photo: Max Rajcic (Peoria Chiefs)
The St. Louis Cardinals system went 2-3 on Thursday with two 11-inning losses. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, our no. 14 prospect Max Rajcic, tossed a career-high seven scoreless innings on two hits and a walk. Other standouts include Noah Mendlinger, Jose Davila and Luis Pino.
Results from games played on Thursday, August 10th.
Memphis 9 at Durham 10 (11 innings)
The Memphis Redbirds (16-20) were walked off in the 11th inning by the Durham Bulls (TB, 21-15) on Thursday night at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
Starter Gordon Graceffo gave up four runs in six innings on six hits and a walk. TCN’s no. 5 prospect struck out seven but allowed two home runs. In his second game off the IL, Connor Thomas surrendered three runs in 1 1/3 innings.
The Bulls took a 4-0 lead in the fourth inning, but Memphis answered late. Richie Palacios brought in a run with a sacrifice fly in the seventh. Nick Dunn walked with the bases loaded in the eighth and Juniel Querecuto hit a grand slam to give Memphis the lead 6-4.
Q WITH A SLAM FOR THE LEAD pic.twitter.com/P2FBVhWd1S
— Memphis Redbirds (@memphisredbirds) August 11, 2023
In the eighth, the Bulls answered with a one-run lead. César Prieto’s solo homer in the ninth tied the score, sending the game into extra innings.
BRAND! NEW! BALLGAME! pic.twitter.com/Fl7Ljy19Up
— Memphis Redbirds (@memphisredbirds) August 11, 2023
Jacob Barnes pitched 1 2/3 hitless frames with three strikeouts. In the 10th inning, Dalton Roach yielded an unearned run. Chris Roycroft took his first Triple-A loss after he was touched for two runs, one earned, on two hits and two walks in the 11th.
For the lead in the 10th, Tres Barrera singled but Durham responded with one in the bottom half. Matt Koperniak gave the Redbirds a 9-8 lead in the 11th with a single, but the Bulls’ walk-off single ended the game.
Prieto, Koperniak, Dunn and Barrera all recorded two hits for Memphis. Koperniak doubled and Querecuto and Prieto homered. Dunn was 2-for-3 with two walks, two runs and one RBI. Every starter had a hit except Juan Yepez. The Redbirds went 4-for-12 with runners in scoring position and left 10 runners on base.
In the field, Graceffo committed a pickoff error. Yepez threw a runner out at home from left field.
Friday’s game: at Durham, RHP Adam Kloffenstein (0-0, 1.80 with Mem) vs. RHP Nathan Wiles (4-0, 5.04) 5:35 CT
Springfield 9, San Antonio 14 (11 innings)
The Springfield Cardinals (18-17) fell to the San Antonio Missions (SD, 17-18) in an extra-inning contest at Hammons Field.
With two St. Louis rehabbers throwing an inning each, the Cardinals used eight different pitchers in the contest. Jake Woodford gave up two runs on a hit, one walk and two strikeouts in his rehab. In Ryan Helsley’s rehab appearance, he surrendered two runs on three hits, no walks and one punchout.
In 3 2/3 frames, Connor Lunn allowed three runs. The right-hander yielded four hits, five walks and two strikeouts. Logan Sawyer struck out three and was charged with a run in 1 1/3 innings.
The Cardinals scored their first run in the third inning after Mike Antico brought in one via sacrifice fly to make the score 6-1. Thomas Saggese blasted a solo shot in the fifth, his 18th of the year and third with Springfield.
Breaking the pattern, Nick Trogrlic-Iverson and Andre Granillo threw a scoreless inning each. But Roy Garcia took his second Double-A loss after he was touched for six runs, four earned, in 1 1/3 innings on a hit, three walks and two strikeouts. Ryan Shreve pitched a scoreless 2/3 of an inning.
In the eighth, Springfield tied it up with six runs. Chandler Redmond singled to plate one. Noah Mendlinger and Wade Stauss both walked with the bases loaded. Irving Lopez drove in one with a single and Victor Scott tied the game at 8-8 with a two-RBI single.
VICTOR SCOTT TIES THIS BALL GAME‼️ pic.twitter.com/FRVsP7ZIa6
— Springfield Cardinals (@Sgf_Cardinals) August 11, 2023
The contest went into extra innings. After the Missions scored one in the 10th, Mendlinger tied the game with a double. San Antonio put the game away in the 11th with five runs against Garcia.
NOAH MENDLINGER‼️
His THIRD double of the night and now it’s a…
(•_•)
<) )╯TIE
/(•_•)
( (> BALL
/(•_•)
<) )> GAME
/ pic.twitter.com/lLS7c8Czqt— Springfield Cardinals (@Sgf_Cardinals) August 11, 2023
Mendlinger went 3-for-4 with three doubles, a walk, two RBI and a run scored. Scott extended his on-base streak to 15 games with two singles, a walk, two RBI and a run. Saggese homered and singled and Redmond recorded two hits. The lineup went 5-for-15 with runners in scoring position.
