St. Lucie 16, Jupiter 0
Ineligible for the playoffs despite a valiant run during the season’s final week, the St. Lucie Mets concluded the 2013 campaign with one of their best performances. The Mets received multiple hits from five different players, including four from designated hitter Jayce Boyd, and belted 16 hits overall during a 16-0 trouncing of Jupiter at Tradition Field on Sunday.
An announced crowd of 4,839 — easily their highest attendance of the season — watched St. Lucie plate five runs in the third inning before hanging a 10-spot on the Hammerheads in the fifth. The Mets sent 14 batters to the plate during the inning and chased two Jupiter pitchers, as they showcased a lineup that will likely feature several Double-A players in 2014 one final time. St. Lucie (71-60) also upended the Hammerheads (68-69) during its season opener to bookend the year with wins against its close rival.
The Mets went 5-1 during the final week of the season — Saturday’s game was cancelled because of inclement weather (surprise) — to finish second in the FSL South Division for the second half, 3.5 games behind Charlotte. Sunday’s shutout was the 15th of the year for St. Lucie, which was the only team in the league not to record a complete game despite its immense pitching wealth this season.
A sampling of that pitching was on display throughout the season finale, as the Mets held the visitors to just four hits — just one for extra bases. Jeurys Familia, making his first appearance since May 28 as part of a rehab assignment, started the game and fired a scoreless inning, allowing one hit and one walk with a strikeout. The parent club is hoping the right-hander will be able to contribute before the end of the major-league season.
Domingo Tapia followed Familia with five shutout innings and permitted just three hits and one walk. He posted three strikeouts en route to his first win since April 20th, his fourth start of the season. Angel Cuan polished off the final three innings without allowing a hit to earn his first save.
Offensively, Boyd went 4-for-5 with a double, three singles, three runs scored and three RBI to pace St. Lucie. The 22-year-old registered 12 hits in his final eight games (12-for-28) to finish his second professional season with a .330 batting average and .410 on-base percentage (between Savannah and St. Lucie).
Shortstop Matt Reynolds went 1-for-3 with a double and three RBI before being promoted to Double-A Binghamton after the game. He will be joined at the next level by catcher Kevin Plawecki, who went 1-for-2 with a run scored an an RBI in possibly his final game for St. Lucie.
Key Statistics
Kyle Johnson: 2-for-5, 3 R, 1 2B
T.J. Rivera: 2-for-4, 2 R, 2 RBI
Kevin Plawecki: 1-for-2, 1 R , 1 RBI
Jayce Boyd: 4-for-5, 3 R, 1 2B, 3 RBI
Charley Thurber: 1-for-3, 2 R, 2 BB, 2 RBI
Matt Reynolds: 1-for-3, 2 R, 1 2B, 3 RBI
Nelfi Zapata: 2-for-5, 1 R, 1 2B, 3 RBI
Yucary De La Cruz: 3-for-5, 1 R, 1 2B, 2 RBI
Domingo Tapia: 5.0 IP, 3 H, 0 BB, 0 ER, 3 K
Angel Cuan: 3.0 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 ER, 1 K