Cardinals Fast Start Dooms Manatees

Fidedl Pena
Fidel Pena
The Palm Beach Cardinals lifted the lid on a four-game series against the Brevard County Manatees on Sunday, matching the Manatees with 13 hits and coming away with a 10-6 victory at Roger Dean Stadium. All of the Palm Beach starters had at least one hit and they were an impressive 7-for-12 with runners in scoring position, as a team.

Bubba Derby started the game for the Manatees and Palm Beach got to him right away, scoring five times in the bottom of the first. Andrew Brodbeck, Cole Lankford and Casey Grayson hit consecutive one out singles. Grayson’s knock scored Brodbeck, making it 1-0. A fourth consecutive single by Thomas Spitz moved Lankford to third and he scored on an Oscar Mercado sac fly. The big blow came off the bat of Orlando Olivera, who launched his fifth homer of the season to left. Just like that, it was 5-0.

Palm Beach starter Jacob Evans only lasted 2.2 innings and left without giving up a run. He gave way to Junior Fernandez after throwing 44 pitches, 26 for strikes. He walked one struck out two and allowed three hits. The Manatees got to Fernandez in the top of the fourth.

Elvis Rubio singled and Blake Allemand walked. After George Iskenderian singled to load the bases, Fidel Pena unloaded them with a double to right. All three runs scored and Pena went to third on the throw home. That made it a 5-3 game, but it seemed every time the Manatees would draw within striking distance, Palm Beach would tack on.

They did so in the bottom of the fourth, with a sac fly by Brodbeck, giving the Cardinals a 6-3 lead. It was another tough inning for Derby that saw him walk two, throw two wild pitches and hit a batter. He got through the inning, but was relieved by Zach Hirsch to start the fifth. Derby gave up six runs on six hits, all earned. He walked four and struck out three, throwing 50 of his 80 pitches for strikes.

The Manatees (6-17, 29-62) got a run back in the top of the sixth. Pena and Malik Collymore hit back-to-back singles to start the frame. Corey Ray, who extended his hitting streak to eight games with a leadoff single in the first, moved Pena to third with a fly out to left. Wendell Rijo knocked Pena in with a single and the Manatees cut the lead to 6-4. They were in good shape to add more with the middle of the lineup coming up, but Fernandez got both Dustin DeMuth and Clint Coulter swinging.

Palm Beach (40-52) answered with two runs in the bottom of the frame. With two down, Lankford doubled home Vaughn Bryan and Grayson doubled the Beach Birds lead to 8-4 with an RBI single.

The Manatees mounted one more rally in the top of the eighth, with all the damage being done with two outs. Ray singled and went to second on as wild pitch. With that hit, Ray extended his multi-hit game streak to six, so he is now in the midst of two impressive streaks, as he starts just his third week in the Florida State League. Rijo followed with an RBI double and went to third on an error by Spitz in left field. DeMuth knocked him home with a single and the Manatees were again within two, 8-6.

That was as close as Brevard County would get, as the Cardinals put the game away in the bottom of the eighth. Hirsch gave up a single, a walk and a stolen base, prompting a call to the bullpen with just one out. Josh Uhen came in and allowed a single to Grayson, loading the bases. Spitz followed with an RBI ground out and Lankford rode home on a Mercado single. Grayson tried to score behind Lankford, but was cut down at the plate on a throw by Rubio in right.

The eighth inning runs were charged to Hirsch and made it a 10-6 game. He gave up four runs in his 3.1 innings pitched, allowing five hits. He struck out two and walked one, throwing 56 pitches, 35 for strikes. Chandler Hawkins came in to close it down for Palm Beach in the ninth.

For more info: Brevard County @ Palm Beach boxscore

Palm Beach went 7-for-12 with runners in scoring position on Sunday and got multi-hit games from Lankford (3-for-3, 3 R, RBI) Grayson (3-for-3, 2 RBI, run). Pena led Brevard County with his 3-for-4 day, driving in three runs. DeMuth also had a three hit day, while Rijo and Ray had two each.

The series continues Monday with Eric Hanhold (2-11, 4.65 ERA) taking the mound for the Manatees. Palm Beach will counter with Matt Pearce (8-6, 2.26 ERA). First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m.

This article originally appeared on 27OutsBaseball.com on 7/17/16


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