Miracle drop another game to Sarasota, 5-4

SARASOTA — The Fort Myers Miracle have been dominated all season long against their closest Florida State League rivals, the Sarasota Red Sox, and Friday night was no exception as the Miracle fell 5-4.

Sarasota won 16 of 24 meetings against Fort Myers this season.

Fort Myers took the early lead by scoring runs in the first and third innings. In the first, Elvis Corporan singled home Danny Matienzo, and Garrett Guzman singled home Alex Romero in the third.

The Red Sox, however, answered with a four-run third. With the score 2-1 and the bases loaded, Chris Durbin hit a bases-clearing triple that gave the Red Sox a 4-2 lead.

Fort Myers managed to tie the game a 4 with a run in the fourth on an RBI single by Kaulana Kuhaula and a solo homer from Alex Romero, his fourth of the season, in the fifth.

The Red Sox got the go-ahead run in the bottom of the fifth when Brandon Moss doubled. He moved to third on a wild pitch. After a walk to David Murphy put runners at the corners, Chris Durbin hit a grounder to third. Ben Pattee’s throw to Felix Molina was dropped and it allowed the run to score.

Jesus Merchan went 3-for-4 with a run scored, for the Miracle, while Matienzo was 2-for-4 with a run scored.

The Miracle play the Yankees today in Tampa in a doubleheader beginning at 5 p.m.