Jupiter 7, St. Lucie 0

After winning the first five games of their homestand behind an offensive outburst, the St. Lucie Mets tumbled at the conclusion and dropped the final two games, including a 7-0 decision to Jupiter on Friday night. The Mets were held hitless the first time through the batting order against Hammerheads starter Scott Lyman before outfielder Kyle Johnson laced a triple in the third inning, extending his hitting streak to 12 games.

But it was one of only four hits St. Lucie mustered in the game as it was shut out for the first time since July 28th at Lakeland. Johnson finished 1-for-3 and added a walk to push his slash line to .372/.383/.581 over his past 10 games. Kevin Plawecki, who served as the designated hitter, and catcher Cam Maron recorded the Mets’ only other extra-base hits with doubles in the fourth and fifth innings, respectively.

Starting pitcher Hansel Robles put St. Luice in an early hole when he allowed three runs in the first inning en route to his first loss in nearly three months. Overall, he surrendered four runs on six hits and one walk with two strikeouts over seven innings during the defeat, his first since May 19th at Bradenton. Robles has coughed up four runs in three of his past six starts for a 4.02 ERA on the season.

The Mets had notched double-digits in hits during each of their first six games of the homestand, but were unable to mount much pressure against a trio of Jupiter pitchers and went 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position. Despite the loss, St. Lucie (28-21) remained atop the FSL South Division standings for the second half. The Mets hold a half-game lead over Charlotte.

The Mets will attempt to climb back into the win column when they begin a nine-game road trip Saturday in Jupiter. After a two-game set with the Hammerheads, they will stay at Roger Dean Stadium for three games against Palm Beach, followed by a four-game series at Fort Myers. Alex Panteliodis (6-4, 4.20 ERA) is slated to take the mound Saturday against Angel Sanchez (2-2, 2.72).

Key Statistics

Kyle Johnson: 1-for-3, 1 BB, 1 3B

Kevin Plawecki: 1-for-4, 1 2B

Cam Maron: 1-for-4, 1 2B

Hansel Robles: 7 IP, 6 H, 1 BB, 4 ER, 2 K