Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer (45), on rehab assignment in Fort Myers, crosses the plate after belting a three-run home run and greeted by Miracle teammates Daniel Rams (35) and Aaron Hicks (5) Friday night at Hammond Stadium. Photo by David Morency

Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer homered and drove in four runs to power the Fort Myers Miracle to a 7-0 victory over the Palm Beach Cardinals Friday night at Hammond Stadium.

With the St. Lucie Mets losing 9-3 to the Charlotte Stone Crabs, the Miracle (31-30) moved into a tie for first place with the Mets in the Florida State League South Division standings with nine games left in the season’s first half.

Infielder Tsuyoshi Nishioka, also on rehab assignment from the Twins, led off the first by poking a 1-2 pitch from Cardinal starter Bryan Augenstein through the right side. Aaron Hicks followed with a bunt single to set the table for Mauer.

Mauer blasted a 1-1 fastball that cleared the wall in left-center field plating Nishioka and Hicks. Adding a bases-loaded walk in the seventh, Mauer has driven in six runs in five games with the Miracle.

Nishioka (2-for-4) has scored in all four games he has played at Hammond Stadium.

Miracle right-hander Tom Stuifbergen delivered a sterling performance with six scoreless innings. Stuifbergen scattered five hits with two strikeouts and issued no walks.

The Miracle added insurance runs in the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings. Nishioka drove in Jhonathan Goncalves in the fifth. Anderson Hidalgo grounded out to short with the bases loaded to score Mauer (1-for-3) in the sixth.

Mauer’s bases-loaded walk and a sacrifice fly by designated hitter Danny Rams finished it off in the seventh.

The Miracle bullpen completed the shutout with three scoreless innings in relief of Stuifbergen (2-4). Matt Tone pitched a perfect seventh and eighth innings with a pair of strikeouts. Andrew Albers tossed a 1-2-3 ninth and now has thrown 23 innings of scoreless relief. Miracle hurlers retired the last 14 Cardinal hitters consecutively.

The Miracle travel to Bradenton face the Marauders (25-36) Saturday, then return to Hammond Stadium with the Marauders for a two-game series Sunday and Monday.