Behind an 18-hit effort highlighted by an eight-run fifth inning on Thursday, Class Low-A Palm Beach completed a sweep of Daytona in the Florida State League Division Series to secure its spot in the Florida State League Championship Series.
Palm Beach’s 12-4 win over Daytona at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Florida included multi-RBI efforts from Cardinals prospects and 2024 MLB draftees Josh Kross (three RBIs) and Bryce Madron (two RBIs). Madron, infield prospect JJ Wetherholt, the Cardinals’ top pick in the 2024 draft, and outfield prospect Joshua Baez had three hits apiece in the win.
With the win that completed a sweep of Daytona, the Cincinnati Reds’ affiliate, in a best-of-three series, Palm Beach is set to face Lakeland, the Detroit Tigers’ Class Low-A affiliate, in a best-of-three series to crown the Florida State League Champions. Game 1 vs. Lakeland is scheduled for Sunday at Joker Merchant Stadium in Lakeland, Florida.
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Palm Beach built a 2-0 lead on Thursday with a solo home run from Baez in the second inning and an RBI double from Kross in the fourth inning that scored Baez from second base.Â
The PB-Cards’ lead was wiped away in the fifth inning when starter Chen-Wei Lin allowed two runs on a double from Diego Omana. A walk to Yerlin Confidan after Omana’s double put runners on first and second base and signaled the end of Lin’s start after 4 1/3 innings.
The 6-foot-7 right-hander struck out eight batters, walked two batters, and allowed three hits before his exit. He was replaced on the mound by Jason Savacool, who induced back-to-back groundouts to strand the two runners he inherited from Lin.
Palm Beach wasted little time in regaining what it had lost.
Madron and Wetherholt began the bottom of the fifth inning with back-to-back singles that was followed by an RBI double from Jose Suarez that scored Madron. After Suarez’s double, the PB-Cards scored two runs when Ryan Campos reached on a fielding error and pushed across another run with a single from Ian Petrutz. Madron and Wetherholt each produced two-out RBIs later that frame.
In total, Palm Beach sent 12 batters to the plate and totaled six hits in the fifth inning.
Bernal clubs first Class AA homer
Cardinals prospect Leonardo Bernal provided Class AA Springfield with its only run in a 4-1 road loss to San Antonio. The 20-year-old, switch-hitting catcher’s run-producing swing created a milestone moment.
As a left-handed hitter, Bernal pulled a fly ball to right field that sailed over the outfield wall at Nelson Wolff Stadium for his first home run at the Class AA level.
The home run came in Bernal’s 11th game with Springfield. Since his promotion from Class High-A Peoria, Bernal is batting .209 with four RBIs and one double. He has hit 11 home runs and produced a .263 batting average in 107 games between Class High-A and Class AA.