FSL1 Palm Beach Cardinals

Cardinals Remain Two Back After Splitting Doubleheader

Published on August 24, 2011 under Florida State League (FSL1)
Palm Beach Cardinals News Release


BRADENTON, Fla. - The Bradenton Marauders (35-20, 65-60) scored five runs in the sixth inning en route to a 9-4 victory over the Palm Beach Cardinals (33-24, 62-64) in the resumption of a suspended game Wednesday night at McKechnie Field.

The game was originally suspended in the bottom of the third inning Tuesday night due to rain with the score tied 1-1. The two teams will follow with a seven-inning game two of the series as part of a doubleheader.

Justin Smith (3-8, 5.71 ERA) suffered the loss for Palm Beach after taking over for original starter Richard Castillo, who allowed a run on two hits through the first two innings Tuesday night. Smith gave up six hits, a walk and three earned runs through 3.0 innings and left with a runner aboard in the sixth. The right-hander is now 2-2 with a 3.86 ERA in 13 relief appearances after going 1-6 with a 6.49 ERA in 14 starts to begin the season.

Bradenton manufactured a run in the first inning off Castillo Tuesday night, breaking his consecutive scoreless-innings streak at 14.0. Robbie Grossman was able to come all the way around to score after a leadoff single on a well-placed groundout from Adalberto Santos and a RBI-single from catcher Ramon Cabrera.

Palm Beach came right back to tie the game in the second on a string of three-straight two-out hits, the latter of which gave Starlin Rodriguezhis 15 th RBI on the season. The ballgame was then suspended shortly after due to heavy rain before being picked up in the bottom of the third Wednesday night, when the Marauders jumped out to take a one-run lead thanks to a Cabrera RBI-double.

Once again the Cardinals came back to tie the game on three straight hits and this time managed to take the lead in the fourth. Greg Garcia doubled, Rainel Rosario cracked a single to center and Xavier Scruggs brought both men home with his 25th double of the season that briefly game Palm Beach a 3-2 advantage.

The lead proved brief indeed, however, as Grossman connected on his 13thhomer to lead off the bottom half of the frame that tied it at 3-3. Bradenton broke the game open in the next inning with six hits, a walk and five runs to take a commanding 8-3 lead.

Kelson Brown led off the fateful sixth with a double that knocked Smith from the game, bringing in righty Seth Maness for his second appearance as a Cardinal. Maness proceeded to give up three consecutive singles and a walk before recording his first out, then saw two more hits go past him before retiring the side with a sharp lineout to shortstop. Benji Gonzalez, Santos, Elevys Gonzalez and Carlos Paulino all recorded RBI for Bradenton in the frame.

Scruggs managed to knock home his third run of the game in the seventh on a groundout but it ultimately proved too little, too late as the Cards ended up losing 9-4. Maness allowed four runs off five hits in an inning of work and Chris Corrigan also gave up a run in the final two innings. The 15 hits allowed was two shy of a season-high for the Palm Beach pitching staff.

Brian Leach (3-4, 7.91 ERA) earned the win for Bradenton.

For more information on the Palm Beach Cardinals, Class-A Advanced affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals, please call (561) 775-1818 or visit www.palmbeachcardinals.com. For tickets and more information regarding Roger Dean Stadium, please visit www.rogerdeanstadium.com.

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Florida State League Stories from August 24, 2011


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