Rivero leads the way in 1-0 win

PORT CHARLOTTE-- Felipe Rivero has struggled with inconsistency some nights throughout the season, but Saturday night was not one of those nights. Rivero (W, 8-7) worked six scoreless innings en route to a 1-0 Charlotte victory over the Palm Beach Cardinals at Charlotte Sports Park.

The Stone Crabs win, paired with a loss from the St. Lucie Mets, moves Charlotte into sole possesion of first place in the South division with exactly two weeks left in the regular season.

Rivero struck out only one batter in his six-plus innings of work Saturday night, but was able to scatter six hits and three walks to muscle through his outing.

Palm Beach consistenly put runners on base but was never able to capitalize. The Cardinals were 0-10 with runners in scoring position and stranded eight base-runners in the ballgame.

The Cardinals best opportunity to score came in the fifth inning. Palm Beach loaded the bases with one out against Rivero, but David Popkins grounded into an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play to retire the side. It was one of three double plays turned by the Stone Crabs, and one of three different times the Cardinals stranded a runner at third.

"I thought it was his best pitching performance I have seen him throw in two year," manager Brady Williams said after the game. "Not because he had his best stuff, but normally he has a tendancy to let things affect his outing, and it did not today."

Charlotte scored the only run of the ballgame a half-inning later. Jonathan Quinonez legged out a one-out double before Taylor Motter brought him home with a two-out base hit. It was the only run Palm Beach start Kyle Hald (L, 5-8) allowed in his seven innings of work.

The Stone Crabs only advanced five runners into scoring position throughout the ballgame.

Jared Mortensen made his affiliated baseball debut Saturday night for Charlotte. Mortensen, who signed a minor league contract with the Tampa Bay Rays on August 15, had previously played for the Grand Prairie Air Hogs of the American Association of Professional Baseball League. He worked two innings, allowing only one walk alongside a strikeout.

"[Mortensen] came in there and did a nice job," Williams said. "It wasn't easy in his first inning, but his nerves calmed down. His second inning was hopefully a sign of things to come because he was pretty dominant."

Nate Garcia (S, 10) worked a scoreless ninth inning to preserve the win for Charlotte.

The Stone Crabs (58-60, 29-22) return to action Sunday against the Cardinals (57-63, 28-24). First pitch at Charlotte Sports Park is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.