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Palm Beach Cardinals

Cardinals Clinch 2014 RDS Cup

August 20, 2014 - Florida State League (FSL1)
Palm Beach Cardinals News Release


Jupiter, FL - Nick Petree was sharp on the mound, Gerwuins Velazco hit a clutch two-run single in the seventh and the Palm Beach Cardinals edged the Jupiter Hammerheads 4-3 on Wednesday night at Roger Dean Stadium.

The Cardinals (35-23, 71-56) have won eight straight games against the Hammerheads (18-38, 45-80) and hold a 9-4 advantage in the season series with just four games remaining. For the seventh time in the last 10 years, Palm Beach will claim the Fins vs. Feathers Series.

The win also moves Palm Beach into a tie for first place in the Florida State League South Division standings. The Bradenton Marauders dropped a game to the Fort Myers Miracle on Wednesday and the two teams are neck and neck with 12 games left in the regular season.

Jupiter built a 2-0 lead heading into the seventh inning before Palm Beach could light the scoreboard. Luke Voit hit a leadoff double to deep center field and scored on a two-out throwing error later in the inning to cut the Sharks' lead in half, 2-1. Velazco then came through with a huge two-RBI single through the right side of the infield, giving Palm Beach the 3-2 lead. Anthony Garcia, who was hit by a Jake Esch fastball, and Mason Katz, who reached on the error, each scored on Velazco's two-out hit.

The Hammerheads battled back in the next inning, however, sparked by an Anthony Gomez leadoff double. Luis Sanz helped Gomez to third with a sacrifice bunt that put the Sharks in great position with just one out. Iden Nazario entered the game to relieve Petree and got Ryan Goetz to fly out before throwing one away. A breaking ball skidded to the backstop with Matt Juengel at the plate and Gomez scored on the wild pitch to tie the game 3-3.

Aledmys Diaz and Voit traded back-to-back singles in the bottom half of the eighth to put runners on the corners with nobody out for Palm Beach. Jupiter reliever Colby Suggs (1-6) got two huge strikeouts but a wild pitch with Garcia at the dish was all Diaz needed to score the go-ahead run. Suggs ultimately struck out the side, but the damage was done with the Cardinals ahead 4-3.

Kevin Herget pitched a perfect 1-2-3 ninth inning to preserve the win and earn his first save in a Palm Beach uniform.

Petree retired the first 10 batters he faced and was on point all night for the Cardinals. He was charged with three runs - two earned - on six hits over 7.1 innings and fanned two on the evening. Petree has the fourth-best ERA (2.23) in the league since joining the Cardinals on May 4.

Nazario (5-0) was credited with the win after getting two big outs in the eighth inning.

Esch was dominant on the mound for the Hammerheads for most of the night. The right-hander was charged with three unearned runs on six hits over 6.2 innings. All of the runs came after a two-out error in the seventh committed by Juan Avila. Esch walked one and struck out six in the contest.

The Cardinals and the Hammerheads will wrap up the three game set on Thursday night. RH Silfredo Garcia (6-3, 4.05) will start for Palm Beach against RH Cody Crabaugh for Jupiter. First pitch is set for 6:35 p.m.

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