Cardinals Fall to Mighty Mussels 8-1 on Thursday Night

JUPITER, FL – The Palm Beach Cardinals (25-26; 58-59) fell to the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels (26-24; 63-52) by a final score of 8-1 on Thursday night at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium.

After a delay of one hour and 17 minutes, the game started scoreless after the first inning. In the top of the second inning, Isaiah Lane hit his first professional home run against the Cardinals’ starting pitcher Gabriel Chinchilla to give Fort Myers an early 1-0 lead.

Chinchilla settled down after the first inning and finished with 3 2/3 innings pitched with one run allowed and struck out seven batters. It was the second time this season that Chinchilla had struck out seven batters after previously doing it at Fort Myers on July 31.

The Cardinals got on the scoreboard for the first time in the bottom of the fourth inning against Fort Myers starting pitcher Cristian Hernandez. Travis Honeyman, in his second rehab appearance from Double-A Springfield, was hit by a pitch and Trevor Condon followed with a single. After Honeyman and Condon advanced to second and third base with one out, Sebastian Dos Santos hit a sacrifice fly to left field to tie the game at 1-1 after four innings.

However, the Mighty Mussels immediately responded in the top of the fifth inning against Palm Beach relief pitcher Alan Reyes (L, 0-1). After Bryce Fowler hit a single and Hideki Prather reached on an error to lead off the frame, Merphy Hernandez hit a three-run home run to give Fort Myers a 4-1 lead.

With two outs in the top of the sixth inning, Reyes had to leave the game with an apparent injury. JR Fordham was pressed into duty out of the Cardinals’ bullpen to try and get the final out. However, the Mighty Mussels loaded the bases with two singles and a hit-by-pitch. Hernandez followed with a two-RBI single to center field to give Fort Myers a 6-1 lead.

Palm Beach’s offense was held quiet by Fort Myers relief pitcher Jake Covey (W, 3-0) in the middle innings as he tossed three shutout innings of one-hit ball with five strikeouts.

Fordham settled in after the sixth inning as he retired six consecutive Mighty Mussels before being pulled with two outs in the top of the eighth inning. Fordham finished with a career-high five strikeouts in the outing.

In the top of the eighth inning, Fort Myers plated two runs when Lane hit an RBI single and another run scored on a throwing error. This gave the Mussels an 8-1 lead. Hendry Chivilli, who set Palm Beach down in order in the bottom of the eighth inning, faced the minimum in the ninth inning as the Cardinals fell by the 8-1 final score.

In his second professional game, Condon finished with two of Palm Beach’s three hits and is now 4-for-8 to start his career.

The Cardinals and Mighty Mussels head into the weekend portion of this six-game series with game four on Friday, August 21 with first pitch scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Click here to purchase your Palm Beach Cardinals tickets.

For select Saturdays in 2026, the Palm Beach Cardinals take on the alternate identity of the “Palm Beach Frozen Iguanas!” You can join the cold front and purchase an “Ice Cold 6-Pack” ticket package to get a ticket for all Frozen Iguanas games, exclusive benefits, and access to special events as part of this season-long membership.

Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium is “America’s Busiest Ballpark” as the only home of two full season minor league affiliates. Enjoy the best entertainment membership packages in Palm Beach County with our staple programs like “Rockwell Hearing Center Silver Sluggers” every Wednesday for all fans 55 and up, “Thirsty Thursdays” every Thursday for all fans 21 and up, and “Code Ninjas Kids Club” every Saturday for all fans 15 and under.

New to 2026, fans can purchase tickets to the Jupiter Medical Center Champions Club down the left field line for an elevated baseball experience. Returning for 2026, every Tuesday game is a “2-for-1 Tuesday” where fans get two reserved box tickets for the price of one ($15) and every Sunday game is a “$10 Sunday” where all tickets are just 10 dollars. For more information on tickets, schedules, promotions, and more, call the ticket office at 561-630-1828 or visit the Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium website.

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. Branded as “America’s Busiest Ballpark,” this year-round facility can accommodate everything from birthday parties to corporate outings to tournaments, while never forgetting that every fan is our most important priority.