FSL1 Charlotte Stone Crabs

Cardinals Rally to Win 4-3

Published on August 8, 2014 under Florida State League (FSL1)
Charlotte Stone Crabs News Release


JUPITER, FL - Early on it appeared as if the Stone Crabs were headed down the right road in the third and deciding game in Palm Beach. They had spooked Cardinals' first round pick Luke Weaver after just an inning and two thirds and had a 3-0 lead after the second. However, the bats disappeared once they ran into the Cardinals bullpen and four unanswered runs by the `Birds carried them to a 4-3 clincher in front of 2,584 at Roger Dean Stadium.

The Stone Crabs nine-game winning streak came to an end at the feet of another former first rounder in Tyrell Jenkins on Thursday night. In the first, Weaver surrendered singles at the top of the order to Tim Beckham and Johnny Field. The second single into left was chased down by Jimmy Bosco, who threw back to second baseman Mason Katz. He noticed Field scrambling back to first, but his throw sailed wide of the bag and allowed Beckham to score the first run on the error.

Josh Sale opened the second with a single of his own, moving to second following a one out walk to Granden Goetzman. Once Beckham struck out, two out singles from Field and Tommy Coyle brought in a pair of runs to give the Stone Crabs a commanding 3-0 lead. Additionally, they had broken into the Cardinals bullpen, but that turned out to be the deciding factor in the game.

With the score still 3-0 in the fifth, Reinaldo Lopez returned after four shutout innings in which his control steadily improved as the night progressed. He got some help from his defense in the third when Luke Voit's two out single nearly scored Nick Martini from second after a leadoff double. Goetzman's throw from left field skipped in on one perfect bounce for catcher Maxx Tissenbaum to tag a sliding Martini for the final out.

Ildemaro Vargas bounced a 1-1 pitch to shortstop Juniel Querecuto, but the throw to first pulled Leonard off the bag to start the home fifth. On a 3-2 pitch to Gerwuins Velazco, Vargas took off from first and got to third on a single through the right side. The next pitch to Martini was belted for a two-run double which pulled the Cardinals to within a run at 3-2. Greg Miclat then lopped a grounder to the right side for Beckham, who was sprinting to his left towards the hole. He got to the ball, but his toss to first missed the bag and clanked near the first base dugout which allowed Martini to score the tying run.

The Cardinals opened the sixth against Marcus Jensen (5-5) with a bang thanks to a leadoff double from Bosco. Two lineouts brought up the number nine hitter Velazco, who came through yet again with another single into right. Sale's throw to the plate was close, but it pulled Tissenbaum up the third base line and Bosco slid around the tag to give the Cardinals their first lead at 4-3.

Thomas Lee followed Weaver with two scoreless innings, but the evening belonged to Cardinals' 2014 second round pick Andrew Morales (1-0). He fired more than four innings of hitless relief for his first professional win, and Chris Perry nailed down his fourth save with a perfect ninth that featured a pair of strikeouts.

The Stone Crabs head home to Charlotte Sports Park to open a six-game homestand starting with the Jupiter Hammerheads on Saturday night at 6:00 PM. You can follow all the action by listening to the game on www.stonecrabsbaseball.com via TuneIn Radio, or tuning into 91.7 FM-WVIJ in the Port Charlotte area. The Stone Crabs Pregame Show starts at 5:40 PM on the Stone Crabs Radio Network!

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Florida State League Stories from August 8, 2014


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