FSL1 Palm Beach Cardinals

Martini Slam Leads Cards to Rout of Tigers

Published on July 28, 2014 under Florida State League (FSL1)
Palm Beach Cardinals News Release


Jupiter, FL - Nick Martini launched two home runs, including a grand slam in the eighth inning, and Corey Baker led a stingy pitching effort as the Palm Beach Cardinals cruised past the Lakeland Flying Tigers 11-0 on Monday night at Roger Dean Stadium. It is the largest margin of victory for Palm Beach this season.

Already leading 7-0 in the eighth, Martini put an exclamation point on what was one of the best team wins for the Cardinals this season. Stepping into the box with the bases juiced, Martini crushed a high fly ball over the right field wall to clear the bases and pad the Birds' lead to 11-0.

Martini, who also recorded a solo blast in the fourth, has gone deep three times in the last two days and now has five on the year. He finished the evening 3-for-5 at the plate and is batting .412 (14-for-34) with 10 runs and seven RBI on his current eight-game hitting streak. His five RBI on Monday ties Alex Mejia for the most in a single Palm Beach game this year.

Luke Voit smacked a monster home run to straightaway center field in the third inning to give the Cardinals three long ball on the night. His two-run shot off Tanner Bailey put Palm Beach on top 4-0.

The Cardinals have gone yard eight times over the last four games and lead the league with 24 homers this month. Gerwuins Velazco provided the team's first grand slam of the year last night.

As if the massive amount of run support from Martini, Voit and the rest of the Cardinals (25-12, 62-45) wasn't enough, Baker and Birds' bullpen were extra stingy on the mound.

Baker, who made a spot start in place of recently promoted Jimmy Reed, was dominant on the bump for the Cardinals. He allowed just three hits over five scoreless frames, walked one and fanned six in his second start of the season. Baker (5-1) has only surrendered one run in his last 18.2 innings spanning six games.

Thomas Lee and Logan Billbrough picked up right where Baker left off out of the bullpen. Each hurler went two shutout innings of relief and scattered three hits. The duo combined for seven strikeouts to give the Cards 13 total on the night.

The 11-0 blanking marks the team's seventh shutout win in 2014.

The Cardinals jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second inning when Mason Katz hit an RBI groundout and Greg Miclat slapped an RBI single to left-center field. David Popkins and Anthony Garcia notched back-to-back singles to lead off the inning and both touched home.

After Voit's two-run homer in the third made it a 4-0 lead for the Redbirds, Popkins doubled and dented the plate again on a Katz single to left.

Popkins went 3-for-4 with two runs and was one of five Cardinals to record multi-hit games. Martini, Voit, Garcia, and Katz all hit safely at least twice in the contest.

Bailey (1-3) was charged with six runs - four earned - on 10 hits over four innings for the Flying Tigers (9-27, 51-52). Tyler Clark allowed five runs on three hits in the eighth without recording an out.

The two teams will square off again on Tuesday night at Roger Dean Stadium. LH Kyle Helisek (5-5, 3.47) will start for Palm Beach against LH Locke St. John (0-2, 7.11) for Lakeland. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.

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Florida State League Stories from July 28, 2014


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