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Jupiter Hammerheads, Palm Beach Cardinals due for rare rivalry series

emilee smarr, palm beach post
·4 min read

The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches will be busy this week with a rare rivalry series as the Jupiter Hammerheads and Palm Beach Cardinals are set to face off in the first round of Minor League Baseball's Florida State League playoffs.

A circuit-best 4.16 team ERA for the Jupiter pitching staff propelled the Miami Marlins' Single-A affiliate to its first postseason appearance since 2012, standing first in the FSL East with a record of 70-62.

After falling short of last season's FSL championship in a one-run loss to the champion Port St. Lucie Mets, the Cardinals (64-63) will be the away team for Tuesday's playoff opener against the Hammerheads, who'll still be riding high on a 4-1 series victory against the Dunedin Blue Jays.

If Sunday's 10-4 regular season finale wasn't enough, Jupiter got another boost of confidence heading into the week when the FSL named right-handed pitcher Nigel Belgrave, a 15th-round draft pick from the University of Maryland, for his stat-line on the West Coast.

In two games at Dunedin, the 21-year-old allowed zero runs, two hits, and had 10 strikeouts through 5.1 innings.

The Palm Beach Cardinals and Jupiter Hammerheads were still playing at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium last week, but they will be finishing the FSL season at the Ballpark of the Palm Beaches.
The Palm Beach Cardinals and Jupiter Hammerheads were still playing at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium last week, but they will be finishing the FSL season at the Ballpark of the Palm Beaches.

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Here is the Hammerheads' starting rotation. No. 1 prospect Noble Meyer (3.86 ERA) starts Tuesday, No. 13 prospect Jacob Miller (4.70 ERA) on Thursday, and, if Jupiter has to play on Friday, No. 2 prospect Thomas White (7.36 ERA) is set to take the mound.

How to watch

Local baseball fans can head to the Ballpark of the Palm Beaches in West Palm Beach on Tuesday, Sept. 12, to see the Hammerheads and Cardinals open up action. Here's the full, tentative schedule:

9/12 − Game 1: Palm Beach Cardinals at Jupiter Hammerheads, 6:30 p.m.

9/14 − Game 2: Jupiter Hammerheads at Palm Beach Cardinals, 6:30 p.m.

9/15 − Game 3: Jupiter Hammerheads at Palm Beach Cardinals, 6:30 p.m. (Only to be played if necessary)

9/17 − Game 1 of FSL Championship: TBD at Hammerheads or Cardinals, 6 p.m.

On Tuesday and Thursday, Fairfield Inn will be giving out playoff rally towels to the first 250 fans in attendance. Gates will open one hour before start time and tickets can be purchased at the website for Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium, the two teams' regular home venue currently undergoing an $108 million renovation.

Fans who can't grace the stands at the Ballpark of the Palm Beaches this week can follow along with team radio broadcasts by commentators like Lisa Pride, or MiLB Gameday.

Clearwater or Lakeland on deck for championships

As the Cardinals and Hammerheads duke it out for the bragging rights of the FSL East, the FSL West will belong to the Clearwater Thrashers or the Lakeland Flying Tigers.

Clearwater (79-50), the Single-A affiliate for Philadelphia, tops the overall standings for the circuit while Lakeland (70-61), sits at third. However, a stunning second half of the season for the Flying Tigers, winning 44-22 and 7-3 in their last 10 games, suggests Detroit's Single-A affiliate will be the one to pay a visit to West Palm Beach for Sunday's championship opener. In the Threshers' most recent appearance before their regular season, series finale was cancelled on Sunday, the Palm Beach Cardinals, better known to fans as the beloved "Beach Birds," picked up a 9-8 walkoff win.

If Jupiter advances to finals, it'll be the first time since its last playoff run 11 years ago, when the Hammerheads suffered a one-run heartbreaker to six-time league winner Port St. Lucie.

While big brother Miami (74-70) navigates the NL East in the majors, currently third behind division leader Atlanta (94-50) and Philadelphia (79-65), the Marlins are still keeping an eye on their "Guppies," hoping the minor leaguers will prove trophy fish with what could be the team's first FSL championship.

Emilee Smarr is the high school sports reporter for the Palm Beach Post. She can be reached via email at esmarr@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Jupiter Hammerheads, Palm Beach Cardinals due for rare rivalry series