Jays play rough, rip Miracle 8-4
DUNEDIN – Deolis Guerra was roughed up for eight earned runs on 10 hitsk, including two homers in the first two innings, as the Fort Myers Miracle lost to the Dunedin Blue Jays 8-4 Wednesday.
Guerra (4-7) surrendered a three-run home run to Manny Rodriguez in the first and a two-run shot to John Tolisano in the second. The Miracle (40-25) put together rallies in the eighth and ninth after trailing 8-0 through seven, but couldn’t dig out of the early hole.
Dunedin’s Andrew Liebel (2-8) gave up no runs on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings. The Miracle stranded nine runners and went 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position.
Danny Berg came off the bench to go 2-for-2 with a triple and double, while Ben Revere (2-for-3), Deibinson Romero (2-for-4), and Evan Bigley (2-for-4) chipped in with multi-hit days.
The Miracle’s magic number for clinching the South Division first-half title remains at two pending the outcome of Charlotte’s game with Lakeland Wednesday evening.
Miracle pitcher Steve Hirschfeld was added to the Florida State League’s South Division All-Star roster Wednesday as an injury replacement for St. Lucie Mets pitcher Brant Rustich.
Hirschfeld was the Minnesota Twins 9th-round pick in 2007 First-Year Player Draft. The 6-foot-3 right-hander has limited opponents to a .168 batting average over 36 2/3 innings. Used primarily in middle relief, he is 2-1 with a 1.72 ERA.
Hirschfeld led Beloit last year with 10 wins and was selected to the Midwest League All-Star Game.