It was a final out that the Fort Myers Miracle and their fans will remember for a long time.

It also was fitting that the Miracle came up with one more sparkling defensive play Wednesday night as they clinched the Florida State League West Division title with a 3-1 win over the Dunedin Blue Jays at Hammond Stadium.

As Dunedin threatened with two on and two out in the top of the ninth, Miracle closer Anthony Slama got the help he needed from third baseman Juan Portes.

After Anthony Hatch hit a line drive off Slama, Portes charged in, scooped up the ball, and quickly fired to first to get Hatch by a step.

It set off a wild celebration as the Miracle clinched their first trip to the Florida State League championship series since 1995.

“I saw Portes coming in and I thought he was going to eat it. I didn’t think he was going to throw,” Miracle manager Jeff Smith said. “He did and put it right on the money. That was outstanding.”

It was one of several defensive gems for the Miracle. They turned four double plays, and for the second straight game in the best-of-three series, a Miracle starting pitcher turned the game over to the bullpen with no runs on the scoreboard.

The Miracle opened the series Tuesday with a 2-1 win at Dunedin. Cole Devries worked into the seventh inning, without allowing a run, and Carlos Gutierrez and Anthony Slama finished it off in relief.

Right-hander Alex Burnett seized the opportunity in game two, throwing six shutout innings, Blair Erickson pitched the seventh and eighth and Slama, who had 25 saves in the regular season, closed it out in the ninth.

“I just wanted go out there and do my best,” Burnett said of pitching in a postseason game. “I’m just glad I got the call and was able to go out there and get the job done.”

In their game one victory, the Miracle offense was jumpstarted by Rene Tosoni. He missed three months of the season with a broken foot and returned from the disabled list Aug. 26.

It was good timing. He delivered a two-run home run in the first inning Tuesday, which was all the runs the Miracle needed, in taking a 1-0 series lead.

They got the bats going early, once again, in game two. Whit Robbins led off the bottom of the second with a double and he scored on Johnny Woodard’s RBI single to center. Portes delivered an RBI double to give the Miracle a 2-0 lead.

Both Burnett and Dunedin starter Ray Gonzalez found their groove during the middle innings, but the Miracle managed one more in the seventh when Wilson Ramos came through with a two-out RBI single.

Though the Miracle pitching was steady throughout, it took four double plays to help keep the Blue Jays’ offense in check.

The Miracle finished the sweep of the Blue Jays after struggling head-to-head during the regular season. The Blue Jays had won 13 of 18 meetings.



Dunedin 000 000 010 — 1 5 0

Fort Myers 020 000 10x — 3 8 1

W — Burnett L — Gonzalez S — Slama

2B — Cooper (D), Singleton (FM), Robbins (FM), Portes (FM).