Palm Beach Pummels Daytona Early to Take Series Lead

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla—Yerlin Confidan doubled, homered, and scored twice, but the Palm Beach Cardinals scored five runs over the first innings and opened the Florida State playoffs by defeating the Daytona Tortugas 8-3 on Tuesday night at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.

Palm Beach (1-0, 83-47) stroked 11 hits and turned three double plays as Daytona (0-1, 64-64) will head to Palm Beach on Thursday with its season on the line.

In the first inning, both teams broke out the longball. Against Daytona starter Dualvert Gutierrez, Bryce Madron walked, then JJ Wetherholt rifled a two-run home run off the scoreboard in left-center to put the Cardinals in front 2-0.

Daytona answered right back with a roundtripper. Leadoff off against Palm Beach starter Jose Davila, Confidan won a nine-pitch battle by driving a solo home run 398 feet to left for a solo shot, cutting the deficit in half.

Palm Beach, though, answered right back with a vengeance in the second. A pair of singles and a wild pitch set up a two-out, two-run double to right for Christian Martin. Madron then singled to left-center, bringing in a third run to push the Cardinal lead to 5-1.

Daytona failed to cash in on a two-on, no-out chance in the second, but did in the third. Confidan walked, then went to third on a Peyton Stovall single. After a strikeout, Ryan McCrystal blooped an RBI single to left to make it 5-2. Ariel Almonte then ripped a 110-mph line drive, but it was snagged by first baseman Josh Kross, who doubled off McCrystal on the unlucky out to end the inning.

Out of the bullpen, David Lorduy kept the Tortugas in striking range as the right-hander spun 1-2-3 third and fourth innings. He issued a one-out walk in the fifth, but struck out the next two batters. Lorduy spun 3.0 hitless innings, striking out four and walking one.

Still trailing 5-2, Stephen Quigley came out of the bullpen in the sixth. However, he was greeted by a walk and a single. Joshua Baez then stroked a two-run triple to right-center. Two batters later, he scored on a double play to push the Cardinal lead to 8-2.

At that point, Palm Beach cruised to the finish line. Quigley settled down to throw three scoreless innings to finish the night on the mound. However, Daytona’s offense struggled to put together a rally.

Confidan doubled to lead off the eighth—Daytona’s only hit in the final six innings—but failed to score. In the ninth, Almonte led off with a walk, stole second, went to third on a flyout and came home on a wild pitch. That was as close as the Tortugas would get, though, as Palm Beach took the series lead with an 8-3 victory.

The Tortugas will have Wednesday off before playing Game 2 of the series at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium in Jupiter, Florida on Thursday, September 12 at 6:30 p.m. Pregame coverage on the Tortugas Radio Network and MiLB.tv/Bally Live with the Voice of the Tortugas, Brennan Mense, will begin at 6:15 p.m.