Cardinals Minor League Notebook: 9/4/17

photo: Daniel Castano (Christopher Shannon/State College Spikes)

Daniel Castano’s impressive mound effort helped State College stay in the play-off hunt, one of three wins in the St. Louis Cardinals system on Sunday.  Memphis banged its way to victory while Peoria rolled toward the postseason with another win.

Results from games played Sunday, September 3rd.

Memphis 15 at Colorado Springs 7

Tyler O’Neill (Memphis Redbirds)

The Redbirds used 15 hits to overcome the Sky Sox, 15-7.  It was the first win in three tries for Memphis (90-50) with one game remaining in both the series and regular season. But Monday will not be the last time Memphis and Colorado Springs meet this season as the ywill face off in the best-of-five Pacific Coast League Semifinals, beginning at AutoZone Park on Wednesday, September 6th.

The balanced offense featured all nine starters with at least one hit and either touching home or driving in a run.  Tyler O’Neill spearheaded the effort, going 3-for-6 with a three-run bomb, his 31st home run of 2017, comprising three of his five RBI.

Four Redbirds had two hits:  Nick Martini, Jordan Schafer, Wilfredo Tovar and Aledmys Diaz.  Martini accounted for five runs, launching a solo shot, scoring twice and knocking in four.  Tovar also crossed home twice after a walk, double and solo blast and three driven in.  Schafer touched home twice while Diaz knocked in one.

Matt Pearce (W, 5-3) got the win despite a mediocre outing, yielding six runs on eight hits in five plus.  Mike Mayers could not escape from a bases-loaded jam with none gone, allowing all three of Pearce’s runners to score plus one of his own on four hits in 2 2/3.  Sean Gilmartin retired all four batters faced.

Monday’s game:  at Colorado Springs (80-56) (MIL), 1:30 pm CT, Zac Gallen (1-1, 3.45)


Springfield 6 at Tulsa 8  

Oscar Mercado (Springfield Cardinals)

An errant S-Cards’ defense led to an 8-6 loss, their second defeat in as many games versus Tulsa.  Springfield (41-28) finishes up its 2017 campaign on Monday.

Half of Tulsa’s eight tallies were unearned due to two throwing errors by shortstop Darren Seferina.  Chris Ellis went the first five, permitting five runs, four earned, on eight hits and two walks.  Ellis struck out nine.

Jacob Evans was saddled with his third loss in four decisions, yielding three unearned tallies on a hit and two bases-on-balls while recording two outs.  Brady Bowen retired all seven faced, stranding one inherited runner.

Springfield banged out 11 hits, paced by Oscar Mercado, who went 3-for-5 with two RBI and his 38th stolen base of the season.  Magneuris Sierra and Brian O’Keefe had two hits each in five at bats, both players singling and doubling with a run scored.  Sierra knocked in one and swiped his 17th base.

Monday’s game:  at Tulsa (44-25) (LAD), 1:05 pm CT, TBA


St. Lucie 4 at Palm Beach 3

Palm Beach (34-33) ended the second half by dropping a 4-3 decision to St. Lucie (30-40) (NYM).  The Beach Birds, winners of the first half, face Fort Myers (MIN) in a best-of-three semifinal series.  The Miracle hosts game one on Tuesday, September 5th with the PB-Cards hosting games two and three, the latter if necessary, on September 6th and 7th.

Making his Florida State debut, Evan Guillory (L, 0-1) limited the Mets to a single score through six before giving up three more in his final inning of work.  Guillory struck out seven with seven hits and two bases-on-balls allowed.  Estarlin Arias tossed a clean eighth before Derian Gonzalez fanned the side in the ninth.

All three Palm Beach runs crossed home in the third.  Singles by Shane Billings and Edmundo Sosa were followed by RBI doubles by Leobaldo Pina and Thomas Spitz.  The team managed just two more hits in the other eight frames.  Left fielder Vince Jackson was credited with an outfield assist at home and center fielder Billings was credited with the same at third base.

Monday’s game:  Off


Peoria 8 at Kane County 6

Dylan Carlson (The Cardinal Nation)

A balanced offensive effort resulted in the Chiefs’ 8-6 victory over Cougars.  Peoria (38-31) evened the series at one win apiece with the regular season finale on tap for Monday.

Seven of nine Chiefs starters garnered at least one of the team’s 11 hits and either scored or drove in a run.  J.R. Davis, Evan Mendoza, Juan Yepez and Dylan Carlson had two hits apiece, with Davis and Mendoza doubling as the only hits to go for extra bases.  Carlson accounted for four tallies, singling twice in four at bats with two runs scored and two driven in.  The right fielder stole a base too.

Anthony Shew (W, 5-0) tossed five frames, allowing four runs, three earned, on six hits and two walks, including a solo bomb.  Leland Tilley also surrendered a solo long ball during his two innings on the bump.

Max Almonte used three strikeouts to work around two hits and a walk in his scoreless eighth.  Yeison Medina picked up his 11th save despite giving up a run on two hits and a hit batsman.

Monday’s game:  at Kane County (33-36) (ARI), 1:00 pm CT, Ronnie Williams (4-6, 6.64)


State College 8 vs. Auburn 0

Daniel Castano (State College Spikes)

Daniel Castano tossed eight dominant frames in the Spikes’ 8-0 pasting of the Doubledays in the series opener.  State College (39-32) is two games back of both division-leading Mahoning Valley (CLE) and Hudson Valley (TB), the Wild Card leaders with four games remaining.  Aberdeen (BAL) is also in the hunt for the Wild Card berth, 1 ½ games behind the Renegades.

Castano, our Player of the Day, faced just four over the minimum through eight frames, striking out seven with three hits and two walks allowed.  One base runner was erased when he attempted to steal second.  The lefty’s nine wins against three losses ties a franchise mark for victories set by Steven Farinaro in 2016. Ironically, Farinaro followed Castano to the mound on Sunday, yielding a hit.

The contest was scoreless until the home team broke out for a three-run fifth and sixth followed by two in the seventh.  Eight of nine Spikes starters acquired at least one of the team’s 13 hits with four players having two each:  Wood Myers, Joshua Lopez, J.D. Crowe and Matt Davis.  Myers, Crowe and Davis each doubled once, three of four doubles in the night, while the latter two touched home twice.  Myers scored once, driving in two with both Lopez and Davis knocking in one.

Monday’s game:  vs. Auburn (27-44) (WSH), 12:00 pm ET, Andrew Summerville (4-0, 1.62)



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