Miracle finish 1-5 on road trip

Special to the Cape Coral Daily Breeze

A day after the Fort Myers Miracle put up 15 hits in a win against the Clearwater Threshers, it was the Threshers who returned the favor Monday night, smacking 14 hits in an 8-4 win over the Miracle at Bright House Networks Field.

The Threshers used a four-run sixth inning for the second-consecutive night to take the rubber game of the three-game set.

Brian Dinkelman led off with a triple down the right-field line in the first. Juan Portes followed with a groundball to short, plating Dinkelman, for a 1-0 Miracle lead.

Clearwater responded with a solo homer from Shaun Boyd in the first to tie it at 1-1.

Edward Ovalle answered with a solo-shot leading off the second, putting the Miracle back on top, 2-1.

The Threshers scored a pair of runs a half-inning later, making it a 3-2 game.

Clearwater’s four-run sixth began with five straight hits, all started by Clay Harris’ double to left.

Brad Harman picked up his second RBI of the night with a sacrifice fly in the eighth before the Miracle attempted their ninth-inning comeback.

Ovalle led off the ninth being drilled in the left shoulder and scored on Johnny Woodard’s triple to center slicing the deficit in half. Thresher reliever Will Savage retired Jeff Christy and Dwayne White on strikes to end the game.

The Miracle, who finished the road trip 1-5, now enjoy a minor league-wide off day Tuesday with the MLB All-Star Game being played in San Francisco.