FSL1 Palm Beach Cardinals

Cardinals Snap Losing Skid with Quality Team Win

Published on May 2, 2014 under Florida State League (FSL1)
Palm Beach Cardinals News Release


Jupiter, FL - Breyvic Valera and Ildemaro Vargas paced the offense with three hits apiece, David Washington crushed his sixth home run of the year, and the Palm Beach Cardinals cruised by the Fort Myers Miracle 8-2 on Thursday night at Roger Dean Stadium. The win ends a four-game losing streak for Palm Beach.

The Cardinals (11-16) received production from the entire lineup and utilized quality pitching from starter Thomas Lee and the bullpen to earn one of the best team victories of the season.

Every Cardinal starter in the order reached base in the 14-hit outburst. Valera led the way with a 3-for-5 performance, recording two triples, an RBI, and scored three runs. Vargas set a season-high with three hits, including a triple, and also touched home once for the Cardinals.

Jacob Wilson and Casey Rasmus each chipped in two hits and a scored in the game. Rasmus also drove in a pair of runs on his two doubles.

The most impressive swing of the evening came in the second inning, however. Washington sent a towering shot deep to center field on the first pitch he saw from Jose Berrios to put Palm Beach on top 1-0.

Washington is second in the Florida State League with six long balls this season.

The Birds added to the lead with a run in the fourth. Valera singled to center field and capitalized on three Miracle miscues to make it a 2-0 game. The second baseman made the round-trip on a passed ball, a Berrios wild pitch, and a throwing error by Jairo Rodriguez.

Rasmus nearly scored another run in the inning on a missed catch error on the warning track in right field. When Adam Walker couldn't make the play on a deep fly ball, Rasmus hustled around the bases but was thrown out at the plate.

Vargas tripled down the right field line in the fifth and Charlie Tilson, Bruce Caldwell, and Nick Martini followed with three straight singles to give Palm Beach a 4-0 advantage.

Lee, who cruised through the first five innings of the game, surrendered the only two Miracle runs in the sixth. Lee (2-2) scattered nine hits and struck out three over six to collect the win and quality start.

Up 4-2 in the sixth, the Cardinals put the game out of reach with a run in the bottom half of the inning, and three more in the seventh.

Valera clubbed his first triple to right to lead off the sixth and Rasmus sent him home with his first double to make it 5-2 in favor of the Cards.

The duo did it again in the seventh. Valera connected on an RBI triple while Rasmus hit an RBI double to pad the Palm Beach lead to 7-2. Tilson drove in his second run of the game to complete the scoring at 8-2.

Aidan Lucas and Dixon Llorens combined for three scoreless innings of relief without allowing a hit to finish the game. Each hurler recorded two strikeouts on the night.

Berrios (1-2) suffered the loss for Fort Myers (16-11) after allowing four runs - three earned - on six hits over five innings.

The game started after a 44-minute rain delay.

The two clubs will meet again on Friday night for game two of the series. RH Cory Jones (1-0, 7.80) will start for Palm Beach against LH David Hurlbut (1-1, 1.59) for Fort Myers. The game will be broadcast live on PalmBeachCardinals.com. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.

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Florida State League Stories from May 2, 2014


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