Wednesday Battle Slips Away from Marauders

JUPITER, Fla. — After fighting back from an early one-run deficit, the Marauders’ one-run lead was short-lived Wednesday night in a 4-2 loss to the Palm Beach Cardinals at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium.

The loss was the seventh in the last eight games for the Marauders (16-19), who now fall to a season-worst three games under .500. Bradenton recorded a hit in seven of their nine innings at the plate, but left ten runners stranded and went just 3-for-13 with runners in scoring position.

Palm Beach (13-22) scored the game’s first run in the second inning, when Jeremy Rivas reached on a throwing error by third baseman Alexander Mojica and later scored on a Ramon Mendoza groundout.

Marauders starter Valentin Linarez was otherwise sharp, however. The right-hander finished with just one unearned run allowed over five innings, striking out six and walking none.

Bradenton tied the score against Cardinals starter Zane Mills in the fourth on a Juan Jerez RBI-single, but left runners stranded at second and third at the end of the inning. The Marauders took the lead, 2-1, in the fifth on a Jase Bowen RBI-single.

But in the bottom of the sixth, reliever Wilkin Ramos (0-1) struggled. Osvaldo Tovalin led off for Palm Beach with a single, and after a Jeremy Rivas one-out walk, Aaron McKeithan loaded the bases with an infield single. Wade Stauss then delivered a fly ball to left field that Bowen appeared to lose in the sun, resulting in a two-run double for a new 3-2 lead for the Cardinals. Johan Montero entered to pitch and stranded two inherited runners at second and third by striking out two batters, keeping the game within one run for the Marauders.

Palm Beach, however, would manage one final run off left-hander Jake Sweeney in the eighth. Brady Whalen hit a bloop single, stole second base, and scored when a Sweeney pickoff throw to second base sailed into the outfield.

Relievers Edwin Nunez and Bryan Pope (1-0) tossed two scoreless innings each for the Cardinals, denying the Marauders several run-scoring opportunities. In the sixth, Sergio Campana drew a two-out walk, then took second base on a Nunez balk and advanced to third on a wild pitch, but was left stranded. Bradenton also left the would-be tying run stranded in the eighth when Mike Jarvis’ two-out single went for naught, and the team also was unable to capitalize on a two-out single in the ninth by Tsung-Che Cheng.

The Marauders series continues Thursday with first pitch scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. RHP Carlos Jimenez (0-2, 2.51 ERA) will start for the Marauders against RHP Carlos Guarate (0-3, 5.40 ERA) for Palm Beach.

For more information about the Bradenton Marauders, please call (941) 747-3031, visit BradentonMarauders.com, or email [email protected].

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