Rooker Homers in 5-4 Loss at Palm Beach

JUPITER, Fla. (August 7, 2017) - Brent Rooker belted a three-run home run in the Fort Myers Miracle's (27-17) 5-4 loss to the Palm Beach Cardinals (21-22) on Monday night. Palm Beach scored all of their runs in the third inning to snap Fort Myers' five game win streak.
The Miracle struck first with a run in the third against RHP Jake Woodford (W, 6-6). Brandon Lopez slapped a two-out single to right field to score Tanner English.
In the bottom of the third, the Cardinals got to RHP Eddie Del Rosario (L, 1-1) with five runs. After back-to-back singles by the 8 and 9 men in the order, Del Rosario issued a one-out walk to load the bases. He then walked Casey Grayson to force home the tying run. A single by Chris Chinea and an RBI-groundout by Leobaldo Pina gave Palm Beach a 3-1 lead. With two outs, Casey Turgeon provided the big blow with a two-run double to extend the lead to 5-1.
Del Rosario got through four innings, and his bullpen picked him up with RHP Williams Ramirez and LHP Michael Theofanopoulos firing scoreless frames the rest of the way.
In the top of the sixth, Rooker stepped up with two outs and two on against RHP Estarlin Arias and boomed a ball out to left. The three-run bomb was his fourth in the FSL and brought the Miracle within a run.
Fort Myers picked up hits in each of the last three innings, but could not get the tying run home as Arias, LHP Brady Bowen (H, 6) and RHP Eric Carter (Sv, 2) sealed the win for the Cardinals.
The two teams square off in Game Two on Tuesday night at 6:30 PM ET. RHP Brady Anderson opposes RHP Ramon Santos.
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