Miracle shut out Dunedin 6-0

Winning starting pitcher Liriano goes seven innings

Francisco Liriano needed a good quality start. It had been nearly a month since he pitched past the sixth inning.

Wednesday afternoon he was able to accomplish that and then some as the Fort Myers Miracle shut out the Dunedin Blue Jays 6-0 in a Florida State League game at the Lee County Sports Complex.

Liriano went seven innings, holding Dunedin to three hits while walking three and striking out five. He didn’t allow a base runner to third and allowed just one man to touch second, a leadoff double by Miguel Negron in the fifth.

Liriano notched his fourth victory of the season and the Miracle tossed their eighth shutout of the year.

Fort Myers gave Liriano all the run support he needed in the second.

The Miracle, who have struggled with runners in scoring position and two outs this season, got three big hits on the afternoon. In the second, with the bases loaded and two outs Felix Molina ripped a double to right that scored two runs.

In the third after Trent Oeltjen reached on an error and stole second, Garrett Guzman doubled to right to score Oeltjen.

The Miracle put the game away with a three-run fifth.

Oeltjen led off the inning with a homer to right, his first of the season. Danny Matienzo followed that with a double to left and one out later Guzman walked. With two outs Brett Tamburrino singled to right to score Matienzo. The throw to third by right fielder Ron Davenport sailed into the Miracle dugout, allowing Guzman to score.

The Miracle have now taken two out of three in the home-and-home series against the Blue Jays. The finale of the four-game set is at 7:05 tonight.

Fort Myers starts right-hander Matt Yeatman (2-6, 4.06 ERA), while Dunedin goes with right-hander Vince Perkins (1-4, 4.10).