Pino, Acosta Homer, but Tortugas Turned Back Late in 7-6 Defeat
JUPITER, FL—Yassel Pino and Victor Acosta homered while Pino and Cade Hunter each stroked three hits, but the Daytona Tortugas were turned back by the Palm Beach Cardinals 7-6 on Wednesday night at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Palm Beach (28-19) won a one-run game for the second straight night to
JUPITER, FL—Yassel Pino and Victor Acosta homered while Pino and Cade Hunter each stroked three hits, but the Daytona Tortugas were turned back by the Palm Beach Cardinals 7-6 on Wednesday night at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium.
Palm Beach (28-19) won a one-run game for the second straight night to begin the series as Daytona (19-28) pounded out 13 hits, but went just 2-for-14 with runners in scoring position.
Daytona got the scoring started right away against Palm Beach starter Pete Hansen. Hector Rodriguez led off the contest by blasting the second pitch of the game off the left field wall for a leadoff triple, his fifth of the season. Johnny Ascanio followed with a ground ball to short that brought home Rodriguez for the game’s first run.
One inning later, the Tortugas doubled the lead. Pino led off and lined a 2-0 fastball from Hansen 381 feet over the left field wall for his second home run of the season, putting Daytona ahead 2-0.
.@yasselpino lifts off! He hits a 108 MPH laser over the left-field wall to leadoff the inning, his second longball of the season!
— Daytona Tortugas (@daytonatortugas) May 31, 2023
2-0 Daytona after 2! pic.twitter.com/WjSJjXwmWK
On the other side, Daytona starter Kenya Huggins kicked off his outing by retiring the first eight batters he faced. However, Palm Beach woke up. Brandon Hernandez and Alex Iadisernia each doubled, bringing in a run. R.J. Yeager followed with a single up the middle to tie the game. After a walk, Huggins departed for Jacob Heatherly, who walked his first batter to load the bases, but then picked up a strikeout to keep the game tied at two each.
Daytona promptly re-gained the lead in the fourth. Pino and Hunter led off with singles to put runners on the corners with no outs. Acosta followed with a slow roller to third that went for a fielder’s choice to score Pino, putting Daytona back in front 3-2.
Palm Beach, though, went right back to work against Heatherly. After a hit batter opened the inning, a double off the wall put two in scoring position with no out. After a strikeout, a throwing error on a pickoff attempt brought in a run to tie the game. A walk put runners at the corners for Iadisernia, who ripped another double, scoring both runners to put Palm Beach in the lead.
Heatherly then departed for Mason Pelio, who was greeted by a sacrifice fly from Yeager to bring home another run, upping the Cardinals’ lead to 6-3.
In the sixth, Daytona got a run back as Acosta led off the inning by depositing Hansen’s first pitch 376 feet over the left field wall for his first home run of the season, trimming the deficit to 6-4.
Victor Acosta opens the 6th with a LONG home run to left, his first of the season!
— Daytona Tortugas (@daytonatortugas) June 1, 2023
6-4 Palm Beach mid-6 pic.twitter.com/NW3b2QSMse
However, Palm Beach loaded the bases on two hit batters and a single before Yeager grounded out to bring home a run, once more putting the Cardinals back in front by three.
Daytona refused to go down quietly, though against reliever Angel Cuenca. A walk and Pino’s third hit of the night put two in scoring position in the seventh. Hunter came through with his third hit of the night, a single through the right side that scored both runners, making it a one-run game.
On the other side, Pelio settled down to throw a scoreless seventh inning, finishing off 3.2 innings of relief allowing one run on just one hit, one walk, and five strikeouts to keep Daytona in the game.
Trailing 7-6, Logan Tanner doubled to center to lead off the eighth against Chandler Arnold and was sacrificed to third, but the Tortugas could not push him across as Arnold induced a strikeout and groundout to preserve the lead.
In the ninth, Cam Collier walked with one out against Joseph King and pinch-runner Yerlin Confidan moved to second on a wild pitch. King, though, struck out both Pino and Hunter on full-count deliveries to end the game, preserving a second straight one-run win for Palm Beach.
The Tortugas will return to action Thursday night for game three against the Palm Beach Cardinals. Daytona will throw RHP Chris McElvain (2-2, 2.48) against Palm Beach RHP Hancel Rincon (5-2, 3.15). First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. with pregame on the Tortugas Radio Network with the Voice of the Tortugas Brennan Mense at 6:15 from Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium.
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.