Cards' swept by the Manatees

Getting swept by the division leading Brevard County Manatee's is not how the Palm Beach Cardinals wanted to start their week. The only positive that the Cards' can take out of their series witht he Manatee's, is the fact that they did not fall out of second place in the Florida State Leagues Eastern Division.

Monday- Great hitting was unable to overcome poor pitching in the Cards’ 12-9 loss to Brevard County on Monday. In what I would say was the worst outing by any Cardinals pitcher this season Trey Hearne allowed seven runs and recorded only two outs before being pulled from the game. He was relieved by Donnie Smith who didn’t fare much better, allowing four runs in just over three innings pitched. On the opposite end of the spectrum Cards’ hitters were on fire, Brandon Yarbrough hit his second homerun of the season on a fly by that just kept going and someone landed over the fence in right in the bottom of the sixth. Two batters later Allen Craig pulled a ball deep over the fence in left for his fourteenth home run of the season. In the bottom of the eighth, after three hits and a walk, Ian Church stepped up to the plate and delivered big time. Church jumped all over a fastball and ripped the ball over the left field fence for a grand slam pulling the Cards’ within three but that’s as close as they got.


Tuesday- The Cards’ can’t seem to catch a break, this time great pitching was wasted by an inability to get hits leading to a 2-1 loss to Brevard. Cardinal batters were only able to register five hits and there only run came off a RBI single by Dan Nelson in the sixth. Fernando Salas was the tough luck starter on Tuesday, allowing only two runs on four hits in six strong innings. Relievers Matt Trent and Kyle McClellan combined to allow only one hit but it wasn’t enough as the Cards’ dropped their third straight to the division leading Manatee’s.

Hot- Tyler Norrick- The Cards ace(pictured) has an earned run average of 2.76 and has won three of his last four decisions giving him a 6-4 record for the season. The 23-year-old left-hander has gone at least six innings in 11 of his 13 starts this season.

Not- Trey Hearne- Two loses in one week is bad all by itself but allowing eleven runs in under six innings pitched is ridiculous. This rough week has dropped Hearne to 3-6 on the season and raised his earned run average to 6.32.

News and Notes

6-08-07: Palm Beach - Activated P Robert Ransom off the DL.

6-10-07: Palm Beach - Activated OF Shane Robinson off the DL. Placed P Gary Daley, Jr.
on the DL. Daley Jr. has a blister on his throwing hand.

6-11-07: Palm Beach - Released OF Matt Lemanczyk