Trouble still dogs Miracle

Special to the Daily Breeze

It’s becoming increasingly more difficult to tell which team is in last place and which is battling for a division title when the Fort Myers Miracle and Vero Beach Dodgers get together. The Miracle lost to the Dodgers 9-7 Tuesday night at Hammond Stadium, their fifth loss to the Dodgers in six meetings.

The teams traded home runs early with Luke Hughes giving the Miracle a 1-0 lead in the third inning. Drew Locke put the Dodgers on top 2-1 in the fourth with a two-run homer to left.

The Dodgers then erupted for seven runs in the fifth inning for all the cushion they would need. Ryder Mathias led off with a double to right-center. Jamie Hoffman reached on a bunt single that put runners at the corners with nobody out.

Miracle starter Colby Miller picked Hoffman off first and, with the infield in, got Eloy Gutierrez to ground out to second and hold the runner at third. That’s when the trouble began.

Miller walked the next two hitters to load the bases. He was relieved by Ryan Callahan, who proceeded to walk two batters as well and force in two runs and make it 4-1. Xavier Paul’s grounder to first was thrown away by David Winfree allowing two runs to score and make it 6-1. Russ Mitchell’s grounder to third was thrown away accounting for another two runs to make it 8-1. Mathias finished the scoring with an RBI single.

The Miracle stormed back in the sixth inning when Erold Andrus walked and Caleb Moore singled him to second. One out later, Plouffe singled home Andrus. Winfree singled, but Plouffe tried to take third though Moore was held there, catching Moore in a rundown.

Instead of the bases loaded and one out, the Miracle had second and third and two outs.

Brock Peterson extended his hitting streak to a Miracle season-tying-high 13 games and his consecutive RBI streak to eight when he blasted a three-run homer over the left field wall, his 15th of the season, to cut the margin to 9-5.

The Miracle added a run in the eighth when Plouffe and Peterson walked. Deacon Burns came through with an RBI single to make it 9-6.

The Miracle had a chance to tie it in the ninth when Moore led off with a double down the third base line. With one out, Plouffe singled him to third and Moore scored on a wild pitch. Winfree, representing the tying run, flew out to center and Peterson ended the game by grounding out to short.

The teams meet again Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. at Hammond Stadium. The Miracle send right-hander Oswaldo Sosa (1-0, 1.29) to the hill against Dodger lefty Jonathon Figueroa (0-5, 7.78).

Kids of all ages are invited to set up their tents on the field for the annual Great All-Nighter on Aug. 19.

All kids and their families are welcome to camp out following the game between the Miracle and Lakeland Tigers. Kids get a chance to stay up as late as they want and enjoy food, fun and movies throughout the evening. Fans camping out are asked to bring tents without stakes.