Stone Crabs drop finale to Mets, 8-2

[Game recap provided by Stone Crabs broadcaster Grant McAuley.]

The Charlotte Stone Crabs had to settle for taking two out of three games from the St. Lucie Mets, dropping the finale of the series by an 8-2 final score at Digital Domain Park on Wednesday.

Matt Moore (0-3) surrendered three first inning runs as the Mets took a lead they would not relinquish throughout the night. Despite finishing with a season-high nine strikeouts, Moore was tagged with his third loss of the year. The lefty went five innings and allowed four earned runs on seven hits and three walks.

St. Lucie got big hits from Sean Ratliff and Stefan Welch. Ratliff plated a pair of runs with a first inning single, while Welch drilled a bases-clearing triple as part of a four-run eighth inning.

Chris Schwinden (2-0) was strong in his first start of the season, going six scoreless innings and striking out five men while not walking a batter. The right has allowed just one unearned run in his 15 innings of work at home this season.

The Stone Crabs managed just five hits on the night against four Mets right-handers. Their lone runs of the night came courtesy of a bases-loaded walk and a wild pitch in the seventh inning.

The loss snaps Charlotte’s four-game winning streak, but the team still took 2-of-3 from both St. Lucie and the Bradenton Marauders. The Stone Crabs (15-10) are now a game behind the Palm Beach Cardinals for first place in the Florida State League South Division.

Shawn Williams came on to close out the game for Charlotte. He is the only position player to have ever taken the mound in the team’s young history. Williams threw in three games a year ago and worked a scoreless eighth, striking out two Mets hitters. That gave the Stone Crabs a total of 14 strikeouts on the night, tying the single-game high.

The Stone Crabs return home on Thursday to begin a three-game set with the Bradenton Marauders. Charlotte sends Nick Barnese (2-1) to the mound against Jeff Locke (2-1) of the Marauders. Game time is set for 7:05 p.m.