Cardinals Minor League Notebook: 7/28/17

(photo: Frederis Parra/Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

On a 4-3 Thursday across the St. Louis Cardinals system, strong bullpen work powered Springfield and Peoria (doubleheader sweep) to a trio of wins. Player of the Day Frederis Parra tossed a seven-inning complete game for the Chiefs.

Results from games played Thursday, July 27th.

Memphis vs. Salt Lake – suspended  

Thursday’s contest between Memphis (68-35) and Salt Lake was suspended due to rain with the Redbirds up 3-1 and one gone in the home half of the second.  Play is scheduled to resume on Friday at 5:35 pm with the regularly scheduled game to follow.

Matt Pearce yielded a run on three hits through two.  Nick Martini tripled and scored in the first, driven in on a single by Rangel Ravelo.  Wilfredo Tovar doubled in Patrick Wisdom and Breyvic Valera, who both worked second-inning free passes.  Alberto Rosario followed Tovar with yet another walk when the game was halted.

Friday’s games:  vs. Salt Lake (54-50) (LAA).  Game 1 – 5:35 pm CT, TBA/Kevin Herget (3-1, 4.08)


Springfield 6 at Northwest Arkansas 2

Jacob Wilson (USA TODAY Sports Images)

Two three-inning frames lifted the S-Cards over the Naturals, 6-2, in the series opener.  First-place Springfield (22-12) has a two-game advantage over Tulsa (LAD) in the North Division.

Jacob Wilson led the visitors’ 12-hit attack, going 3-for-4 with two RBI.  Three S-Cards had two hits apiece:  Randy Arozarena, Anthony Garcia and Tommy Edman.  Arozarena launched a two-run bomb, one of his two runs scored in three at bats.  Garcia also touched home twice, joining Arozarena by going 2-for-3 with a base-on-balls.  He swiped a bag as well. Edman singled and doubled in four at bats, knocking in two.

With Dakota Hudson a late scratch from his start, four Springfield relievers combined to hold their hosts to just two tallies.  Trey Nielsen yielded a long ball, one of three hits and two walks allowed over three.  Tyler Bray, Corey Littrell and Landon Beck each tossed two innings, Beck giving up a tally on three hits and a walk but picking up his second save.

Friday’s game:  at Northwest Arkansas (13-21) (KC), 7:05 pm CT, Sandy Alcantara (6-5, 4.85)


Palm Beach 4 at Tampa 10

Palm Beach (16-17) lost its third straight at Tampa, this time by a score of 10-4.  The fifth-place Beach Birds have fallen six games off the pace set by Bradenton (PIT).

The visitors clung to a 3-2 lead through six, but a seven-run seventh flipped that into an insurmountable hole.  Reliever Ross Vance (BS, 3) (L, 2-3) was charged with all seven tallies on five hits and two walks, retiring two.  Estarlin Arias recorded the final two outs but let two of three inherited runners score.

Jake Woodford tossed the first 5 2/3, permitting two runs on nine hits and three bases-on-balls. Infielder Leobaldo Pina allowed a run on two hits and a walk in the ninth.

Pina led the hitting, going 3-for-4 with a run scored.  Thomas Spitz and Andy Young each went 2-for-4, Spitz touching home once and Young doubling one time.  Spitz went 1-for-2 in stolen base attempts.

Friday’s game:  at Tampa (22-11) (NYY), 7:00 pm ET, Ryan Helsley (8-2, 2.69)


Peoria 3 vs. Cedar Rapids 1 (7) – Game 1

Peoria 4 vs. Cedar Rapids 0 (7) – Game 2

Frederis Parra (Johnson City Cardinals)

The Chiefs swept a pair from the Kernels, 3-1 and 4-0, clinching the home series with one to play.  Second-place Peoria (20-13) has climbed to within a game of Quad Cities (HOU) and holds a four-game winning streak.

Cedar Rapids struck first in the opener with a tally against Frederis Parra (W, 2-3) but that was all they would get as Parra tossed a complete-game five-hit effort.  The righty issued one free pass and hit a batter.

The home team answered right back with two in the bottom of the first.  The big hit was Brian O’Keefe’s two-run single scoring Stefan Trosclair (single) and Vince Jackson (double).  It was the first of Jackson’s two doubles, as the designated hitter was the only Chief with more than one of the team’s six hits.

Danny Hudzina capped the scoring in the fourth with his seventh home run of 2017. Stephen Piscotty began his rehab by going hitless in three at bats. The right fielder was not scheduled to play in the finale.

