 September 7, 2006 - DUNEDIN, FL (September 8, 2006) – The are no words to describe the three game Western Division Championship between the Fort Myers Miracle and Dunedin Blue Jays. Both teams fought to the very end, gave it all they had and left everything on the field which is the exact way a series should be played. In the end, however, the Miracle came up one run short losing 3-2 in 11 innings to the Blue Jays at Knology Park in a game that was delayed 2:25 minutes by rain and ended at 12:25 a.m. on Friday.
Each game in the series was decided by one run and for the Miracle it was the third time they have lost to the Blue Jays in a playoff series. They were swept in 2000 and lost in three games in 2003. The Blue Jays started the rally in the 11th inning with two outs. Juan Peralta, the number nine hitter, singled to center off of Tim Lahey. He stole second and the Miracle intentionally walked Aaron Mathews. Lahey then walked Robinson Diaz to load the bases. That brought up Ron Davenport, who has been in the Florida State League at one point or another in the last four seasons. He was on the team in 2003 that beat the Miracle in three games. He took a 2-1 pitch back up the middle that drove home Peralta from third to win the game.
The Blue Jays rode the right arm of Connor Falkenbach, who earned the save the night before, for 4.0 innings. The reliever allowed one hit while walking one and striking out four to earn the victory. He took over for starter Orlando Trias in the eighth and never left.
The Blue Jays took the 1-0 lead in the first when Davenport crushed a 1-2 pitch over the right field wall, his first homer of the season.
The Miracle evened it up in fifth when Steve Tolleson led off with a walk. Erold Andrus singled him to third and J.R. Taylor’s ground out to second scored Tolleson.
The Miracle took the lead in the seventh. Brock Peterson led off with a single to right-center off of Trias. Tolleson followed with a walk to put runners at first and second. Andrus tried to lay down a sac bunt, but Peterson was thrown out by Trias at third. Taylor then hit a grounder to second that Carlo Cota booted and that loaded the bases. Korey Feiner’s grounder to first was fielded by Christian Snavely, who stepped on first for the out, but his throw home wasn’t in time to get Tolleson and the Miracle took a 2-1 lead.
The two starters were spectacular, everything a fan would hope when two aces get together. Trias went 7.0 innings allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits while walking two and striking out six. The Miracle starter, Anthony Swarzak, went 7.0 innings allowing one run on five hits while walking one and striking out four.
The Blue Jays sent the game into extra innings with a bizarre run in the eighth. Aaron Mathews led of with an infield single to third. Diaz laid down a sac bunt, but Danny Powers’ throw to second wasn’t in time and the Blue Jays had runners at first and second with nobody out. Powers got Davenport to ground into a double play which moved Mathews to third. Eric Nielsen then hit a fly ball to left that appeared to be headed well foul, but somehow, someway, stopped curving and fell straight down into the left field corner for an RBI single which tied the game at three.
The closest threat the Miracle had in extra innings came in the 10th when Taylor led off with an infield single. Feiner sacrificed him to second. Pinch hitter Deacon Burns’ grounder to third moved Taylor to third. After an intentional walk to Brandon Roberts, Trevor Plouffe struck out to end the game.
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