Late Rally Comes up Short Despite Longball, Strong Relief Work

JUPITER, FL—Hector Rodriguez hit his league-leading fifth home run, Mason Pelio delivered 4.0 scoreless innings, and Yerlin Confidan ripped three hits, but a comeback effort fell short as the Daytona Tortugas fell 5-3 to the Palm Beach Cardinals on Wednesday night at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium.

Palm Beach (13-10) defeated the Tortugas for the seventh straight time as Daytona’s (8-16) attempt at a third comeback this season from five runs down came one clutch hit short.

In the first inning, Palm Beach got off a strong start. The first two batters walked against Daytona starter Jared Lyons. After an infield single loaded the bases with one out, a wild pitch brought home one runner. However, Won-Bin Cho tried to score as the throw home eluded Lyons, but Michel Triana alertly corralled the loose ball and found Lyons covering the plate to cut down a second runner, helping avert further damage.

In the second, though back-to-back singles began the inning. A ground ball to first followed, but it was booted for an error, scoring a run. That error proved to be especially costly, as two more runs followed, with three unearned runs coming home in the frame to give Palm Beach a 4-0 lead.

After Lyons left with one out in the third, Jean Correa notched a pair of strikeouts, including one with the bases loaded to end the inning. He was not as lucky in the fourth, though, as Palm Beach strung together three singles to push across a run, taking a 5-0 lead.

Pelio relieved Correa in the fifth and stabilized things on the mound. While he did not throw a 1-2-3 inning at any point in his outing, he did keep Palm Beach off the scoreboard.

In the meantime, Daytona got on the board in the sixth as Rodriguez led off with his second homer in as many nights, a 106-MPH laser that landed 389 feet over the right field wall. The home run moved him into sole possession of the Florida State League with five round-trippers.

Laser show from Hector Rodriguez! 106 off the bat, 389 to right for HR #5 on the season!

5-1 Palm Beach in the 6th pic.twitter.com/7mlBp1jYDa

— Daytona Tortugas (@daytonatortugas) May 4, 2023

An inning later, Ariel Almonte led off with a single and motored home from first on Confidan’s RBI double to deep right-center. With two outs, a pop-up into shallow center field was dropped, allowing Confidan to score, trimming the deficit to 5-3.

Pelio struck out three straight after a leadoff hit batter in the seventh and navigated around a two-out double in the eighth, finishing his outing with 4.0 scoreless innings and a career-high six strikeouts.

In the ninth, Daytona mounted a threat against Palm Beach closer Roy Garcia, as Almonte walked and went to third on Confidan’s second double (and third hit) of the night. However, Garcia buckled down with a strikeout and a ground out, as Daytona fell 5-3.

The Tortugas will play game five against the Palm Beach Cardinals at 6:30 on Thursday evening. Daytona’s starter is still to be determined while Palm Beach counters with LHP Pete Hansen (1-0, 2.79). Pregame on the Tortugas Radio Network and Bally Live with the Voice of the Tortugas Brennan Mense at 4:45 from at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium in Jupiter.

Daytona Tortugas single-game tickets and ticket packages are on sale now at daytonatortugas.com, (386) 257-3172, or the box office at 110 East Orange Ave.

ABOUT THE DAYTONA TORTUGAS

The Daytona Tortugas are the Single-A Affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds and a member of Minor League Baseball’s Florida State League. The Tortugas play at Jackie Robinson Ballpark in downtown Daytona Beach, Fla. Jackie Robinson Ballpark also plays host to Bethune-Cookman University, the Jackie Robinson Ballpark Museum, and many community events and initiatives of all sizes throughout the year.