Murray Marvelous, But Palm Beach Wins on Late Homer
May 22, 2025 - Florida State League (FSL)
Daytona Tortugas News Release
JUPITER, Fla - Zach Murray threw 5.0 excellent innings out of the bullpen in his Daytona debut, a three-run homer at the tail end of his outing lifted the Palm Beach Cardinals to a 5-4 victory over the Daytona Tortugas on a gloomy Thursday at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium.
Palm Beach (22-20) won by an identical 5-4 score for the second night in a row as Daytona (17-22) lost their fourth in a row, going 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position.
After a 92-minute delay before first pitch, Daytona got started right away against Palm Beach starter Leonel Sequera. Two walks and a bunt single from Sammy Stafura loaded the bases with no outs. After two strikeouts, Luis Reyes took a bases-loaded walk, Sequera's third of the inning, forcing Kyle Henley home with the first run of the game.
Palm Beach, though, answered right away. A leadoff walk was followed by a strikeout and a pop-up, but two singles loaded the bases with two down. A wild pitch followed to score Christian Martin, tying the game at 1-1.
After Daytona failed to cash in a two-on, no-out chance in the second, the Cardinals took the lead with a two-out rally. An infield single from Deniel Ortiz and stolen base was followed by a bunt hit from Martin. However, the ball was touched before rolling foul and Ortiz raced home from second to give Palm Beach a 2-1 lead.
In the third, though, the Tortugas answered back. Carter Graham led off with the first of his two hits on the night, then stole second. Ryan McCrystal then reached on an error, scoring Graham to tie the game. Two batters later, Jacob Friend ripped a double to left-center to score McCrystal, putting the Tortugas in front 3-2.
In the bottom of the frame, Murray entered to make his Tortugas debut and worked around two infield hits in a scoreless frame. He navigated around a one-out hit in the fourth, striking out the other three batters in the inning. He followed with 1-2-3 frames in the fifth and sixth, starting off his night with five strikeouts in 4.0 scoreless innings.
Murray returned for a fifth frame in the seventh and allowed a leadoff single to Ortiz. With one out, Cade McGhee doubled to the left-field corner, but Luis Leones and Stafura combined for a perfect relay home to throw out Ortiz easily. After a walk, though, Luis Pino crushed a three-run home run down the left-field line, turning the game around. Murray retired the next hitter to finish off a 5.0-inning outing, but Palm Beach now led 5-3.
After a 1-2-3 eighth from Jacob Edwards, who also made his Tortugas debut, Daytona mounted a threat in the ninth. Esmith Pineda led off with a pinch-hit single to extend his hitting streak to seven games, then Henley reached on a bunt hit with one out. After a wild pitch moved both men into scoring position with one out, Stafura grounded out to bring in Pineda and move the tying run to third. After a walk, though, a pop-out on the infield ended the contest as the Tortugas came up 90 feet short, 5-4.
Daytona will play game four of a six-game series at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium against the Palm Beach Cardinals on Friday night. First pitch will be at 6:30 p.m. with pregame coverage with the Voice of the Tortugas, Brennan Mense, will begin on the Tortugas Radio Network at 6:20.
Tickets for every Tortugas home game are available on our website, by calling 386-257-3172, or by visiting the Jackie Robinson Ballpark box office at 110 E. Orange Avenue.
Florida State League Stories from May 22, 2025
- Murray Marvelous, But Palm Beach Wins on Late Homer - Daytona Tortugas
- Pino's Late Home Run Powers Palm Beach to Victory over Daytona - Palm Beach Cardinals
- Hammerheads Shut out Mets 3-0 - St. Lucie Mets
- Marauders Battle Back for Gritty 4-3 Win over Threshers - Bradenton Marauders
- Bullpen Shines Again, Duran Extends Streak in 3-1 Loss - Dunedin Blue Jays
- Mathison's Homer Gives Late Lead But Threshers Drop Second Straight - Clearwater Threshers
- Fort Myers Drops Third Straight Game to Lakeland, Falling 4-1 - Fort Myers Mighty Mussels
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
