Miracle must win tonight to stay alive

Dunedin forces Game 3 in playoff series

By Glenn Miller
Fort Myers News Press

DUNEDIN — One more game. One more chance to move on. Or, one more game in their 2006 season.

The Fort Myers Miracle lost 4-3 Wednesday night to the Dunedin Blue Jays before about 150 fans at Knology Park in Game 2 of the Florida State League's Western Division playoffs. The best-of-3 championship series is 1-1.

The teams will meet again at 7 tonight in the deciding game. The winner goes on to the best-of-3 championship series against the St. Lucie Mets starting Friday. The season will end for the loser.

Wednesday's game ended on an awkward note for the Miracle. Miracle shortstop Trevor Plouffe singled with two outs in the ninth. The Miracle had a chance.

Third baseman David Winfree was at-bat. Plouffe edged off first, thinking about getting a good jump on a ball hit into a gap. He edged off too far. Dunedin catcher Robinzon Diaz snapped a throw to first.

Plouffe was out from here to there. Game over.

"I got caught being a little greedy," Plouffe said. "I take all the blame for that one."

Dunedin manager Omar Malave credited Diaz with a good play.

"Our catcher was aware of the situation," Malave said. "And he made some plays, big plays for us all night."

Miracle manager Kevin Boles didn't assign blame after the game. He congratulated his team on playing hard and well.

"Our guys played great," Boles said.

Dunedin just played a bit better.

The Miracle's biggest chance may have come in the fifth after Plouffe's double put runners at second and third with one out and the No. 3 and No. 4 hitters due up. Dunedin led 2-1.

Winfree, who led off the fourth inning with a homer, didn't deliver in the fifth. Dunedin starter Jesse Litsch struck him out.

Then, it was up to clean-up hitter Brock Peterson, the Miracle's single-season and all-time home-run leader. Litsch prevailed again, striking out Peterson, who hit 21 homers this season. Peterson is 0-for-7 with with three strikeouts in the playoffs.

Winfree and Peterson had chances again in the seventh. This time, with runners on first and second and no outs and the Miracle trailing 4-3. Winfree struck out. Peterson lifted a soft fly to right.

"Just swinging at bad pitches," Peterson said. "That's all there is to it. I'm not doing my job."

For the second successive night, Miracle second baseman J.R. Taylor made a fabulous, run-saving play, ranging far to his left, diving and spearing a grounder, springing to his feet and throwing the batter out at first. Wednesday's came with two outs in the seventh.

"It keeps you right in the ballgame," Boles said. "J.R. has done a tremendous job."

This is the third time in seven years the Miracle have played Dunedin in the first round of the playoffs. Dunedin won in 2000 and 2003.

What about 2006?