Cardinals Minor League Notebook: 7/14/17

(photo: Marco Gonzales/Memphis Redbirds)

Player of the Day Marco Gonzales retired 13 straight for Memphis, in one of the system’s five wins in nine tries on Thursday.  Peoria’s Stefan Trosclair had four hits and Wadye Ynfante went deep twice for Johnson City.

Results from games played Thursday, July 13th.

Memphis 6 vs. Round Rock 2       

Marco Gonzales (USA TODAY Sports Images)

The Redbirds flew past the Express, 8-2, at AutoZone Park on Thursday, the first of four games between the two squads.  Memphis (57-33) holds the best record in the Pacific Coast League, leading Nashville (OAK) by 14 ½.

Facing Round Rock for the second consecutive start, Player of the Day Marco Gonzales (W, 6-3) fanned eight over six strong frames.  The lefty was touched for two first-inning tallies on a walk and two hits but retired the next 13 in a row before allowing a single to open the sixth.

Zach Duke hurled a one-two-three seventh, K’ing one, the third scoreless inning since his rehab assignment moved to Triple-A.  Mark Montgomery struck out two over the last two frames.

The home team’s 12-hit attack was spearheaded by Breyvic Valera, who singled three times in four at bats, touching home twice and going 1-for-2 in stolen base attempts.  Three Redbirds gathered two hits apiece:  Aledmys Diaz, Rangel Ravelo and Patrick Wisdom.  Diaz went 2-for-4 with a run scored and one driven in but was one of three Memphis players to be caught stealing, joined by Ravelo and Nick Martini.  Ravelo doubled twice in three at bats with a base-on-balls and RBI.

But it was Wisdom who brought the big fire power that accounted for half of his team’s scores.  The third baseman launched his 18th home run of the season, a three-run shot that flipped a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 lead that was never relinquished.

Friday’s game:  vs. Round Rock (41-50) (TEX), 7:05 pm CT, John Gant (1-4, 3.33)

 

Springfield 4 at Arkansas 1

Sandy Alcantara (USA TODAY Sports Images)

Sandy Alcantara tossed six solid innings as the S-Cards stopped the Travelers, 2-1, evening the road series at one game each with two on tap.  Springfield (11-9) moves into sole possession of second with the victory, two behind Tulsa (LAD).

The only blemish on Alcantara’s night (W, 4-5) was a solo blast that was one of only two hits permitted.  The righty did issue four free passes and threw a wild pitch.

Andrew Morales spun two one-two-three innings, matching Alcantara’s three strikeouts.  Making his first appearance for Springfield since being activated from Memphis’ disabled list, Rowan Wick worked around a one-out walk for his first save.

Springfield’s offense consisted of eight hits, led by two players with two hits apiece:  Randy Arozarena and John Nogowski.  Both players went 2-for-4, Arozarena tripling once with a run scored and Nogowski doubling one time with one knocked in.

Friday’s game:  at Arkansas (9-10) (SEA), 7:10 pm CT, TBA

 

Jupiter 8 at Palm Beach 1 (Game 1)

Jupiter 4 at Palm Beach 1 (7 innings) (Game 2)

Blake Drake (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

The Beach Birds dropped a twin bill to the Hammerheads, 8-1 and 4-1, extending their losing streak to six.  Palm Beach (10-10) has fallen into fourth place, 5 ½ behind Fort Myers (MIN).

The first contest completed Wednesday’s game that was suspended due to rain in the home half of the second with the PB-Cards trailing 2-0.  Jake Woodford took the loss, his fifth in 10 decisions, yielding two runs on two hits, a free pass and a plunked batter in his only inning of work.

Reliever Ross Vance took over when play resumed Thursday, and went four frames, permitting a three-run home run, one of two hits and a base-on-balls given up.  He struck out five, hit two batters and picked off one.  Brady Bowen and Ramon Santos tossed two innings each, Bowen fanning two and Santos allowing three runs on six hits.

Blake Drake and Andy Young both went 2-for-4 with a double, with Drake scoring the lone run.

It was more of the same in the seven-inning finale, as Palm Beach generated just four hits, one of them Drake’s fourth long ball of 2017.

