Cardinals Minor League Notebook – July 29, 2023

photo: Mike Antico (Springfield Cardinals)

The St. Louis Cardinals system was 2-3 on Friday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, LF Mike Antico, was 2-for-5 with three RBI in Springfield’s win. Other standouts include Gordon Graceffo, Tink Hence and Thomas Francisco.



Results for games played on Friday, July 28.

Memphis 5, Iowa 3

The Memphis Redbirds beat the Cubs by the score of 5-3 at AutoZone Park on Friday. Starter Gordon Graceffo pitched 5 2/3 innings, gave up one run on four hits, struck out four and walked two to earn his third win of the season.

Gordon Graceffo

Jacob Barnes surrendered two runs in 1 1/3 innings of relief. James Naile threw a scoreless eighth. Dalton Roach tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his third save.

Memphis scored two runs in the first inning on a leadoff solo home run by Masyn Winn and a double by Luken Baker. Winn has eight long balls this month and 16 for the season. Baker’s 76 RBI lead the International League.

Masyn Winn

Iowa cut the lead to 2-1 in the top of the sixth before the Redbirds answered with three runs in the home half. Ivan Herrera and Baker walked. Moises Gomez singled and Herrera scored. Jose Fermin grounded into a force out and Baker was out at third. Juniel Querecuto was hit by a pitch. Gomez and Fermin came home on a wild pitch and a throwing error.

The Cubs added their final two runs in the seventh, but the rally ended there for the 5-3 final in favor of the Redbirds.

Memphis scored five runs on just four hits. No Redbird had multiple hits. The offense was 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position and left six men on base but still managed to win in part due to Cubs mistakes.

On the base paths, Herrera stole second base. In the field, Fermin made a throwing error.

The Memphis Redbirds (51-49) are 3.5 games out of first place in the International League West.

Saturday’s game:  vs. Iowa, TBA (MEM) vs. Nick Neidert RHP (5-3, 5.33) 6:35 CT.

Springfield 7 at Tulsa 2

The Springfield Cardinals defeated the home Drillers by a 7-2 score on Friday. Starter Tink Hence pitched five innings, gave up two runs on two hits, struck out nine and walked two to earn his second win.

Tink Hence

Roy Garcia threw two scoreless innings of relief. Bryan Pope tossed the final two scoreless frames.

Springfield scored the first run in the second inning. Chandler Redmond singled and later came home on a single by Arquimedes Gamboa.

Mike Antico

The Cardinals added to their lead in the third on a two-run home run by Mike Antico. They widened the lead to 7-0 in the fourth. Noah Mendlinger drew a walk. Jacob Buchberger singled. Gamboa walked. Mendlinger scored on a sac fly by L.J. Jones. Irving Lopez plated Buchberger on a sac fly. Victor Scott II singled to bring in Gamboa. Antico doubled and Scott II scored.

Tulsa scored their two runs in the fourth.

Antico was 2-for-5 with three RBI and was the only Cardinal with multiple hits.

Gamboa made a fielding error.

In the Texas League North, the Springfield Cardinals (13-12) are in third place, 1 game out of first place.

Saturday’s game:  at Tulsa, Alex Cornwell LHP (0-0, 3.77) vs. River Ryan RHP (1-5, 3.13) 7:05 CT.

Peoria 1, South Bend 5

The Peoria Chiefs fell to the Cubs by four runs at Dozer Park on Friday, extending their losing skid to nine games.

Starter Max Rajcic pitched five innings, gave up four runs on six hits, struck out six and walked one. Rajcic took the loss, his third of the season.

Gustave Rodriguez relieved Rajcic and threw two scoreless innings. Dionys Rodriguez surrendered one run in the final two innings.

South Bend took a 2-0 lead in the first inning, then increased the lead to 4-0 in the top of the fourth. Peoria scored their only run of the game in the home half of the fourth on a solo home run by Jimmy Crooks, his team-leading eighth of the year.

Jimmy Crooks

The Cubs added a final insurance run in the eighth.

The Chiefs scored their one run on six hits. Thomas Francisco was 3-for-4. The offense was 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position and left seven men on base.

The Peoria Chiefs (13-15) sit in fourth place in the Midwest League West, 4.5 games back of first place.

Saturday’s game:  vs. South Bend, Inohan Paniagua RHP (0-0, 2.16) vs. Michael Arias RHP (0-1, 3.68) 6:35 CT.

Palm Beach 5 at Fort Myers 6

The Palm Beach Cardinals were topped by the Mighty Mussels in a ninth inning walk off loss on Friday. Starter Cade Winquest pitched five innings, gave up one run on one hit, struck out eight and walked four.

Cade Winquest

Wilmer Ortega surrendered one run in two innings of relief. Jack Lynch relinquished three runs in 2/3 of an inning. Tanner Jacobson gave up the walk off run in the ninth to take the loss.

The Cardinals got on the board with one run in the top of the first. Michael Curialle singled and later scored on a wild pitch. Fort Myers tied the game in the home half of the first.

The Beach Birds made it 2-1 in the second. Kade Kretzschmar walked, stole second, advanced to third on an error and came home on a sac fly by Trey Paige.  Palm Beach increased the lead to 3-1 in the third when Curialle was hit by a pitch and later was driven in via a single by Chase Adkison.

In the sixth, the Cardinals added a two-run home run by Lizandro Espinoza to widen the lead to 5-1.

Lizandro Espinoza

The Mighty Mussels mounted a comeback, scoring one run in the bottom of the sixth, three runs in the eighth, and the walk off run in the bottom of the ninth.

The Cardinals scored five runs on five hits. No Cardinal had multiple hits. Espinoza had two RBI.

On the base paths, Curialle stole two bases. Kretzschmar stole his first as a professional. Won-Bin Cho swiped his 24th bag.

In the field, Adkison had a passed ball.

The Palm Beach Cardinals (10-16) are in third place in the Florida State League East, three games out of first place.

Saturday’s games:  at Fort Myers, TBA (PB) vs. Ben Ethridge RHP (1-4, 2.23) 5:00 CT.

FCL Cardinals – Off

In the Florida Complex League East, the Cardinals (10-22) are in last place, 10.5 games back of first.

Saturday’s games:  vs. FCL Astros, TBA vs. TBA 9:00 am CT (Game 1), at FCL Astros, TBA vs. TBA (Game 2)

DSL Cardinals 2 at DSL Mariners 3 (eight innings)

The Dominican Cardinals were edged by the Mariners in a 3-2 Friday contest that was originally scheduled for seven innings. Starter Nelfy Ynfante pitched three scoreless, no-hit innings with six strikeouts and one walk.

Nelfy Ynfante

Jovi Galvez relieved Ynfante and threw a scoreless fourth. Justin Hernandez hurled a scoreless fifth. Stiveen Rojas surrendered two runs in the sixth. Juan Severino relinquished one unearned run in the final 1 2/3 innings and took the loss.

The Cardinals went up in the first inning on a two-run home run by Hancel Almonte.

Hancel Almonte

The Mariners tied the game in the sixth and walked it off in the eighth as the ghost runner scored on an RBI single.

The Cardinals scored two runs on just four hits. No Cardinal had multiple hits. Almonte had two RBI. The offense was 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position and left five men on base.

On the base paths, Daniel Rojas was caught stealing. In the field, Ynfante made an error on a pick off.

In the Dominican Summer League South, the Dominican Summer League Cardinals (11-26) are in seventh place, 17 games back of first.

Saturday’s game:  Off


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