Cardinals Earn League-Leading 10th Shutout with 2-0 Victory over Threshers in Series Opener

JUPITER, FL - After beginning the series opener on Tuesday at 5:02 p.m., the Palm Beach Cardinals (47-34, 10-5) came back to work on Wednesday to hold on for a shutout victory of 2-0 against the Clearwater Threshers (48-34, 5-11) at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. The second game, the originally scheduled game for Wednesday night, could not be finished and is suspended with the Cardinals leading the Threshers 4-3 in the top of the fifth inning with two outs.

Palm Beach got the scoring started in the bottom of the second inning off of Clearwater starting pitcher Luke Russo (L, 4-3). Anyelo Encarnacion led off the frame with a double and two batters later Ross Friedrick smoked an RBI single to center field to give Palm Beach the early 1-0 lead.

After Palm Beach starting pitcher Jason Savacool tossed three scoreless innings, the game entered a rain delay and later was suspended to be resumed on Wednesday evening.

After nearly 24 hours had past, the Cardinals came up to bat in the bottom of the third inning now facing Clearwater relief pitcher Jonathan Petit. With runners at first and second base and two outs, Kade Kretzschmar hit an RBI single to left field scoring Chase Davis to give Palm Beach an insurance run and a 2-0 lead.

For the rest of the ballgame, both offenses were kept in check. Benjamin Arias (W, 5-1) came out of the bullpen for Palm Beach and tossed four scoreless innings with just two hits allowed and struck out four batters. Henry Gomez (Sv, 6) followed that with two scoreless innings of his own to pick up the save and secure the series opening victory by a 2-0 final score over Clearwater.

Palm Beach pitchers held the Threshers to just three hits in the ballgame to earn their league-leading 10th shutout of the season. The Cardinals have earned a shutout in three of their last five wins going back to July 2nd at Jupiter. Jose Suarez picked up an infield single which extended his hit streak to seven games to begin his Single-A career. Davis and Trey Paige each had two hits in the contest.

Game two of the double-header could not be finished due to inclement weather. The Cardinals currently lead the Threshers 4-3 in the top of the fifth inning with two outs.

The Cardinals and Threshers will try again with a double-header on Thursday, July 11th. The suspended game will resume at 5:00 p.m. in the top of the fifth inning and will go seven innings. Then, game two will take place approximately a half hour after the completion of game one. Click here to purchase your tickets for the ballgame which are valid for both games of the double-header. Gates will open at 4:30 p.m.

Silver Sluggers Program: Want to beat every early-bird special in Palm Beach County? Fans 55 and up can click here to become a member of the Silver Sluggers program which gets you a ticket to every Wednesday Florida State League game, a chance to win prizes in baseball bingo, an official Silver Sluggers T-shirt, a team store discount, and a free hot dog and soda at the ballpark.

Thirsty Thursday: All fans 21 and up can click here to become a part of Thirsty Thursdays at The Dean. For $75, fans get a reserved box seat to every Thursday Florida State League game and a special koozie which gets you access to $1, $2, and $3 drink specials.

Kids Club: Kids can click here take part in the best entertainment deal in Palm Beach County. For $30, members receive tickets to every Saturday Florida State League game, a free hot dog and soda at the game, an official Kids Club T-shirt, a team store discount, and a chance to run the bases after the game.

About Jupiter Stadium, LTD:

Opening in 1998, the 110-acre complex/stadium is specially designed to house two Major League and two Minor League Baseball Teams. The stadium is home to the Miami Marlins and the St. Louis Cardinals for Spring Training. The Florida State League’s Jupiter Hammerheads (Class A Affiliate of the Miami Marlins) and Palm Beach Cardinals (Class A Affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals) make their home at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium from April through September. This year-round facility can accommodate the smallest birthday party to the largest corporate outing, while never forgetting that each and every fan is our most important product.