CARDS BLAST PAST METS TO OPEN LONG HOMESTAND

JOHNSON CITY - The Johnson City Cardinals returned to the win column with an impressive 7-4 win vs. the first-place Kingsport Mets Friday. Chandler Redmond went deep, and Wilfredo Pereira closed the game with three straight scoreless innings to notch his first save in front of a season-high 4,023 fans at TVA Credit Union Ballpark.
The weekend fan fun continues Saturday with an Andrew Knizner  Bobblehead Giveaway for the first 750 fans. It will also be the first Sound Off Saturday of the year. Gates will open at 5 p.m. and fans are invited to enjoy live music on the concourse presented by Campbell's Morell Music. 
Dalton Roach got the start for the Cardinals Friday evening and allowed solo home runs to the first two batters he faced, Kennie Taylor and Scott Ota. Roach settled in though, posting four straight scoreless and hitless innings from the second through the fifth. He struck out five, exited with a 4-2 lead and ultimately took a no-decision. 
Down 2-0, the Cardinal offense broke out of its recent slump with a three-run first turn vs. Mets starter Benito Garcia. Zach Jackson picked up a pair of RBIs on a double, and Terry Fuller added an RBI double of his own to make it 3-2.
The Mets tied the game at 4-4 in the sixth vs. Tyler Peck (1-0). Peck, who received the win, left a runner on third though to keep the game level. The bats responded again vs. Mets relief man Nixon Silva in the bottom of the sixth. Redmond tagged the lefty for a solo home run, his second long ball of the year, before Carlos Soler and David Vinsky piled on RBI singles to run the lead to 7-4.
Pereira entered in the seventh and turned in a stellar final stretch. He struck out four over three scoreless frames. The righty, who lowered his ERA to 0.90, left men on the corners in the eighth and struck out a pair in the ninth to seal the win.
Gil and Soler each finished with multi-hit games. Fuller reached three times, as did Soler and Liam Sabino. 
The victory pulled the second-place Cardinals within a half game of Kingsport for the division lead. Johnson City (5-4) will meet the Mets (6-4) again Saturday evening at 6:30 p.m. RHP Will Guay (0-0, 0.00 ERA) will get the ball for the Cards. RHP Michael Otanez (1-1, 4.50 ERA) will start for Kingsport.
The Cards stay in town through July 3 vs. Kingsport and Greeneville. The full Johnson City Cardinals schedule for this season and season ticket information can be found online at jccardinals.com, or by calling the Cardinals Ticket Office at 423-461-4866.
ABOUT THE JOHNSON CITY CARDINALS
The Johnson City Cardinals are the Rookie affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. Members of the ten-team Appalachian League, Cardinals baseball has been entertaining families and fans of America's national pastime in the East Tennessee region for over 50 years. To learn more about the Johnson City Cardinals, visit www.jccardinals.com.
[STORY PHOTO: ROBERT KELL]