FSL1 Palm Beach Cardinals

Cardinals Complete Doubleheader Sweep of Miracle

Published on July 9, 2014 under Florida State League (FSL1)
Palm Beach Cardinals News Release


Jupiter, FL - The Palm Beach Cardinals got two complete games, a pair of big home runs and a walk-off base hit on Wednesday night to sweep the Fort Myers Miracle in a doubleheader at Roger Dean Stadium. Gerwuins Velazco provided the walk-off winner in the bottom of the seventh inning in game one to give the Cards a 3-2 win while Bruce Caldwell drove in three runs in game two to lead Palm Beach to a 4-1 victory.

With two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh inning in game one, Velazco drove a line-drive single into left field to bring Nick Martini to the plate and give the Cardinals the thrilling 3-2 walk-off win. Martini and Anthony Garcia each singled and Cesar Valera walked to create the traffic jam before Velazco's late-game heroics.

It was the Birds' sixth walk-off victory of the year.

After falling behind 2-0, Martini tied the game with one powerful swing of his bat in the fourth. The Cardinals' right fielder muscled a Tim Shibuya pitch over the right field wall for his second long ball of the year. Caldwell, who singled earlier in the frame, scored on the play to even the score at 2-2.

Silfredo Garcia (7.0IP, 4H, 2ER, BB, 7K) and Jimmy Reed (7.0IP, 4H, ER, 6K) were fantastic on the mound for Palm Beach on the night. Each hurler went the distance and picked up the win.

Garcia (5-1), who started game one, has surrendered three or fewer runs in all nine of his starts this season for Palm Beach. Reed (3-0), the Cardinals' game two starter, is 3-0 with three quality starts in as many games for Palm Beach this year. The complete game was the first in his professional career.

The Cardinals (14-5, 50-38) played small ball to perfection to jump out to a 3-0 lead in game two. Caldwell was behind all three of the runs.

In the first, Charlie Tilson singled to left-center and was standing on second after Ildemaro Vargas bunted him over. Caldwell followed with an RBI single to the gap in left-center to plate Tilson and give Palm Beach the 1-0 advantage.

The Cardinals have scored the first run in more games (54) than any other team in the Florida State League in 2014.

Dante Rosenberg singled and Tilson walked to start the third inning. Vargas' second sacrifice bunt of the game put runners on second and third with one out for Caldwell. The designated hitter delivered again in the RBI situation, sending a deep fly ball to the warning track in center field. Both Rosenberg and Tilson scored on the sacrifice fly to put Palm Beach ahead 3-0.

Caldwell leads the league with 31 RBI since May 29.

The Miracle (10-8, 51-36) got a run back in the fourth but Rosenberg dampened the Fort Myers spirit with a solo home run in the fifth. The Cardinals' backstop sent a 3-2 offering from Matt Tomshaw over the left field wall. His first blast of the year gave Palm Beach the 4-1 lead.

The two wins on Wednesday put Palm Beach back in first place in the FSL South - one game on top of St. Lucie.

Palm Beach and Fort Myers will wrap up the three-game series on Thursday night at 6:35 p.m. LH Kyle Helisek (4-3, 3.09) will start for the Cardinals against RH Ethan Mildren (0-0, 0.00) for the Miracle. The game will be broadcast on PalmBeachCardinals.com.

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Florida State League Stories from July 9, 2014


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