Cuas Comes Through as Manatees topple Cardinals


Jose Cuas
Another night, another late-inning win for the Brevard County Manatees. After coming back twice to beat the Palm Beach Cardinals on Monday in 11 innings, they scored three times in the eighth inning on Tuesday, resulting in a 6-5 win. Jose Cuas landed the big blow in that frame, with a two-run single.

Right handed pitcher Marcos Diplan was on the hill for the Manatees making his first start of the season, since being called up from Low-A Wisconsin earlier this month. The Cardinals Casey Turgeon greeted him rudely, as he hit a triple to center field, which was deflected to right fielder Clint Coulter. Diplan made the pitch he needed to the next batter, getting Cole Lankford to hit it to Wendell Rijo at second. Rijo came home with the ball and Turgeon was out at the plate.

The reprieve didn’t last long, because Casey Grayson doubled to center, scoring Lankford with the first run. Michael Pritchard then reached on an error by third baseman George Iskenderian and that brought Grayson home, giving Palm Beach a 2-0 lead.
A walk and a passed ball got Diplan into trouble in the third, putting runners at the corners. Turgeon cashed in a run with a double, making it 3-0. Diplan came back to get a strikeout and a ground out, stranding a runner at third.

Palm Beach starter Ian McKinney held the Manatees at bay for the first three innings, allowing just a walk to Dustin Houle in the third. After retiring Rijo to start the fourth, McKinney gave up a double to Dustin DeMuth. One out later, Elvis Rubio knocked him in with a single to center. Iskenderian followed with an RBI double, drawing the Manatees within one, 3-2.

Diplan got through the fifth unscathed, before giving way to Kender Villegas (5-5). Diplan gave up three runs (two earned) on four hits, walked two and struck out six. That is about as good a start as you can hope for from a guy making his first start at the High-A level. He threw 82 pitches, 54 were strikes.

The Manatees (31-62, 8-17) evened things up in the top of the sixth, thanks in large part to a botched pickoff. Rijo singled to start the inning and McKinney tried to pick him off, but the throw was wide and Rijo went to second. DeMuth singled and Rijo beat the throw to third. DeMuth alertly moved to second on the play. Rijo came home on Clint Coulter’s ground out, tying the game at three.
Brevard County only led once in this game, but that’s all they needed, scoring three times in the top of the eighth. 

After DeMuth singled to start the eighth, Cody Schumacher came in from the Palm Beach bullpen, taking over for Michael Heesch (1-2), who pitched the seventh and to DeMuth. Schumacher’s first pitch went as a passed ball, moving DeMuth to second. Coulter drew a walk and Rubio laid down a bunt, that Turgeon threw away, allowing Rubio to reach first safely and load the bases.

Iskenderian singled to right, scoring DeMuth and keeping the bases loaded. Blake Allemand and Houle were both retired and the Cardinals were one out away from getting out if it. Cuas had other ideas. He lined a single to left, scoring two and putting the Manatees up 6-3.

Turns out they would need all of those runs, as Palm Beach scored twice in the bottom of the eighth. Grayson and Michael Pritchard singled with one out and Thomas Spitz walked, to load the bases. That signaled the end of the night for Villegas, as Clint Terry came in to spell him.

Orlando Olivera wasted no time, driving a two-run single to right and cutting the ‘Tees lead to 6-5. To his credit, Terry bounced back nicely, getting Steve Bean to ground into a double play, ending the inning.

That was as close as Palm Beach (40-54, 8-18) would get, with neither team doing much in the ninth. With that, Brevard County got their second win in a row. Cuas, who had the game-winning hit, finished the night 2-for-4. Iskenderian also went 2-for-4. DeMuth went 3-for-4 and continues to lead the Manatees hit parade on a nightly basis.

For more info: Brevard County @ Palm Beach Boxscore

Corey Ray, who came into the game with a nine game hit streak, had an 0-for-4 night with a strikeout and a walk. He will look to start a new streak on Wednesday, as these two teams wrap up their four-game series. 

The Manatees have not officially named their starter, but Cody Ponce would be the logical assumption, based on the way the rotation has been going. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m.

This article originally appeared on 27OutsBaseball.com on 7/19/16

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