Daytona Tortugas Homestand Preview V. Fort Myers Mussell Men 4/28 - 5/3

The Tortugas are coming off a road trip to Jupiter, where they lost five of six games to the Hammerheads, an affiliate of the Miami Marlins.

Their lone win was by the score of 3-2 this past Friday. It was highlighted by right fielder Arnaldo Lantigua’s two hits (.211 avg, .615 OPS), designated hitter Mason Neville’s two-run home run (.167 avg, .561 OPS), and five innings of shutout relief from righty Abraham Gaitan (3.86 ERA) and lefty Dominic Scheffler (10.29 ERA).

Also on offense, Bernard Moon swiped a bag. He has five on the season and is hitting .250 with a .794 OPS.

Shortstop Bernad Moon was drafted in 2023 by the Cincinnati Reds in the 16th round.

Daytona, an affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds, is in last place within the Florida State League’s East Division with a 6-15 record. They welcome the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels to Jackie Robinson Ballpark for the April 28 – May 3 series.

Fort Myers is coming off a combined no-hitter, besting the Dunedin Blue Jays 3-0 on Sunday. The Twins affiliate is in first place in the West Division with a 14-7 record, having won seven of its last 10. and five in a row.

Keep an eye on Forty Myers’  outfielder Yasser Mercedes. He brings a .297 batting average and 1007 OPS to The Jack. Mercedes leads the Mighty Mussels with four home runs and is second on the team in stolen bases with four.

The versatile Merrit Jones is the must-see mounds-man for Fort Myers. His two starts and three relief appearances combined for 18.2 innings pitched, supported by a 1.93 ERA and 1.13 WHIP.

For Daytona, Catcher Jacob Friend is on a tear, raising his average from .227 to .333 over the past two weeks while improving his already impressive OPS from 1050 to 1213.

When it comes to toeing the rubber for Daytona, you are going to look for Ovis Portes. The righty has thrown 18 innings in four starts, checking in with a 3.50 ERA and .117  WHIP.

There is some rain in the forecast, so double-check before you head out for your nine-inning vacation!

Parent & Guardian Alert: Get Your Child To The Jack On June 6 For a Fun Day At The Ballpark

Check out this awesome 1946 video of Jackie Robinson hitting at what is now known as Jackie Robinson Ballpark in Daytona Beach.

Charles I. Guarria is an author, reporter and host based in the state of Florida, USA, covering any topic, anywhere in the world. His career began in 2009. Mr. Guarria is a three-time winner of Emerald Group Publishing’s Highly Commended Award and host of The Opinion Guy Fun Friendly Informative.

He is available for hire to write, research, or beta-read.

Please support this blog and my show by buying me a tea. Thank you!

If you would, like, comment, and share.

You can sign up for exclusives and first-to-know news!

See ya soon!

Photo Credit: Daytona Tortugas

~30~