Miracle triumph 1-0

By special to the Fort Myers News Press

CLEARWATER — Everything worked in favor of the Fort Myers Miracle on Tuesday night. A fortunate run in the second inning, Josh Hill getting out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam, a play at the plate moments before the rain and a two-hour delay that ultimately finished the game, benefiting the Miracle.

Add the Tampa Yankees losing Tuesday afternoon to the Miracle's 1-0 win in six-plus innings at Bright House Networks Field and Fort Myers reduced its magic number to clinch the Western Division title to four.

The fortunate run came in the second inning. With one out, Deacon Burns doubled to right. Steve Tolleson followed with a single to right that moved Burns to third. J.R. Taylor then hit a shallow fly to right, which Phillip Cuevas came charging in for but dropped. Second baseman Tim Moss threw out Tolleson at second, but the dropped fly ball allowed Burns to score from third.

The loss by the Yankees put the Miracle up by 1 1/2 games in the Western Division. The Miracle have six games left. The Yankees have just five. With the Miracle holding the tiebreaker by winning the second-half series five games to four, the Miracle need to just finish tied for the division in order to win it, thus leaving their magic number at four.

The teams will play again at 7:05 tonight.