photo: Pedro Pages (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
The St. Louis Cardinals system went 1-3 on Thursday. Palm Beach’s season concluded with Peoria facing a deciding Game 3 on the road. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, Pedro Pagés, was 4-for-5 with a triple, two runs scored and three RBI in Springfield’s win. Other standouts include Juan Yepez, Thomas Saggese, Mike Antico and Wilfredo Pereira.
Results from games played on Thursday, September 14th.
The Memphis Redbirds (27-39) were out-slugged by the Norfolk Tides (BAL, 38-28) on Thursday afternoon at Harbor Park.
Starter Adam Kloffenstein tossed four innings and gave up two runs on four hits, two walks and four punchouts. The right-hander yielded a homer to MLB no. 1 prospect Jackson Holliday.
The Redbirds scored six runs in the first two innings. Juan Yepez brought in one with a single and Iván Herrera blasted a two-run home run, his 10th in Triple-A. In the second, Yepez and Herrera both recorded an RBI single. Nick Dunn brought one run across with a single.
IVAN HERRERA, OH BABY pic.twitter.com/D67tlsip8C
— Memphis Redbirds (@memphisredbirds) September 14, 2023
Memphis made it 9-2 in the fifth inning. Irving Lopez scored a run after a fielder’s choice. Kramer Robertson had an RBI groundout and Thomas Saggese doubled to plate a run. Norfolk put up two runs in the fifth and eight more in the sixth inning, including seven against reliever Kyle Leahy. In the seventh, Yepez drove in a run via sacrifice fly to close Memphis’ gap to two at 12-10.
Dalton Roach took his fourth Triple-A loss of the season after he surrendered three runs in two innings. Chris Roycroft pitched a scoreless eighth.
The lineup had 16 hits in the contest but went 5-for-18 with runners in scoring position. Saggese was 4-for-5 with three doubles, a walk, one RBI and two runs. Yepez recorded three hits, one walk, two runs and three RBI. Herrera drove in three runs and Lopez collected three hits.
On the base paths, Moisés Gómez and Chase Pinder both stole a bag.
The Redbirds are eliminated from playoff contention in the International League West.
Friday’s game: at Norfolk, RHP Sem Robberse vs. RHP Chayce McDermott (3-2, 2.49) 5:35 CT
Springfield 10 at San Antonio 2
The Springfield Cardinals (37-29) topped the San Antonio Missions (SD, 31-35) at Nelson Wolff Stadium on Thursday night.
Wilfredo Pereira earned his 10th win of the season after he pitched six innings and surrendered two runs on five hits and two walks. The right-hander struck out two.
In the second inning, the Cardinals scored five runs. Errol Robinson hit a solo home run, his second in Double-A. Victor Scott came across on an error and Pedro Pagés tripled to plate a run. Mike Antico blasted a two-run home run to make the score 5-0.
BE LIKE MIKE 🤘
Two-out, two-run homer from Antico and we lead 5-0 in the 3rd‼️#PlayoffCards pic.twitter.com/drART2nkal
— Springfield Cardinals (@Sgf_Cardinals) September 15, 2023
Jose Martinez threw two scoreless innings of relief. Logan Gragg recorded a scoreless ninth inning.
Springfield made the score 8-0 in the fifth. Pagés had an RBI single. Antico grounded out to bring one across and Jacob Buchberger plated one via single. Pagés scored another run in the sixth with a single and Aaron Antonini doubled in the ninth to make the score 10-2.
Three bags for Pedro‼️
We lead 3-0 on a two-out triple from our DH 💪 pic.twitter.com/GYcRN8G5FX
— Springfield Cardinals (@Sgf_Cardinals) September 15, 2023
Pagés went 4-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored. Noah Mendlinger, Scott, Antonini and Robinson all had two hits. Antico drove in three runs. The lineup recorded 16 hits and three walks.
Scott and Mendlinger both stole a base. TCN’s no. 11 prospect is six away from 100 stolen bases this season with three regular season games left.
The Cardinals have won nine of their last 10 games. With three games remaining, they are two games ahead of second place Wichita in the Texas League North.
Friday’s game: at San Antonio, RHP Connor Lunn (7-6, 4.68) vs. RHP Adam Mazur (1-3, 4.64) 7:05 CT
Peoria 4 at Cedar Rapids 9 (Division Series Game 2)
As all four pitchers were scored upon, the Peoria Chiefs fell to the Cedar Rapids Kernels in game two of the divisional series at Rise 2 Greatness Field. The set is tied at one apiece.
Ian Bedell was charged with five runs in three-plus innings on six hits and two walks. TCN’s no. 19 prospect fanned four. Nathanael Heredia took the fourth inning and gave up one run.
In the third inning, Ramon Mendoza plated Peoria’s first run with a single. The Kernels responded with a six-run fourth inning. Brody Moore brought one run across in the sixth with a single.
Ramon Mendoza’s bat STAYS hot 🥵
RBI single brings home Moquete and gives the Chiefs a 1-0 lead after the T3! pic.twitter.com/72HvdKmXLv
— Peoria Chiefs (@peoriachiefs) September 15, 2023
Matt Hickey struck out three in 2 1/3 innings but yielded two runs. Edgar Manzo pitched 1 2/3 frames and surrendered a run.
The Chiefs attempted a comeback in the ninth inning. Francisco Hernandez and Jimmy Crooks both plated a run with singles.
Chris Rotondo recorded the only multi-hit game with two. Peoria had nine hits and two walks but did not have an extra-base hit.
On the bases, Rotondo stole a bag. In the field, Jeremy Rivas and Bedell both committed an error. Crooks had a passed ball.
Cedar Rapids and Peoria play in their final playoff game on Friday night to decide who moves onto the Midwest League Championship.
Friday’s game: at Cedar Rapids, RHP Zane Mills (7-6, 5.63) vs. RHP C.J. Culpepper (6-5, 3.56) 6:35 CT
Palm Beach 6, Jupiter 7 (11 innings, Division Series Game 2)
On Thursday evening, the Palm Beach Cardinals were defeated by the Jupiter Hammerheads in a heartbreaking extra-inning contest to end their season.
Starter Hancel Rincon yielded four runs, three earned, in 5 1/3 innings on five hits and two walks. The 21-year-old struck out eight. Angel Cuenca tossed 1 1/3 scoreless frames and Augusto Calderon gave up an unearned run in his 1 1/3 innings.
The Beach Birds made the score 3-1 in the second inning. Chase Adkison walked with the bases loaded and Lizandro Espinoza scored two with a single. Joshua Baez blasted a solo home run in the fourth inning. Jupiter tied the game in the sixth but Jose Cordoba gave the Cardinals the lead back after he doubled to bring one run across.
The Hammerheads tied the game in the eighth inning after a fielding error. Henry Gomez threw a scoreless ninth with one strikeout. After a scoreless 10th, Hunter Hayes surrendered two runs, one earned, on only one hit, an RBI triple, in the 11th. The second run scored on a ground out.
In the home 11th, needing two to tie, the Cardinals scored just one, via Chase Davis’ sacrifice fly. With two outs and the bases empty, Sammy Hernandez grounded out to end the Beach Birds’ season.
Michael Curialle and Cordoba had two hits. Baez went 1-for-4 with a home run and three runs scored. Espinoza plated two. The lineup was 2-for-16 with runners in scoring position.
On the base paths, Curialle stole a bag. Rincon and Curialle both committed an error and Adkison had a passed ball.
With the loss on Thursday, Palm Beach’s season is over. The Class-A affiliate finished with an overall record of 64-63.
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