Cardinals Earn Second Consecutive Shutout with 3-0 Victory over Lakeland Tuesday Night

JUPITER, FL – The Palm Beach Cardinals (27-30) earned their second consecutive shutout victory as they blanked the Lakeland Flying Tigers (33-24) by a 3-0 final score on Tuesday night at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. It is the Cardinals’ fifth shutout of the season which leads the Florida State League.

The game started as a pitching duel between Palm Beach starter Brandt Thompson and Lakeland starter Bailey Horn who was with the Flying Tigers on a rehab assignment from Triple-A Toledo.

Horn went just one scoreless inning in his rehab start while Thompson held the Lakeland offense in check through his first four frames.

The Cardinals got the scoring started in the bottom of the fourth inning. With one out, Yordalin Peña hit an opposite-field double down the right field line. Jose Suarez promptly brought in Peña on an RBI single to centerfield to give Palm Beach a 1-0 lead.

For Thompson, his night was done after four scoreless innings and allowed just one hit while he tallied six strikeouts. In two starts in June, Thompson has thrown a combined 9 2/3 innings with just one run allowed and 13 strikeouts.

Yordy Herrera (W, 4-1) was the first pitcher out of the Palm Beach bullpen and kept the Lakeland offense on their heels. He tossed 2 2/3 scoreless innings with one hit and two walks allowed while he picked up six strikeouts.

Meanwhile, in the bottom of the sixth inning, the Cardinals added an insurance run. Deniel Ortiz hit a single with one out and stole his team-leading 13^th base. Two batters later, Peña hit a soft ground ball that couldn’t be handled by Lakeland third baseman Carson Rucker who committed a throwing error to allow Ortiz to score and give Palm Beach a 2-0 lead.

After Herrera, Ernie Day (H, 2) continued the dominant Palm Beach pitching by leaving two inherited runners on base in the top of the seventh inning and in total threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings with a strikeout.

Palm Beach got one more insurance run in the bottom of the eighth inning as Ortiz launched his fourth home run of the season, a solo home run to left field, to make it a 3-0 Cardinals lead. Christian Worley (Sv, 1) came in to pitch for the Cardinals in the top of the ninth inning and allowed a hit but struck out two Tigers to secure his first professional save and finish the 3-0 shutout victory.

Ortiz led the Palm Beach offense with a 2-for-4 night at the plate with a home run and two runs scored. Ortiz has reached base safely in 11-straight games and 13 of his last 15 games.

The Cardinals and Flying Tigers continue their six-game series with game two on Wednesday, June 11^th with first pitch scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Click here to purchase your tickets.

Every Wednesday is a “Silver Sluggers” Wednesday at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. All fans can become a member for just $40 which gets you a ticket to every Wednesday game, an official “Silver Sluggers” T-shirt, a free hot dog and soda, a 10% team store discount, and a chance to win prizes during baseball bingo. Click here to become a “Silver Sluggers” member today.

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. This year-round facility can accommodate the smallest birthday party to the largest corporate outing, while never forgetting that each and every fan is our most important product.