Jordan Hicks (L, 0-1) struck out seven through five in his A-Advanced debut, allowing three runs on five hits and a free pass.  Ian McKinney yielded two hits and a walk the next frame, one of whom scored but the other two were stranded by Hector Mendoza.  Mendoza retired all four batters faced, two via strike outs.

Friday’s game:  vs. Jupiter (11-9) (MIA), 12:00 pm ET, Connor Jones (6-4, 4.20)

Peoria 4 vs. Lake County 1

Stefan Trosclair (The Cardinal Nation)

Stefan Trosclair had a perfect night at the plate as the Chiefs downed the Captains, 4-1, clinching the three-game series with one to go.  Second-place Peoria (13-8) maintained pace with first-place Quad Cities (HOU) with the win, a team they trail by three.

Trosclair finished a triple shy of the cycle, going 3-for-3 with a walk, double and solo bomb.  His double drove in Kramer Robertson after the latter singled to open to the first, Robertson’s only hit in four at bats.  Trosclair alsoswiped his 12th stolen base.

J.R. Davis blasted one out of Dozer Park as well. The bases empty shot broke a 1-1 tie the next inning.  Davis added a single to his home run, driving in two.

That was more than enough offense for Evan Kruczynski, who held the opposition to a run on five hits and a walk through six, picking up his first professional win against one loss.  The southpaw struck out six.

Bryan Dobzanski fanned three in 1 2/3, allowing two hits.  His final runner was stranded by steady Eric Carter, who retired all four faced, two on strikeouts, for his eighth save.

Friday’s game:  vs. Lake County (9-11) (CLE), 7:00 pm CT, Frederis Parra (1-2, 3.06)

State College 7 at Tri-City 6

Tyler Lancaster (The Cardinal Nation)

Tyler Lancaster’s grand slam built an early lead as the Spikes held on to edge the ValleyCats, 7-6, in the decisive third game of the series.  State College (13-10) remains tied for second with Mahoning Valley (CLE), a game in back of West Virginia (PIT).

Lancaster’s first long ball came with a run already across in the third.  The first baseman also doubled in three at bats with a walk and the aforementioned run scored.  Shortstop Imeldo Diaz singled twice in four at bats, driving in two, the only other State College player with more than one of the team’s 10 hits.

The bomb by Lancaster gave the Spikes a 7-2 lead midway through three – and the team needed every single run.  Daniel Castano (W, 5-0) fanned six over 5 2/3, permitting three runs, two earned, on seven hits and a base-on-balls.  His own fielding miscue was responsible for the unearned tally.

But the bullpen made the game interesting, with two of the Spikes’ three relievers being scored upon.  Steven Farinaro retired his first batter, stranding one inherited, but was touched for a run on a triple and ground out in the seventh.  Farinaro’s night ended after he began the eighth by hitting the lead-off batter.

Leland Tilley maneuvered around a walk for a scoreless frame but Spencer Trayner picked up his first save the hard way.  Trayner surrendered a two-run home run, bringing the visitors within one, but managed to secure the final out.

Friday’s game:  at Brooklyn (6-16) (NYM), 6:40 pm ET, Jonathon Mulford (0-2, 5.40)

 

Bristol 16 at Johnson City 7

Wadye Ynfante (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

The Appy Birds were keelhauled by the Pirates, 16-7, leaving them trailing in the series, two games to none, with one to play.  Johnson City (8-13) has lost three straight, falling into fourth in the West Division, six in back of Elizabethton (MIN).

It got ugly pretty quickly with Alvaro Seijas (L, 1-1) allowing 11 runs, six earned, on nine hits and two free passes over three plus.  Seijas, who did not retire any of the seven Pirates that came to the plate in the fourth, fanned four.

The game did not get much better when the bullpen entered the game, as the next three relievers all were scored upon.  Jake Dahlberg pitched the fourth through sixth, yielding a run on three hits.  Paul Salazar gave up three tallies on two hits and two walks in his inning on the bump.  Juan Alvarez tossed a clean eighth but left the sacks jammed with none out the next inning on two walks sandwiched around a double.  The only one of those three runners to score off Evan Guillory was on a double play ball.

