JUPITER, FL – The Palm Beach Cardinals (32-32; 65-65) fell to the Daytona Tortugas (37-26; 58-71) by a final score of 9-4 on Thursday night at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium.
Daytona struck first in the top of the second inning when Ichiro Cano hit an RBI double to left field against Palm Beach’s starting pitcher Payton Graham (L, 0-4).
The Tortugas added four more runs in the top of the third inning. Sherman Johnson hit an RBI double to center field and Cano followed him with an RBI single. Henry Hunter added another run with a single and Jalen Hairston drew a bases-loaded walk to put Daytona ahead 5-0.
Palm Beach responded in the bottom of the third inning. Kenley Hunter hit an RBI single to right field, which scored Miguel Hernández. Two hitters later, Owen Henne hit a two-run home run to the opposite field for his third home run in the last week and a half. This cut the Tortugas’ lead to 5-3.
The scoring went quiet in the middle innings. Jan Cabrera took over for Palm Beach and tossed three straight scoreless frames. However, he ran into trouble in the top of the seventh inning and gave up an RBI single to Ian Francis and a two-RBI double to Drew Davies. This put Daytona ahead 8-3.
Alejandro Rivera (W, 1-0) tossed 4 1/3 shutout innings out of the Tortugas’ bullpen, where he allowed one hit and struck out six Cardinals.
In the top of the eighth inning, Francis blasted his second home run of the year to left field to give the Tortugas a 9-3 lead.
In the bottom of the ninth inning, Trevor Haskins hit a two-out double and later scored on a wild pitch. However, Palm Beach could not score again and fell to Daytona 9-4.
The series continues Friday, September 4 at 6:30 p.m. at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Click here to purchase your Palm Beach Cardinals tickets.
Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium is “America’s Busiest Ballpark” as the only home of two full-season minor league affiliates. Enjoy the best entertainment membership packages in Palm Beach County with our staple programs like “Rockwell Hearing Center Silver Sluggers” every Wednesday for all fans 55 and up, “Thirsty Thursdays” every Thursday for all fans 21 and up, and “Code Ninjas Kids Club” every Saturday for all fans 15 and under.
New to 2026, fans can purchase tickets to the Jupiter Medical Center Champions Club down the left field line for an elevated baseball experience. Returning for 2026, every Tuesday game is a “2-for-1 Tuesday” where fans get two reserved box tickets for the price of one ($15) and every Sunday game is a “$10 Sunday” where all tickets are just 10 dollars. For more information on tickets, schedules, promotions, and more, call the ticket office at 561-630-1828 or visit the Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium website.
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. Branded as “America’s Busiest Ballpark,” this year-round facility can accommodate everything from birthday parties to corporate outings to tournaments, while never forgetting that every fan is our most important priority.