photo: Jonathan Mejia (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
The St. Louis Cardinals system went 0-2 on Monday as both rookie clubs lost. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, SS Jonathan Mejia, went 3-for-5 with a home run and a stolen base in the Florida Complex League. Another standout is Yordalin Pena.
Results from games played on Monday, July 31st.
Memphis Redbirds – Off
The Memphis Redbirds (52-50) are 4.5 games out of first in the second half of the International League West.
Tuesday’s game: vs. Jacksonville, TBA vs. TBA 7:05 CT
Springfield Cardinals – Off
In the Texas League North, the Springfield Cardinals (14-13) are 1.5 games out of first.
Tuesday’s game: vs. NW Arkansas, TBA vs. TBA 6:35 CT
Peoria Chiefs – Off
The Peoria Chiefs (15-15) are tied for fourth place in the Midwest League West.
Tuesday’s game: vs. Quad Cities, TBA vs. TBA 6:35 CT
Palm Beach Cardinals – Off
The Palm Beach Cardinals (12-16) sit one game out of first place in the Florida State League East.
Tuesday’s game: vs. Jupiter, TBA vs. TBA 4:00 CT
The Florida Complex League Cardinals (13-23) fell to the Mets (22-13) on Monday morning at Roger Dean Stadium.
Starter Victor Villanueva tossed 4 1/3 innings and gave up five runs on eight hits and one walk. The right-hander fanned six. In relief, Ettore Giulianelli struck out four in 1 2/3 scoreless frames.
In the first inning, Jonathan Mejia blasted a solo home run, his first of the year. The Mets stormed back with five runs between the second and fourth innings.
Adari Grant walked with the bases loaded and Miguel Vargas singled to score one in the fourth. In the fifth, Maikel Hernandez drove in one with a double and Jose Cordoba tied the game at 5-5 with a sacrifice fly.
Samuel Fabian struck out the side in a scoreless inning. Alejandro Cervantes took his third loss of the season after he yielded four runs, three earned, on two hits and three walks. Miguel Martinez fanned two in 1 1/3 scoreless frames.
After the Mets put up four runs in the eighth, the Cardinals attempted a comeback in the ninth. Yaisel Ramos singled to plate one but Hernandez popped out to end the game.
Mejia went 3-for-5 with a home run and two singles. Sammy Hernandez tripled and M. Hernandez had a double. The lineup left seven runners on base.
On the base paths, Grant and Mejia both took a bag. In the field, Ramos committed a throwing error. Cordoba threw a runner out at home from left field.
The Cardinals are 8.5 games out of first in the Florida Complex League East.
Wednesday’s game: at FCL Astros, TBA vs. TBA 11:00 CT (The Cardinals are off Tuesday)
DSL Cardinals 4, DSL Nationals 10
The Dominican Summer League Cardinals (11-29) were defeated by the Nationals (9-30) on Monday afternoon.
Jefferson Moran pitched four innings and gave up three runs, two earned, on one hit, three walks and four punchouts. Out of the bullpen, Guanchi Martinez took his first loss after he yielded two runs in two innings.
In the first, the Nationals scored one but the Cardinals answered in the home half to tie the game on Yordalin Pena’s RBI single. The Cardinals tied the game again in the fourth after Facundo Velasquez tripled to plate one and Daniel Rojas recorded a sacrifice fly. In the fifth, Fernando Roquez brought across a run via single.
The Nats pulled away as Yordy Herrera was touched for three runs, two earned, in 1 2/3 frames. Giovanni Vargas surrendered a run in 1/3 of an inning. In the ninth inning, Bernard Mack was charged with one run.
The Cardinals lineup had seven hits, three walks and went 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position. Pena recorded the only multi-hit game with two. Rojas and Bracewell Taveras doubled and Velasquez tripled.
Pena took his fourth bag of the season. Moran committed an error and Martinez picked a runner off.
The Cardinals are 19 games out of first in the Dominican Summer League South.
Tuesday’s game: vs. DSL Giants Orange, LHP Yadiel Batista (1-2, 3.67) vs. TBA 10:00 CT
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