The JC-Cards’ bats generated enough offense for a win in most cases, accumulating 11 hits and five free passes.  Wadye Ynfante and Luis Bandes each had three hits in four and five at bats, respectively.  In fact, Infante had a multi-hit home run night, sending two over the wall that accounted for three of his four RBI.  Chase Pinder and Wood Myers had two hits apiece.

Friday’s game:  vs. fifth-place Bristol (7-14) (PIT), 7:00 pm ET, Johan Oviedo (1-1, 2.70)

GCL Cardinals 9 vs. GCL Mets 8

The Gulf Birds came out on top of a wild one, walking off with a 9-8 win over the Mets (5-9).  The second-place Cardinals (7-7) kept pace with the Nationals, who won their fifth straight, although they trail the division leaders by 3 ½.

After squandering leads of 5-1, 8-4 and 8-5 – the last lead with three outs to go – the home team scored the margin of victory sans benefit of a hit.  Second baseman Moises Castillo, a defensive substitution in the top of the frame, opened with a base-on-balls.  Two sac bunts and Delvin Perez’ sac fly brought Castillo across.  (Yes, that is three outs but second baseman/center fielder Luis Flores reached base on his sac bunt with neither a hit nor error attributed.)

Flores was one of three Gulf Birds with two hits, joining right fielder Sanel Rosendo and third baseman Donivan Williams.  All three went 2-for-4, Flores tripling once with an RBI and Rosendo doubling once while driving in three. Williams scored once and committed his first error.

Center fielder Jonatan Machado singled once in three at bats with a walk, hit-by-pitch and crossed home three times while Perez went 1-for-4 with a walk, double, sac fly, stolen base, strikeout and run scored.

It took six Gulf Birds pitchers plus rehabbing Arturo Reyes to navigate nine innings.  Five of the seven were not scored upon but wowzers, did the other two get lit up!

One was starter Winston Nicacio, who was pitching for only the second time in 12 days.  Nicacio fell prey to the long ball, as three of the four runs charged to him came via on two home runs.  Both bombs came in the three-run fourth, the latter finishing his day.  The 20-year-old allowed eight hits and a walk in 3 1/3.

C.J. Saylor began a string of four Gulf Cards’ hurlers not scored upon.  Saylor retired both batters faced before handing the ball off to Reyes, who worked the fourth.  Cory Malcom gave up a hit and walk in 1/3 of an inning but both runners were left on by Enrique Perez, who retired five.

But reliever Noel DeJesus did not fare as well.  DeJesus gave up an unearned run in the eighth plus three earned runs the next frame that allowed the Gulf Mets to knot the game at eight all.  Gabriel Gentner (BS, 1) (W, 2-0) let DeJesus’ last runner touch home before he recorded the final out.

Friday’s game:  at GCL Nationals (10-3), 12:00 pm ET, Junior Gonzalez (1-0, 3.95)

DSL Cardinals 1 at DSL Mets1 7

Diego Cordero (St. Louis Cardinals)

The Dominican Birds trailed from the start in their 7-1 loss to the second-place Mets1. The sixth-place Cardinals (14-20) trail the Twins by 11 games.

Diego Cordero (L, 1-3) took a tough loss as he received little benefit from either his defense or offense.  The southpaw went five frames, allowing two unearned tallies on two first-inning miscues plus an earned score in the third on five hits and a walk in total.

Right-hander Jose Geronimo tossed the next 1 2/3, permitting three runs on three hits and a free pass.  Anthony Trompiz allowed a run on two hits and a hit batsman over 1 1/3.

Second baseman and lead-off batter Pablo Gomez had two of his team’s five hits, singling twice in four at bats.  The Cards’ only run came after shortstop Franklin Soto reached base on a fielding error, advanced to third via back-to-back walks and scored when third baseman Francisco Hernandez grounded into a 4-6 force.

Friday’s game:  vs. DSL Mets1 (24-11), 10:30 am ET, Francis Ventura (1-2, 2.92)

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