Cardinals Defeat Mighty Mussels 3-1 on Sunday Afternoon

JUPITER, FL – The Palm Beach Cardinals (27-27; 60-60) defeated the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels (27-26; 64-54) by a final score of 3-1 on Sunday afternoon at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. The Cardinals secured the series victory at 4-2 on the week and the regular season series over Fort Myers at 7-5 in 12 matchups. With Daytona’s game postponed and Palm Beach’s win, the Cardinals are now six and a half games back of first place in the FSL East Division with 12 games remaining.

Through the first three innings, Palm Beach starting pitcher Jefferson Moran, who made his home debut, and Fort Myers starting pitcher Eric Hammond held the offenses scoreless and hitless in an early pitchers’ duel. Moran finished his 3 2/3 innings of work and allowed no runs, no hits, four walks, one hit-by-pitch, and struck out five batters.

Dallis Moran entered the game in the top of the fourth inning and retired the final out of the frame. However, in the top of the fifth inning, Moran issued a leadoff walk to Bryan Acuña, who stole second base and advanced to third base on a throwing error. Vahn Lacky sent him home with a sacrifice fly, which gave Fort Myers a 1-0 lead.

Meanwhile, Eric Hammond tossed 4 2/3 shutout innings for the Mussels where he allowed one hit and did not qualify for a decision. Melvin Rodriguez (L, 0-2) got the final out in the fifth inning and went back out for the bottom of the sixth inning. Trevor Haskins hit a one-out double and the next hitter, Travis Honeyman, launched an RBI double to center field to tie the game. For Honeyman, it was his first hit as part of this rehab stint coming from Double-A Springfield. After a pitching change for Fort Myers who brought in Jake Covey, Alexander Frias crushed a two-run home run to right-center field, his sixth home run of the season and second home run with Palm Beach, to give the Cardinals a 3-1 lead. Frias’ home run went 109.1 miles per hour.

Bringing the BOOM💥 pic.twitter.com/2oTICuP0j3

— Palm Beach Cardinals (@GoPBCardinals) August 23, 2026

Meanwhile, for Palm Beach, Giovanni Vargas (W, 1-0) made his season debut for the Cardinals and held the Mighty Mussels scoreless in two innings of work and allowed just two hits, one walk, and struck out one batter. Justin Militello (H, 1) allowed a hit and a hit-by-pitch in the top of the eighth inning but did not allow a run to score. Jesus Garcia (Sv, 4) came in to pitch the top of the ninth for the Cardinals and shut down the Mighty Mussels for a scoreless frame as the Cardinals took the series finale by a final score of 3-1 on Sunday afternoon.

Palm Beach only had four hits while Fort Myers finished with just three hits. For Frias, it was the second game-winning hit of the week after Friday night’s two-RBI double in a 7-6 win for the Cardinals.

The Cardinals visit the Dunedin Blue Jays beginning on Tuesday, August 25 for their final road trip of the regular season. Palm Beach will conclude the regular season at home to host the Daytona Tortugas for six games starting on Tuesday, September 1. Click here to purchase your Palm Beach Cardinals tickets.

For select Saturdays in 2026, the Palm Beach Cardinals take on the alternate identity of the “Palm Beach Frozen Iguanas!” You can join the cold front and purchase an “Ice Cold 6-Pack” ticket package to get a ticket for all Frozen Iguanas games, exclusive benefits, and access to special events as part of this season-long membership.

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.