

Jack-Thomas Wold lifted a sac fly in the fourth inning to tie the game 3-3. 

The Mets took the lead for good in the eighth inning without a hit. Tarpons reliever Carson Coleman walked Schwartz, plunked Omar De Los Santos and walked Wold to load the bases with no outs. Coleman bounced back to get the next two batters but then faltered by walking Jordan to push home the winning run. 

The Mets (48-40) and Tarpons (60-28) play the second game of their series at Steinbrenner Field on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.