Lis goes yard in Miracle's 11th straight win

First baseman homers in third consecutive game in 9-3 victory over Tampa

By Michael Blinn
Special to MLB.com

Erik Lis is making his case for a second straight Player of the Week award.

Lis homered for the third straight game as Fort Myers cruised to its 11th straight win, a rain-shortened 9-3 victory at Tampa on Thursday.

He blasted a two-run homer, his 16th, as part of a four-run fourth inning. In the three-game sweep of Tampa, the 23-year-old first baseman went deep four times and plated nine runs, including Tuesday's two-homer, five-RBI effort.

Lis' hot streak has helped the Miracle (31-23) to an 11-game win streak, tops in the Florida State League this season. They have not lost since dropping an 8-7 decision to Lakeland on Aug. 4. Over that span, the league's reigning Offensive Player of the Week has racked up seven roundtrippers, 19 RBIs, 12 runs scored and is batting .386. The recent tear has given Lis 85 RBIs on the season, behind only Lakeland's Michael Hernandez with 87.

Daniel Valencia hit a three-run triple in the third, and Juan Portes scored three time and cranked a solo homer, his ninth, in the fourth for Fort Myers.

Miracle starter Kyle Waldrop (6-3) allowed three runs -- two earned -- on five hits over six innings with a walk. Reliever Robert Delaney pitched around a walk to get two outs in the eighth and his sixth save.

Marcos Vechionacci and Andres Perez drove in two runs apiece and Austin Jackson scored three times for the Yankees (33-21).

Tampa starter Brett Smith (0-4) gave up eight runs -- seven earned -- on 10 hits over four innings with three strikeouts and two walks.