Ronnie Williams (State College Spikes)

A trio of Peoria pitchers held the opposition to just three hits in the nightcap while garnering nine strikeouts.  In his first start since May 3, Ronnie Williams fanned four over four, issuing just one free pass.  Colton Thomson (W, 1-0) struck out two in 1 1/3, giving up a hit before Yeison Medina fanned three in 1 2/3, working around two hits and a walk.

Peoria managed just five hits but worked six free passes, three resulting in runs.  Their first tally was generated by a hit batsman, two walks and Jackson’s sac fly scoring Nick Plummer.

The Kernels’ starter walked the bases full to begin the fifth, leading to his departure.  Kramer Robertson, Trosclair and Jackson all eventually scored on a bases-clearing double by Juan Yepez.

Friday’s game:  vs. Cedar Rapids (14-19) (MIN), 7:00 pm CT, Austin Warner (1-0, 0.00)


State College 11 at Batavia 1

Evan Mendoza (State College Spikes)

The Spikes pounded the Muckdogs, 11-1, in the first of three games between the two squads at Batavia.  State College (20-15) moved into third place with the win, three games in back of West Virginia (PIT).

The visitors’ steady offense effort featured 17 hits, six walks and scoring in six of nine innings.  Third baseman Evan Mendoza led the way, going 4-for-5 with two doubles and three driven in out of the three hole.

Four Spikes accumulated three hits each:  Zach Kirtley, Yariel Gonzalez, Bryce Denton and Edwin Figuera.  Kirtley did what a lead-off batter is supposed to do – get on base.  The second baseman went 3-for-6 with a double, three runs scored and an RBI.

But the bottom of the order really came through, as Gonzalez, Denton and Figuera combined for eight scores.  Gonzalez and Denton both went 3-for-6, the former doubling twice and Denton finishing a home run shy of the cycle.  Figuera singled three times in five at bats, crossed home once, knocked in one and stole his fourth bag of the season.

That was more than ample offense for Spikes’ hurlers.  Jonathon Mulford (W, 2-3) gave up a run on five hits and three walks through 5 1/3 with five strikeouts.  That run scored with Spencer Traynor on the mound, as he stranded one of Mulford’s two runners and fanned four in 2 2/3.  Robbie Gordon tossed a one-two-three ninth.

Friday’s game:  at sixth-place Batavia (11-24) (MIA), 7:05 pm ET, Andrew Summerville (1-0, 2.35)


Johnson City 1 at Danville 4

The JC-Cards opened their three-game series at Danville with a 4-1 defeat.  Johnson City (16-19) is in third place, 4 ½ behind Elizabethton (MIN).

Edwar Ramirez took the loss, his fifth in six decisions, yielding three runs on five hits and two free passes in 5 1/3.  He struck out five.  Jake Dahlberg gave up a tally on two hits and a base-on-balls over 2 2/3 but left both inherited runners aboard.

The visitors generated just five hits, three in the ninth to prevent the shutout.  Delvin Perez singled once in four at bats in his return to the Appalachian League.

Friday’s game: at Danville (18-17) (ATL), 7:00 pm ET, Alvaro Seijas (2-1, 6.51)


GCL Cardinals – off

The GCL Cardinals (12-13) will try to halt a five-game losing skid when they play a Friday home-and-away twin bill with the GCL Mets.

Friday’s games: vs/at GCL Mets (7-18).  Game 1 – 11:00 am ET, TBA/TBA


DSL Rockies 4 at DSL Cardinals 2

Like their big-league parents would experience that evening, one big inning was all it took for the Dominican Birds to drop a 4-2 decision to the DSL Rockies (23-23).  The seventh-place Cardinals (17-28) are 16 ½ games in back of the Twins in the South Division.

Diego Cordero (L, 1-4) blanked his opponents before giving up four scores, three earned, in his fifth and final inning of work.  The southpaw permitted four hits and two free passes, striking out five.

Allinson Benitez, Anthony Trompiz and Hector Soto held the Rockies hitless over the final four innings.  Benitez fanned three in his two-inning stint while Trompiz and Soto each went a frame.

All of the Dominican Cards’ offense was generated by third baseman Francisco Hernandez, who launched solo shots in the fifth and eighth.  Three of his teammates singled once.

Friday’s game:  vs. sixth-place DSL Yankees (19-27), 10:30 am ET, Francis Ventura (1-2, 4.09)



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