Slumping Cards

The Palm Beach Cardinals struggled to start the week, losing three straight heading into their Friday game against Lakeland. Lets take a look at thier disappointing loses this week that have kept the Card’s from moving out of second place in the Florida State Leagues Eastern Division.

Wednesday 5/23- The Cards’ batters faced a real test on Wednesday when they faced off against Fort Myers. Miracles pitchers Yohan Pino and Eduardo Morlan combined to hold Cards’ batters to only three hits in a 3-1 victory for the Miracles. The Cards’ didn’t’ even register a base runner until Isaias Garcia’s two out smoking line drive single to center, any hope of a rally was crushed after Dan Nelson strikes out swinging on a wicked curve from Pino. The Cards’ went hitless in the top of the forth and after Brandon Yarbrough’s dribbler to the mound for the first out in the fifth the inning didn’t look promising. Ian Church stepped up to the plate and took one for the team and earned first base after being drilled by a Pino pitch. After a Jose Martinez puts a charge into a deep fly ball out into right field, Church caught Pino napping and stole second base to put him in scoring position for Nathan Southard, who promptly struck out swinging on a ball out of the zone, to end the inning. Things looked promising in top of the eighth after the Miracles changed pitcher and Morlan came into the game to face Cards’ hitters. Southard took advantage of the first strike Morlan threw and drove the ball deep into right center for a double; Southard’s aggressive base running allowed him to advance to third on throwing error from the right fielder. The Cards’ finally got on the score board after a fielders choice RBI from Garcia, but that was the last run the Cards’ would tally. Adam Daniels picked up the loss for the Cards’ tossing seven innings giving up three runs on five hits.

Thursday 5/24- The third inning was the undoing for the Cards’ on Thursday, starting pitcher gave up four of his five runs in the fourth giving the Lakeland Flying Tigers a five run lead. That was more than enough for Lakeland starter Burke Badenhop (4-3), who allowed only one run in seven strong innings. The Cards’ attempted a comeback in the top of the eighth scoring three runs off Flying Tiger reliever Paul Hammond. The Flying Tigers reliever got off to a good start, fooling Cards’ star Allen Craig on an off speed breaking ball for a swinging strike out. The rally started with Mark Hamilton’s worm burning single to center field, Yarbrough moved Hamilton to second with a scorching line drive that followed the identical path as Hamilton’s hit. Jose Martinez came up after a Church strikeout and singled on a ground ball that split the shortstop and third baseman driving in a hustling Hamilton. A throwing error on the left fielder allowed Yarbrough to score and moved Martinez to third. The rally forced the Flying Tigers to make a pitching change, bringing in Brendan Wise, who promptly forced Garcia to ground into a fielder choice out. The Card’s were unable to do anything in the ninth and fell to the Flying Tigers 8-4.