Pat Dean retired the first 12 batters he faced and Steve Liddle added a two-run triple to carry the Fort Myers Miracle past the Daytona Cubs 4-3 Wednesday night in the opening game of a four-game series at Hammond Stadium.

The Miracle scored runs in the first four innings to open a 4-0 lead. In the first, Estarlin de los Santos and James Beresford led off with back-to-back singles. After Aaron Hicks struck out, Miracle slugger Oswaldo Arcia lifted a deep fly to right field. Michael Burgess caught the drive, but de los Santos trotted home for a 1-0 lead.

The sac-fly gave Arcia his ninth RBI in 14 games since joining the Miracle, but the right fielder finished the night 0-for-3 to snap an eight-game hitting streak.

Jhon Goncalves drove in Dan Rohlfing with a tapper through the right side in the second. Steve Liddle crushed a 2-0 pitch from Daytona reliever Jeffry Antigua to dead center in the third inning. One-hopping the wall, Rohlfing and Danny Rams scored to push the lead to four runs.

Liddle finished the game 2-for-3 with two extra-base hits and two RBI. Rohlfing went 4-for-4 and scored a pair in his first game at Hammond Stadium since April.

The Cubs got their first a run in the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Burgess.

Daytona inched closer with a run in the sixth when Evan Crawford hit into a fielder’s choice that plated Matt Szczur. Bour pulled the Cubs within one with a run-scoring single off Miracle reliever Bruce Pugh. Recording the final two outs of the eighth and pitching a scoreless ninth, Pugh earned his 10th save.

Dean (2-1) went 7 1/3 innings, his longest of the season, and allowed three runs on six hits with a walk and a strikeout.

The Miracle (10-9, 44-45) host the Cubs (9-10, 56-32) Thursday night at Hammond Stadium.