photo: R.J. Yeager (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
The St. Louis Cardinals system went 3-2 on Sunday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, R.J. Yeager, recorded two doubles, a home run and five RBI in Palm Beach’s win. Other standouts include Juniel Querecuto, Arquímedes Gamboa and Chris Gerard.
Results from games played Sunday, April 16th.
Behind three long balls, the Memphis Redbirds (10-5) defeated the Gwinnett Stripers (ATL, 2-12) on Sunday afternoon at Coolray Field. Memphis completed the six-game sweep and extended their win streak to seven.
Starter Gordon Graceffo pitched three innings and gave up two runs, one earned, on one hit, five walks and four strikeouts. Grant Black threw two scoreless innings in relief.
The Redbirds were down 2-0 from the first inning until the seventh, when they scored six runs on three home runs to take the lead. Juniel Querecuto hit a three-run homer to take the lead. Paul DeJong blasted a two-run shot and Luken Baker recorded his fourth home run of the year.
Memphis INF Juniel Querecuto launches a three-run homer, his first of the year, to put the Redbirds on top. pic.twitter.com/5ugFvwAV4u
— Cardinals Player Development (@CardsPlayerDev) April 16, 2023
Pauly D and Luken Baker smack back-to-back HR to cap off a six run inning for Memphis. pic.twitter.com/MARkezPOby
— Cardinals Player Development (@CardsPlayerDev) April 16, 2023
After the Stripers responded with two against Kyle Leahy in the home half, Querecuto doubled to add an insurance run in the eighth.
Leahy tossed 2 2/3 innings and was charged with two runs on seven hits, one walk and a strikeout. Thanks to the Redbirds’ comeback, the right-hander received his first win of 2023. JoJo Romero saved his second game of the season after a scoreless 1 1/3 innings with four strikeouts.
The Memphis lineup recorded 12 hits, including three home runs, and drew four walks. Querecuto drove in four and DeJong plated two. Kramer Robertson had two hits, two walks and two runs scored. Baker, Masyn Winn and Chase Pinder had two hits apiece.
Winn took his seventh bag of the season.
The Redbirds swept the Stripers this week and are on a seven-game winning streak. They are in first place in the International League West.
Tuesday’s game: vs. Indianapolis, TBA vs. TBA 6:45 CT (The Redbirds are off Monday)
Springfield 10 at Arkansas 5 (7 innings, Game 1)
The Springfield Cardinals (3-5) topped the Arkansas Travelers (SEA, 6-2) in Game 1 of the Sunday doubleheader at Dickey-Stephens Park.
Starter Connor Lunn tossed four innings and surrendered three runs on six hits and no walks. The right-hander fanned six.
Nick Dunn made the score 1-0 as he singled in a run in the first. The Travelers responded with three runs in the home half to take the lead. Arquímedes Gamboa brought the Cardinals within one with an RBI single in the second.
The Cardinals put eight runs on the board in the fourth inning to blow the contest wide open. Gamboa tied the game with a single and Jose Alvarez singled the winning run across. Chandler Redmond recorded an RBI single and L.J. Jones plated one with a double. Nick Raposo singled to bring a run home and Jones scored after a hit by pitch. Dunn came across then Raposo scored after Gamboa walked to make the score 10-3.
Kenny Hernandez pitched the final three innings and yielded two runs, one earned, on two hits and one walk. The 24-year-old earned his first win for the Cardinals.
Springfield scored 10 runs in their first seven-inning game on 13 hits and five walks. Jones recorded three hits and Gamboa brought in three runs. Gamboa, Alvarez and Raposo all had two hits.
Jacob Buchberger stole his first bag of the season.
Springfield 4 at Arkansas 6 (7 innings, Game 2)
The Springfield Cardinals (3-6) lost to the Arkansas Travelers (SEA, 7-2) in the make-up game from Saturday’s rain-out.
Starter Logan Gragg tossed four innings and yielded two runs on eight hits. The right-hander fanned seven batters.
The Cardinals scored twice in the fourth inning on Chandler Redmond’s single. Arkansas responded with six runs over the next three innings.
Dalton Roach pitched an inning and gave up three runs to take his first loss of the year. Andre Granillo surrendered a run in the sixth inning.
Springfield made an attempt at a comeback in the seventh. Gamboa doubled to score two runs and make it a two-run game. With the tying run at the plate and one out, the Cardinals could not complete the rally, however.
Gamboa recorded three hits to total five hits and five RBI for the doubleheader. The lineup went 2-for-8 with runners in scoring position and struck out 10 times.
Alvarez had an outfield assist in right field.
Springfield went 2-4 against Arkansas this week. They are in last place and four games out of first in the Texas League North.
Tuesday’s game: vs. Midland, RHP Adam Wainwright (MLB rehab) vs. TBA 6:35 CT (The Cardinals are off Monday)
The Peoria Chiefs (2-7) fell to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (MIL, 5-4) on Sunday afternoon at Fox Cities Stadium.
Starter Trent Baker gave up a run in four innings on two hits and three walks. The right-hander fanned seven. Ian Bedell took his first loss after he yielded an unearned run in one inning of work as a run scored on a passed ball charged to catcher Luis Rodriguez.
The Chiefs scored in the second inning as Rodriguez brought in Elijah Cabell via a sacrifice fly.
Matt Hickey threw two innings and was charged with a run. Andrew Marrero yielded two runs in the eighth inning on one hit, a walk and three strikeouts.
The Chiefs only recorded five hits and a walk. Osvaldo Tovalin had two hits in the contest. The lineup went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position.
Peoria had a tough day on the base paths as they were caught stealing three times.
On their first road trip of the season, the Chiefs went 2-4 against the Timber Rattlers. They are in last place in the Midwest League West.
Tuesday’s game: vs. Fort Wayne, TBA vs. TBA 6:35 CT (The Chiefs are off Monday)
The Palm Beach Cardinals (5-4) handily defeated the Daytona Tortugas (CIN, 5-4) on Sunday at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.
Starter Hancel Rincon yielded four runs, three earned, in five innings of work. The right-hander struck out two and earned his first win of the season.
The Beach Birds scored 10 of their 12 runs in the first three innings. In the first, R.J. Yeager doubled to bring in two and Carlos Linarez singled to bring one across. Daytona responded with three in the home half.
Michael Curialle hit a three-run shot in the second inning. Yeager followed suit with a solo homer to make the score 7-3. Carlos Linarez tripled to bring another run home. Yeager doubled in the third to plate two more runs.
Chris Gerard pitched three scoreless innings with one strikeout. Tanner Jacobson tossed a scoreless ninth inning.
Chris Rotondo brought in a run in the seventh via single. In the ninth, Jose Zapata blasted a solo homer to make the score 12-4.
Palm Beach pitching allowed just three hits as the offense recorded 13 hits and five walks. Yeager recorded two doubles, a home run and five RBI. Curialle went 1-for-3 with two walks, three RBI and two runs scored. Linarez and Darlin Moquete had two hits apiece.
Adanson Cruz, Lizandro Espinoza and Tre Fletcher stole a bag each.
After losing the first two games of the series, the Cardinals won four straight to go 4-2 against the Tortugas. Palm Beach is tied for first in the Florida State League East.
Tuesday’s game: vs. Dunedin TBA vs. TBA 4:00 CT (The Cardinals are off Monday)
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