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| 8.8 vs Daytona - Julio Zayas Game 1 HR, photo courtesy of the St. Lucie Mets |
Mets, Tortugas split Saturday doubleheader in PSL Zayas hit another winning home run to lead Mets to game 1 victory
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (August 8, 2026) - The St. Lucie Mets and Daytona Tortugas split the second doubleheader of their weeklong series at Clover Park on Saturday. The Mets won game 1, 3-1, while the Tortugas won game 2, 15-7. It was the second doubleheader split for the teams this week. Each team won a game in Wednesday’s twinbill.
The seven-game series is tied 3-3 heading into Sunday’s finale.
In game 1, Mets slugger Julio Zayas delivered the game-winning homer for the second consecutive day. On Friday he hit a walk-off homer in the bottom of the ninth. On Saturday he hit a go-ahead three-run homer in the fourth inning to put the Mets up 3-1. It was Zayas’ third homer of the series.
Four Mets pitchers combined to hold the Tortugas to one run. Starter Nate Hall pitched the first 1.2 innings. Caden Wooster followed for the next 1.2 innings. Wooster gave up the lone run, a solo homer by Arnaldo Lantigua in the third inning.
Ernesto Mercedes followed Wooster and pitched 2.0 scoreless innings. He scattered four hits and struck out three. Mercedes was credited with the win.
Miguel Mijias got the final five outs for his fourth save. He retired the side in order in the seventh inning to end the game.
The Mets foursome on the mound held the Tortugas to 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position and stranded 10 runners.
From the ninth inning on Thursday through the seventh inning of game 1 Mets pitchers allowed just one run, the homer to Lantigua. In the prior eight innings on Thursday the Tortugas scored 17 runs.
Daytona starter Dusty Revis took a tough loss. He pitched a complete game (6 IP, 5 H, 3 ER) on just 63 pitches. He retired the first eight batters he faced and didn’t give up a hit until Aiden Robbins hit an infield single to start the fourth inning. Revis became the first Daytona pitcher since 2019 to toss a complete game.
Elian Peña went 1 for 3 to extend his hitting streak to 10 games.
In game 2, the Tortugas broke a 6-6 tie in the fifth inning by scoring three runs. Mets newcomer Wilmer Lugo appeared to strike out Henry Hunter looking on a 3-2 pitch that would’ve ended the inning with the game tied. But Hunter used the ABS challenge system to overturn the call to ball four. The walk loaded the bases.
Lugo then walked the next two batters to force in two runs. A third run scored when new reliever Luis Sotillo threw a wild pitch that brought home Hunter to make it 9-6.
Hunter put the game on ice by clubbing a grand slam off Sotillo in the seventh to increase the Tortugas lead to 13-6.
For the second time in four games the Mets relied on Zayas to finish the game on the mound as a position player. He recorded the last four outs. He surrendered a two-out, two-run homer to Drew Davies in the seventh inning but nothing more.
Logan Tanner settled the game down on mound for Daytona by pitching 2.0 scoreless innings of relief to claim the win.
For the Mets, Simon Juan went 2 for 3 with his ninth home run of the season and a double.
Mets 11th round draft pick Kuhio Aloy hit a two-run homer in the third inning to tie the game 6-6. It was the first professional home run for Aloy.
Lugo took the loss. He was charged with three runs on one hit and four walks in 0.2 innings.
The Mets (16-24, 49-57) and Tortugas (25-14, 46-60) conclude their six-day, seven-game series on Sunday at Clover Park. First pitch is 12:10 p.m. It’s Little League Day. All little leaguers who wear their jerseys receive free admission courtesy of Holiday Inn Express.
Julio Zayas Bye-Bye Baseball! His 9th of the season gives us the lead!
— St. Lucie Mets (@stluciemets) August 8, 2026
102 MPH | 380 FT pic.twitter.com/7HzY7qpM8X
Simon Juan, fire the cannons! pic.twitter.com/zs1jlmJmti
— St. Lucie Mets (@stluciemets) August 8, 2026
Kuhio Aloy with his first home run to tie the game! pic.twitter.com/gRVuFkmD8K
— St. Lucie Mets (@stluciemets) August 8, 2026
Kooper Schulte gets one back. pic.twitter.com/KaSxuksYTY
— St. Lucie Mets (@stluciemets) August 9, 2026
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