Miracle drop twinbill

The Fort Myers Miracle entered Ed Smith Stadium on Thursday night with a chance to make some noise in the division. Instead they may have ruined any chance they have by losing both games of a doubleheader to the Sarasota Red Sox.

Sarasota won the first game 10-2 and the nightcap 3-2 in eight innings.

The Miracle had a 2-0 lead in the second game when Jesus Merchan ripped a double to the left-field wall that scored Eli Tintor and Garrett Guzman. They held that lead until the fifth.

Jannio Gutierrez gave up back-to-back singles to start the inning and the Miracle called upon Levale Speigner out of the bullpen. He gave up a two-run double to Jeremy West that tied the game.

It remained tied until the eighth when the Red Sox scored a run without getting the ball out of the infield. An infield single, a hit batsman, a sacrifice bunt and an intentional walk loaded the bases. Josh Hill then hit Jeff Ontiveros with the bases loaded to force in the winning run.

Danny Matienzo went 3-for-3 in the second game with a double.

The Red Sox pounded out 17 hits in the opener to defeat the Miracle. Every Red Sox player collected a hit. In the first, they got a two-out RBI single from Chris Durbin to make it 1-0.

In the second, an RBI double by Iggy Suarez and an RBI single from Dustin Pedroia made it 3-0.

The big inning was the fifth, when Sarasota exploded for four runs, highlighted by a bases-clearing double off the bat of Jeff Ontiveros.

The lone bright spot for the Miracle was a solo homer by Garrett Guzman in the seventh, his fourth of the season. Jeff Randazzo took the loss, his 11th of the season, allowing eight runs (three earned) on 13 hits in five innings.

The same two teams will meet tonight at 7:05. The Miracle send right-hander Matt Yeatman (2-6, 4.15) to the hill against Red Sox righty Manny Delcarmen (3-5, 4.10).