Miracle lose, stay ahead in FSL West

By special to the Fort Myers News Press

With an opportunity to increase their Western Division lead on the Tampa Yankees to two games, the Fort Myers Miracle made too many mistakes Friday night at Lakeland's Joker Marchant Stadium, and lost 7-6 to the Tigers.

The Yankees lost to the Dunedin Blue Jays, leaving the Miracle ahead in the Florida State League West by one game with 10 to play.

The winning run scored in the seventh inning. With the Miracle trailing 6-5, Fort Myers reliever J.P. Martinez gave up a two-out double to Jim Essian. It appeared that Martinez got the next batter, Ryan Roberson, on a groundout to get out of the inning. However, Martinez was called for a balk on the pitch, erasing the out and sending Essian to third. Roberson, given another chance, doubled to right-center to bring home Essian and make it 7-5.

The Miracle scored a run in the eighth when Brock Peterson reached on an infield single and later came home on Justin Arneson's RBI infield single. J.R. Taylor reached second base in the ninth, but Fort Myers couldn't get him home.

Peterson's two-run homer, his 20th of the season, tied Tommy Peterman (1998) and Matthew LeCroy (1999) for most homers by a Miracle in one season.

The Miracle and Tigers teams meet at 6 tonight.