The Fort Myers Miracle kicked off the Twins Minor League season on Thursday, though not in the kind of fashion they would have liked to. Although they got some stellar pitching, the Miracle struggled at the plate and in the field, leading to a 2-0 loss at the hands of the Sarasota Reds. Kyle Waldrop got the start for the Miracle, and he was magnificent.In five innings of work, the Miracle ace did not yield a single hit, striking out seven batters. He did not receive a decision, as he handed the ball off to Jay Rainville. Rainville, making his first appearance since 2005, was a victim of some shoddy defense, leading to two runs allowed in his 0.2 innings of work.
Rainville looked good for taking the mound for the first time in over a year, but he was the loser on this night.
Yohan Pino and Kyle Aselton combined to throw 2.1 innings of scoreless relief to close out the game for the Miracle, and both picked up strikeouts.
The Miracle were led offensively by two surprises, as Steven Tolleson and Toby Gardenhire had the only hits for Fort Myers. Tolleson had two knocks in the game, while stealing a base, and Gardenhire finished the game 1-3. Matt Betsill and Eli Tintor had nights that they would much rather forget, combining to go 0-7 with four strikeouts.
Oswaldo Sosa gets the start for the Miracle on Friday, as they try to get themselves into win column for the first time in 2007.