photo: Adanson Cruz (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
Selected St. Louis Cardinals-provided stats from the organization’s minor league spring training games played against the Miami Marlins on Monday, March 20. Our Player of the Day is Peoria outfielder Adanson Cruz, who had four hits including a game-winning RBI double.
On Monday, March 20, the St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers faced their Miami Marlins counterparts. All four games were held on the Cardinals side, on the George Kissell Quad in Jupiter.
The Cardinals squads won three of four games and tied the other. The run differential was just 24-19 with two of the wins by a single run. But wins are wins!
Remember that at this phase of camp, the Cardinals are labeling their teams “Working Groups”, which is an important reminder that these rosters are written in pencil and change daily. Over a dozen players are yet to be sent down from big-league camp over the next week or so.
Thanks to Cardinals Player Development and Media Relations, the following are selected stats from Monday. Notes and Players of the Day come from me.
Monday, March 20, 2023
Memphis Redbirds (8): vs. Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (7)
- RHP Jake Walsh – 1.0 IP – 1 H – 0 R – 0 BB – 0 SO (4th inning)
- RHP Guillermo Zuniga – 1.0 IP – 0 H – 0 R – 0 BB – 3 SO (5th inning)
- OF Scott Hurst – 3-3, 2B, BB, 2 R
- INF Arquimedes Gamboa – 3-4, RBI 2B, 3-R HR, 4 RBI, 3 R
- INF Chandler Redmond – 2-4, 2 HR, 3 RBI
- INF Irving Lopez – 2-4, RBI 2B
Notes: We were not told who pitched innings 1-3, but they must have struggled. One who did not, however, is infielder Arquimedes Gamboa, The February free agent signee fell a triple short of a cycle, plating four in the process.
Springfield Cardinals (5): vs. Pensacola Blue Wahoos (5)
- LHP Brycen Mautz – 3.0 IP – 3 H – 1 R – 2 BB – 4 SO (Innings 1-3)
- RHP Nathanael Heredia – 2.0 IP – 2 H – 1 R – 0 BB – 2 SO (Innings 4-5)
- RHP Griffin Roberts – 1.0 IP – 0 H – 0 R – 0 BB – 1 SO (8th inning)
- OF Elijah Cabell – 2-3, Solo HR, BB
- C Jimmy Crooks – 2-2, 3B
- OF Tyler Reichenborn – 1-1, Solo HR, BB
Notes: Cabell reached base three times in four plate appearances, including a bases-empty home run. The 2021 17th-rounder has yet to break out of Low-A, having spent both his professional seasons to date with Palm Beach (.713 OPS).
Peoria Chiefs (5): vs. Beloit Sky Carp (2)
- RHP Benjamin Arias – 2.0 IP – 3 H – 1 R – 0 BB – 1 SO (Innings 1-2)
- RHP Gustavo Rodriguez – 2.0 IP – 2 H – 0 R – 0 BB – 3 SO (Innings 3-4)
- RHP Bryan Pope – 2.0 IP – 1 H – 0 R – 0 BB – 1 SO (Innings 7-8)
- OF Nathan Church – 2-3, 2-R HR
- INF R.J. Yeager – 1-3, 2-R HR
- C Leonardo Bernal – 2-2
Notes: Rodriguez fanned three and allowed just two baserunners in two scoreless frames. The 22-year-old finished 2022 with a 2.65 ERA in 27 appearances with Palm Beach. The right-hander is The Cardinal Nation’s 42nd-ranked prospect for 2023.
Palm Beach Cardinals (6): vs. Jupiter Hammerheads (5)
- RHP Edwin Nunez – 2.0 IP – 3 H – 2 R (0 ER) – 1 BB – 0 SO (Innings 1-2)
- RHP Edgar Manzo – 2.0 IP – 0 H – 0 R – 1 BB – 0 SO (Innings 3-4)
- RHP Ruben Menes – 1.0 IP – 1 H – 0 R – 0 BB – 3 SO (7th inning)
- RHP Yordy Richard – 1.0 IP – 1 H – 0 R – 0 BB – 3 SO (9th inning)
- OF Adanson Cruz – 4-4, 2B, 3 RBI (GW RBI 2B in 8th inning)
- OF Jose Cordoba – 2-4, RBI, SB
- 1B Fernando Díaz – 1-3, RBI
Notes: Manzo, who allowed a lone baserunner in two innings, first played in the 2019 Dominican Summer League. He moved straight to Low-A Palm Beach after the lost COVID year and split his 2022 between that club (4.26 in 14 appearances) and High-A Peoria (8.59 ERA in 12 appearances).
TCN’s Monday Player of the Day
In four plate appearances on Monday, Peoria outfielder Adanson Cruz hit three singles and a double that brought in the winning run as part of his three-RBI day.
First signed in 2017, Cruz reached the US in 2019 with a cup of coffee in the Florida State League. He has struggled to get out of rookie ball since. After posting an OPS of .495 in 56 games with Low-A Palm Beach in 2022, Cruz was returned to the Florida Complex League to close the year.
Next games
On Tuesday, March 21 the Cardinals will face their Miami Marlins counterparts. All four games will be held on the Marlins side of the Jupiter complex. Game time is published for 1:00 p.m., but I have heard that it may start at 11:00 a.m. instead.
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