Palm Beach Forces Winner-Take-All Game Three with 8-4 Victory over Lakeland in Game Two
JUPITER, FL – The Palm Beach Cardinals force a winner-take-all game three as they defeated the Lakeland Flying Tigers 8-4 in game two of the Florida State League Championship Series on Tuesday night at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Lakeland put the pressure on Palm Beach immediately in the top of
JUPITER, FL – The Palm Beach Cardinals force a winner-take-all game three as they defeated the Lakeland Flying Tigers 8-4 in game two of the Florida State League Championship Series on Tuesday night at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium.
Lakeland put the pressure on Palm Beach immediately in the top of the first inning off of Cardinals’ starting pitcher Jose Davila (W, 2-0). Nomar Faña led off with a walk and two batters later Josue Briceño hit an RBI triple off the right field wall to start the scoring. Two batters later with two outs, Garrett Pennington drove in Briceño to make it a 2-0 Flying Tigers lead.
The Cardinals responded offensively in the bottom of the second inning off of Lakeland starting pitcher Rayner Castillo (L, 1-1). Ian Petrutz led off the frame with a solo home run to left field, which was his first career professional home run, to get the Cardinals on the scoreboard. Later in the frame with two outs and Joshua Baez at third base, Lizandro Espinoza hit an RBI single to tie the ballgame at 2-2.
After a scoreless third inning, Lakeland capitalized in the top of the fourth. With one out, Franyerber Montilla hit a high-fly ball which was lost in the sky and resulted in a triple, and he scored on a wild pitch to give Lakeland the lead back at 3-2.
Davila finished with another gutsy, five-inning start as he finished with three earned runs on three hits.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, the Cardinals put up a crooked number. Espinoza hit a single with one out and stole second base. Later, with two outs, Bryce Madron tied the game on an RBI single. After JJ Wetherholt walked to put runners at first and second base, Lakeland made a pitching change to bring in Pedro Garcia. Josh Kross was the first batter to face Garcia, and he hit a three-run home run to left-center field for his first career professional home run, a three-run shot, to give the Cardinals their first lead at 6-3.
The Beach Birds added another run when Madron drove in Christian Martin on an RBI double, his second RBI of the game, in the bottom of the seventh inning to extend the Palm Beach lead to 7-3.
In the top of the eighth inning, Jose De La Cruz smacked a solo home run, his second of the series, to center field off of Jason Savacool (H, 1) which made it a 7-4 Palm Beach lead. Angel Cuenca (H, 2) recorded two of the three outs of the inning before Michael Watson (Sv, 1) finished the frame.
The Cardinals got the run back in the next half inning. With the bases loaded and one out, Martin hit a sacrifice fly to give the Beach Birds an added insurance run and take an 8-4 lead. Watson recorded the final four outs and struck out three batters and closed the door on a game two victory as the Cardinals won 8-4.
Offensively, seven of the starting nine hitters for Palm Beach had at least one hit and one run scored. Madron went 2-for-5 at the plate with two RBIs and a run scored. Espinoza finished 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored in his first playoff start. Wetherholt was hitless as his ten-game hit streak came to an end.
The Cardinals and Flying Tigers will play a winner-take-all game three on Wednesday, September 18th with first pitch scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Chen-Wei Lin is projected to start on the mound for Palm Beach in the final game of the FSL season. Palm Beach goes for its third title in franchise history while Lakeland goes for their fifth title.
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.