Portes goes 4-for-5, Rainville pitches into eighth in Miracle win

By Special to the Naples Daily News

Juan Portes provided the offense, Jay Rainville brought the pitching as the Fort Myers Miracle grabbed the series-finale 5-3 over the Palm Beach Cardinals on Tuesday night. Portes went 4-for-5 finishing a triple shy of the cycle, while Rainville went 7.1 innings, allowing three runs on eight hits in the win.

Edward Ovalle, who went 2-for-4 on the night, brought home the first Miracle run with his single to center in the second, scoring Danny Valencia, who also 2-for-4 on the night. Ovalle’s RBI-double in the fourth plated Luis Ugueto for a 2-0 lead.

After three straight singles from Caleb Moore, Brian Dinkelman and Portes sent the Miracle to a three-run advantage, Valencia would soon follow with a sacrifice-fly to center, bringing in Dinkelman, putting the Miracle up 4-0.

Palm Beach wouldn’t go away quietly as the Cardinals cut it to a one-run ball game heading into the ninth. After a sac-fly from Isaias Garcia and RBI-single from James Rapoport cut the lead in half at 4-2 in the fifth, Allen Craig’s single to right in the eighth brought home Garcia with the third Palm Beach run of the night.

After Craig’s single, the Cardinals would have runners at the corners with one down before Miracle reliever Angel Garcia entered the game to strike out Brandon Buckman and Ian Church stranding the tying run at third.

With one out in the top of the ninth, Portes would belt a solo home run to left for his fourth hit of the night, before Garcia closed the door on Palm Beach in the bottom of the ninth. Garcia went 1.2 innings with three strikeouts to garner his fourth save of the season.

The Miracle now head back to Hammond Stadium to kick off a seven-game homestand on Wednesday night. The St. Lucie Mets will enter for a four-game series followed by the Lakeland Flying Tigers for three. The first tilt against the Mets, with “Ratatouille Night,” taking place will see RHP Oswaldo Sosa (2-4, 2.55) gets the start for the Miracle.