Garceau, two relievers combine on one-hitter

Shaun Garceau was perfect for six innings. After the magic ran out, his bullpen finished the way he started.

Garceau (5-2) took a perfect game into the seventh inning as the host Palm Beach Cardinals edged the Lakeland Flying Tigers at Roger Dean Stadium on Monday, 1-0.

It was a special night for Garceau, who was born and grew up about 20 miles away from the ballpark in West Palm Beach. He struck out five, walked two and allowed just one hit, a leadoff single to Justin Justice in the seventh.

Elvis Hernandez pitched a 1-2-3 eighth and Francisco Samuel struck out two in the ninth to seal the one-hit shutout for his 19th save.

It was the longest outing of the season for Garceau, who fell one short of his season high in strikeouts. The hometown starter has not allowed an earned run in two straight starts spanning 13 innings for Palm Beach.

Garceau struck out two in the first and one in the second, fourth and fifth before struggling in the seventh. Justice singled before Garceau walked Ryan Strieby and Brennan Boesch to load the bases with two outs. He got Santo De Leon to ground into a fielder's choice to second to end his night.

The 20-year-old was selected by the Cardinals out of Royal Palm Beach High School in the 20th round of the June 2005 First-Year Player Draft. He began the season with the Class A Quad Cities River Bandits and earned a promotion to the Florida State League on May 8.

The Cardinals gave Garceau just enough run support to work with when Charles Kingrey singled home Tyler Henley with one out in the first for a 1-0 lead.

Garceau outdueled Lakeland starter Guillermo Moscoso, a righty who tossed a perfect game almost one year earlier on July 15 for the Class A Short-Season Oneonta Tigers. He struck out six and allowed a run on five hits and four walks over six innings for the loss.

Moscoso (1-3) was named MiLB.com's Short-Season Best Single-Game Performer last season after tossing a gem against the Batavia Muckdogs.