Marauders Playoff Bound with 6-3 Win

JUPITER – The Bradenton Marauders, Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates, are headed to the playoffs for the second time in as many years of existence, clinching the Florida State League South Division second half title with a 6-3 win over the Palm Beach Cardinals.

The Marauders will host the St. Lucie Mets in the Division Series opener Tuesday at 7pm at McKechnie Field.  Gates open at 6pm.  Bradenton won the second half last season, clinching against the Charlotte Stone Crabs on the second to last day of the season.  The Marauders won game one of the Division Series at McKechnie Field before falling in three games to Charlotte.

It was Palm Beach jumping to an early 2-0 lead in the first Tuesday.  Domnit Bolivar homered in Ted Obregon as the game’s second batter.  The lead stood until the third, when Evan Chambers doubled in the previously walked and hit Bengie Gonzalez and Adalberto Santos to tie the game.

The M’s added a run in each the third and fourth innings to go up 4-2 on sacrifice flies.  Palm Beach pulled within a run on an RBI single by Niko Vasquez in the sixth, but Santos gave his team distance with a two-run homerun, his seventh, in the eighth.  It was the first run allowed by reliever Justin Wright this season.

The win goes to Jason Erickson in three innings of one-run relief.  The loss falls to Eric Fornutaro, his 13th.  Ryan Beckman pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for the save.