Stewart, Contreras Pace Tortugas in First Shutout Win of '23

JUPITER, FL—Sal Stewart and Yan Contreras each had two hits and three RBI and three Daytona hurlers held Palm Beach to just four hits as the Daytona Tortugas blanked the Palm Beach Cardinals 8-0 on Thursday night at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium.

Daytona (9-15) snapped a six-game skid against Palm Beach (13-11), earning their first shutout victory of 2023 and their first nine-inning shutout since July 31, 2022.

After both teams went down scoreless in the first, Daytona went to work in a big way against Palm Beach lefty Pete Hansen. Logan Tanner led off with a double to left, before a Yassel Pino single and a walk loaded the bases with no outs. Yerlin Confidan rifled a single to left to score a run and Andruw Salcedo drew a bases-loaded walk.

Contreras, playing in his first game of the season, then ripped a two-run double that hopped over the left-field wall—his first regular-season hit since 2019. Three batters later, Stewart put the icing on a six-run frame with a two-run single to right, putting Daytona ahead 6-0.

Daytona starter Bryce Hubbart battled his command, walking the bases loaded in the bottom of the second. However, he managed to induce a flyout to center to prevent any runs from scoring. He walked one more batter in the third, but retired the next three batters, finishing off an outing where he walked five, but allowed just one hit, struck out four and threw 3.0 scoreless innings.

Easton Sikorski (1-1) followed and delivered two excellent innings. After a 1-2-3 fourth, he struck out the side in the fifth, going six-up, six-down with four strikeouts in 2.0 perfect frames to earn his first win.

In the sixth, Daytona added more insurance against the Palm Beach bullpen. Salcedo led off the inning with a double to left-center, then scored when Contreras ripped another ground-rule double, driving in his third run of the game. Not to be outdone, Stewart later added an RBI double of his own, also driving in his third run of the night to make it 8-0.

From there, Ryan Cardona did the rest on the mound. The right-hander went the final 4.0 innings, allowing three hits and two walks, but no runs, while striking out five. Cardona picked up his first save of the season by going the remainder of the contest, closing out Daytona’s first shutout victory of the season.

The Tortugas will play game five against the Palm Beach Cardinals at 5:05 on Friday evening. Daytona will send RHP Tanner Cooper (First appearance in Daytona) while Palm Beach counters with RHP Hansel Rincon (3-1, 4.74). Pregame on the Tortugas Radio Network and Bally Live with the Voice of the Tortugas Brennan Mense at 4:50 from 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.