Miracle shooting for second-half run

By DEREK REDD
Naples Daily News

FORT MYERS — The first half of the Fort Myers Miracle's 2005 season was kind of like the Southwest Florida weather patterns the team plays under. There were sunny days, but in a second they could turn gloomy.

Compare that to the Miracle's play, where the great days and bad days came at nearly the same pace.

With the All-Star break starting today and just two games left in the first half, the Miracle's focus is forward. The team is looking for the spark to charge a strong second-half run.

Glen Perkins did his part on Thursday night, tossing a six-hit, complete game shutout against Clearwater at Hammond Stadium in the team's final game before the All-Star break.

Scott Whitrock provided all the offense for the Miracle. After Brock Peterson singled to lead off the second inning, Whitrock ripped a two-run shot for his ninth home run of the season. Fort Myers won the game, 3-0.

The Miracle stand 8-1/2 games back of West Division-leading Lakeland. Fort Myers actually had the division lead for one day, an April 30 half-game lead over Lakeland, but lost it the next game and fell farther behind with a six-game losing streak in the middle of May.

"We started on that slide, and it felt like every little thing wasn't going our way," outfielder Denard Span said.

That streak was a far cry from the one the Miracle began the season with, a six-game winning streak that had the team thinking about a playoff spot.

"I think the first half showed them they can't afford to go on long dry spells," Miracle manager Riccardo Ingram says. "It's not like there's a wild card for second place."

The team's pitching has been strong for the most part, second in the league in ERA and giving up the fewest home runs. But, Ingram says, the bullpen has been having trouble finishing games, which doesn't help with the team's average hitting.

Fort Myers is seventh in the league in team batting average and last in doubles and home runs. Span has the league's best batting average at .337 and third baseman Matt Moses is third at .324, but no other Miracle hitter is batting above .263.

Ingram says the team's hitting should improve with experience.

"A lot of guys at this level haven't faced any pitfalls yet," he says. "You see things and tell them to make adjustments, and they say, 'But this has always worked.'"

ALL-STARS

The Miracle will send three players to the Florida State League All-Star Game, to be held Saturday in Clearwater.

Span, Moses and pitcher Nick Blackburn will participate.

"It's a lot of fun, definitely an achievement," says Moses, who also will participate in the home run derby.

Moses and Span both were first-round picks of the Minnesota Twins, Moses in 2003 and Span in 2002. Blackburn was selected in the 29th round in 2001 and is 5-2 with a 3.20 ERA this season. He's walked just six batters in 56 1/3 innings.

"That makes the organization proud," Ingram says of Blackburn. "It shows someone in the organization saw something in the guy and knew he had the intangibles to be a good professional pitcher."

SECOND HALF

The Miracle will start the second half with a three-game series at Hammond Stadium against the Lakeland Tigers, beginning on Monday at 7:05 p.m.

The final game of the homestand on Wednesday will be "Hurricane Awareness Night."

Many of the items people need during a hurricane will be raffled off during the game. The items include two generators, plywood, flashlights, first aid kits, gas cans, tarps and much more. A portion of all ticket sales will be donated to the American Red Cross Hurricane Relief Fund.