Miracle hold off Blue Jays for victory

By SPECIAL TO THE NEWS-PRESS

DUNEDIN — It was April 16, 2004, the last time Josh Gray earned a victory. After winning his first two games of 2004, he went on to lose 10 consecutive decisions last year and two more this season.

Finally, Monday night, after 12 consecutive losses, he got a victory as the Miracle hung on for a 13-9, Florida State League win over the Dunedin Blue Jays at Knology Park.

Gray came out of the bullpen to hurl three shutout innings, allowing just two hits and striking out four.

When Jay Sawatski entered the game in the bottom of the eighth, to relieve Gray, the Miracle led 10-3 and it was all but assured that Gray would get that win. That was until the bottom of the eighth.

The Blue Jays posted six runs in the bottom of that inning. They pounded out six hits, including a two-run homer by Eric Arnold, and used an error on Sawatski and a passed ball to climb to within 10-9. The Blue Jays sent 12 men to the plate and had the bases loaded with two outs when Julio DePaula entered the game.

He got Manny Mayorson to ground out to short to end the inning.

The Miracle were able to get three insurance runs in the ninth inning, on a two-run single by Justin Arneson and a sacrifice fly by Ron Perodin. DePaula retired the side in order to earn his second save.

The victory was Gray's first since he beat the Lakeland Tigers on April 16, 2004, a game in which he threw five shutout innings in a start.

Tristan Crawford started the game for the Miracle, his second professional start. His only other start was in the Gulf Coast League in 2002.

Crawford went four strong innings, allowing three runs on six hits, while striking out two.

The Miracle gave him a bunch of run support. Matt Tolbert led off the game with a solo homer to left, his second of the season.

Fort Myers poured on four more in the second, on an RBI double by Kyle Phillips, a two-run single by Tolbert and an RBI single by Jose Leger.

With the score 6-3 in the top of the eighth, the Miracle scored four runs when Tolbert singled home his fourth run of the night. Leger then blasted a three-run homer over the left-field foul poll for his first professional home run.

Tolbert finished the night 3-for-5, with a home run and four RBI, and Leger was 2-for-5, with a home run and four RBI.

The teams will meet at 7 tonight in the finale of the three-game series at Knology Park.

The Miracle will send right-hander Adam Harben (5-4, 2.80) to the hill against Blue Jays righty Casey Janssen (5-0, 2.64).