Cardinals Ride Offense in Win Over St. Lucie

Ramon Mendoza and Luis Rodriguez both went yard for the Palm Beach Cardinals on Saturday, the Beach Birds' bats exploded for 14 hits and 13 runs, and the home team took down the St. Lucie Mets at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium on Saturday 13-9.

Eight of the Cardinals starters notched a hit during the game, which got underway at 3 p.m. First baseman Luis Rodriguez and shortstop Jeremy Rivas each went 3-5. Rivas' three RBI were tied for a team-high with left fielder Ramon Mendoza and center fielder Tyler Reichenborn.

Left-handed pitcher Chris Gerard had his first start of the season and tossed four scoreless innings. Striking out three batters, he also allowed just two hits. Edwin Nunez, Roy Garcia and Edgar Manzo pitched in relief. Garcia surrendered a run over three innings and was credited with the win.

Palm Beach opened the scoring on a two-run single from Rivas. St. Lucie responded with a trio of runs in the fifth before the Cardinals retook the lead on Mendoza's two-run homer in the bottom half of the inning.

And after the Mets tied the contest 4-4 in the sixth, Reichenborn's two-out, bases-clearing double extended the Cardinal lead to 7-4. Palm Beach's most productive inning was the seventh, when the home team scored five, highlighted by an Aaron McKeithan RBI single and an Osvaldo Tovalin bases-loaded hit-by-pitch. An inning later, Rodriguez logged a solo home run to right-center field. Palm Beach held on for the win in spite of allowing five Mets runs in the ninth.

The Cardinals are back in action tomorrow for the series finale against the Mets. First pitch is slated for 12:00 p.m.

For Saturday's final box score, click here.