On the bases, Scott took his 24th Double-A bag and 74th of the season. Saggese committed an error at shortstop, his ninth of 2023.
Friday’s games:
vs. San Antonio, RHP Brandon Komar (2-6, 5.00) vs. LHP Daniel Camarena (1-6, 7.31) 5:05 CT (Game 1)
vs. San Antonio, RHP Tink Hence (2-1, 3.33) vs. RHP Ryan Bergert (1-1, 2.65) Time TBA
The Peoria Chiefs (23-16) blanked the Beloit Sky Carp (MIA, 19-20) at ABC Supply Stadium.
Max Rajcic tossed a career-high seven innings with no runs surrendered on two hits and one walk. TCN’s no. 14 prospect struck out four and earned his second win.
In the sixth inning, the Chiefs scored four runs. Chris Rotondo doubled and Osvaldo Tovalin singled to each plate one. Jeremy Rivas bunted to bring Thomas Francisco across and Brody Moore tripled to make the score 4-0. Tovalin came across in the eighth on a wild pitch.
Joseph King threw a scoreless eighth inning of relief. Jack Ralston closed out the game with two strikeouts in the ninth.
R.J. Yeager, Rotondo, Tovalin and Moore all recorded two hits. Moore doubled and tripled and Rotondo doubled. The lineup left 11 runners on base but the pitching only allowed four hits and two walks.
On the base paths, Rivas stole his 15th base of the season.
Friday’s game: at Beloit, RHP Ian Bedell (4-2, 2.32) vs. LHP Cade Gibson (2-6, 6.27) 6:35 CT
The Palm Beach Cardinals (18-19) topped the St. Lucie Mets (NYM, 11-28) on Thursday evening at Clover Park.
Starter Jose Davila fanned a career-high 12 batters in six innings with one run yielded. The right-hander earned his second win. Hunter Hayes surrendered two runs in the seventh inning.
The Beach Birds struck in the third inning with Won-Bin Cho’s RBI single, but the Mets tied the game in the bottom half. In the fourth, Kade Kretzschmar brought in two via single and Chase Adkison made the score 4-1 with a sacrifice fly.
Ixan Henderson pitched a perfect eighth inning with three punchouts. Tanner Jacobson loaded the bases in the ninth but earned his fourth save after no runs came home.
The lineup had seven hits and four walks but went 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position. Kretzschmar recorded the only multi-hit game and drove in two runs. The pitching struck out 17 batters.
Dakota Harris committed a fielding error and Adkison had a passed ball.
As a defensive replacement in the ninth inning, Chase Davis made a game-saving catch in center field.
Chase Davis goes full Superman to end the game 🤯
The @Cardinals first-rounder lays out to make a bases-loaded grab for the @GoPBCardinals: pic.twitter.com/C2ByEEwnGz
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) August 11, 2023
Friday’s game: at St. Lucie, TBA vs. TBA 5:10 CT
FCL Cardinals 4 at FCL Nationals 5
The Florida Complex League Cardinals (17-25) were edged by the Nationals (20-21) on Thursday morning at the Nationals ST Complex.
Starter Gerardo Salas yielded five runs, one earned, on three hits and two walks in three innings. The 20-year-old fanned one and took his first loss. In relief, Alexander Beltre struck out three in two scoreless frames.
After the Nationals made it 5-0 in the third inning, the Cardinals put up one run in the fourth. Luis Pino blasted a solo shot, his second of the year. In the sixth, the right fielder came across on a wild pitch. Yaisel Ramos drove one in with a groundout and Romtres Cabrera made the score 5-4 with a single.
Ettore Giulianelli, Miguel Martinez and Randel Clemente tossed a scoreless inning each to close the game.
The lineup recorded 11 hits, three walks and left nine runners on base. Pino was a triple shy of the cycle with a home run and two runs scored. Cabrera went 3-for-3 with a double, one walk and an RBI.
On the bases, Jose Suarez was picked off. In the field, Guerrero made an error and Jonathan Mejia committed three. Luis Rodriguez had a passed ball.
Friday’s game: at FCL Nationals, TBA vs. TBA 9:00 CT
DSL Cardinals 2 at DSL Nationals 2 (suspended in 3rd inning)
Due to inclement weather, the Dominican Summer League Cardinals (13-31) and Nationals (10-32) contest was suspended in the third inning. It will be completed on Monday, August 14.
Friday’s game: at DSL Astros Blue, TBA vs. TBA 10:00 CT
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