photo: Gordon Graceffo (Memphis Redbirds)
On Thursday, the St. Louis Cardinals system went 2-2 behind four excellent starting pitchers. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, Memphis’ Gordon Graceffo, allowed one run in six innings. Other standouts include Tink Hence, Cooper Hjerpe, Jason Savacool, Thomas Saggese and Sammy Hernandez.
Results for the games played on Thursday, April 18.
The Memphis Redbirds (8-10) defeated the Gwinnett Stripers (9-9, ATL) 3-1 at Coolray Field on Thursday. Starter Gordon Graceffo had his best outing of 2024, taking the win to improve his record to 2-2. The Cardinal Nation’s no. 6 prospect pitched six innings, allowing one run on four hits while walking three and striking out eight.
Graceffo gave up the first run in the bottom of the third on a walk, bunt single, fly out and a wild pitch.
The Redbirds came back in the fifth. Mike Antico doubled and José Fermín walked. Second baseman Thomas Saggese’s double to left field plated Antico and Fermín to give Memphis the lead. Luken Baker’s single to center brought Saggese home to increase the lead to 3-1.
Saggese gives us the lead! pic.twitter.com/2jMCr7zKIs
— Memphis Redbirds (@memphisredbirds) April 19, 2024
Fermín went 1-for-3 with two walks and scored once. Saggese hit 2-for-5 including a double, two RBI, and a run scored. Moisés Gómez was 3-for-4 with three singles. The Redbirds totaled 11 hits while walking three times and striking out five.
Reliever Chris Roycroft pitched 1 ⅔ innings, allowing no runs on one hit while striking out two and walking none. John King earned his second save of the season, pitching 1 ⅓ scoreless innings, with no baserunners and striking out one. Memphis yielded one run on five hits while walking three and striking out 11.
Friday’s game: at Gwinnett, RHP Sem Robberse (2-0, 2.45) vs TBD 6:05 CT.
The Springfield Cardinals’ (10-2) bullpen gave up a late lead to fall to the Amarillo Sod Poodles (4-8, ARI) 6-3 at Hodgetown on Thursday. Starter Tink Hence continued his strong start to 2024. The right-hander threw 83 pitches in 5 ⅓ innings, allowing one run on four hits while walking one and striking out six.
Guys, he did it again. Tink Hence finishes the night with six strikeouts over 5.1 IP.
Through three starts: 15.1 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 17 K.
That's a 1.17 ERA. pic.twitter.com/pFZDCRXy0e
— Springfield Cardinals (@Sgf_Cardinals) April 19, 2024
The Sod Poodles were on the board first in the fourth when Hence gave up a solo home run to right field to the second batter of the inning.
The Cardinals struck back in the sixth. Nathan Church walked, stole second, and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Jimmy Crooks grounded into a fielders choice, reaching first and scoring Church. Matt Lloyd singled to advance Crooks to third who was then pinch-ran for due to a leg injury. Pinch runner Wade Stauss came home on a wild pitch to give Springfield the lead. Chandler Redmond’s RBI single to center increased the Cards’ lead to 3-1.
And for our next trick, we'll take the lead with only one hit. pic.twitter.com/3hT6Nr73H3
— Springfield Cardinals (@Sgf_Cardinals) April 19, 2024
Amarillo came back in the eighth, first against reliever Andrew Marrero. He gave up a single, a wild pitch, and an RBI single. Marrero gave up another single and hit a batter to load the bases. He then walked in a run to tie the game. Andre Granillo was brought in to pitch. He walked in a run to give up the lead and then allowed a two-run single to left field to give Amarillo a 6-3 edge.
Church went 1-for-3 with two walks and scored once. Redmond was 2-for-3 with an RBI and a walk. Lloyd went 1-for-4 with a walk and scored once. The Cardinals had their chances, totaling eight hits, four walks, and seven strikeouts while going 1-for-15 with runners in scoring position and leaving 11 men on base.
Marrero took his first loss and blew his first save this season, charged with five runs on three hits while walking one and striking out one. In middle relief, Nick Raquet pitched 1 ⅔ innings, allowing no hits, walking one, and striking out three. Springfield gave up six runs on eight hits while walking four and striking out 12.
Friday’s game: at Amarillo, Tekoah Roby (1-0, 6.30) vs. Yilber Diaz (0-2, 5.79) 7:05 CT.
The Peoria Chiefs (5-7) were shut out by the Quad Cities River Bandits (9-3, KCR) 1-0 at Modern Woodmen Park on Thursday. The teams had to wait as a weather delay pushed back the start time of the game to 7:15.
Cooper Hjerpe started and also had his best outing of 2024, allowing two hits across four innings, allowing no runs while walking one and striking out seven.
Cade Winquest replaced Hjerpe for the fifth inning. The game remained scoreless until the bottom of the seventh when Winquest gave up a walk, a single, and a hit batter to load the bases. A sacrifice fly to center scored the only run of the game.
Dakota Harris went 2-for-4 including a double. Zach Levenson went 2-for-4. The Chiefs totaled six hits, three walks, and 11 strikeouts while going 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position and stranding six runners.
On the basepaths, Brody Moore stole a base and Anyelo Encarnacion was caught stealing.
Winquest pitched four innings, allowing one run on two hits, walking four, and striking out five, taking his first loss this season. Peoria pitching yielded four hits, and five walks while striking out 12 River Bandits through eight innings.
Friday’s game: at Quad Cities, RHP Hancel Rincon (1-0, 1.93) vs Steven Zobac RHP (0-0, 2.00) 6:30 CT.
The Palm Beach Cardinals (8-4) destroyed the Lakeland Flying Tigers (8-4, DET) 9-2 at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium on Thursday. Starter Jason Savacool pitched five innings, allowing no runs on three hits while walking none and striking out five to earn his first professional win.
The Cardinals struck in the home first. Sammy Hernandez was hit by a pitch, Brayden Jobert walked, and Jose Cordoba was also hit to load the bases. A wild pitch advanced the runners and plated Hernandez. Miguel Villarroel walked to reload the bases. Kade Kretzschmar walked home another run. Trey Paige’s two-RBI single to center field doubled the early lead. Hernandez’ double drove in two more to give the Cardinals an early 6-0 lead.
Palm Beach added insurance in the sixth. Hernandez doubled, Jobert singled, and Cordoba walked to load the bases. Ross Friedrick’s bases-clearing double put the game further out of reach for the Flying Tigers, increasing the lead to 9-0.
Lakeland cut into the deficit in the seventh. Reliever Benjamin Arias gave up a one-out double and hit the next batter. He allowed a two-run triple bringing the score to 9-2.
Hernandez went 2-for-4 with two doubles, two RBI, a hit by pitch, and scored twice. Kretzschmar was 1-for-2 with two walks, an RBI, and one run scored. Paige hit 2-for-4 with two runs driven in and scored once. Friedrick plated three. Palm Beach totaled seven hits, six walks, and struck out six times.
Zack Showalter pitched two relief innings yielding no runs on one hit while striking out two and walking none to close the game. The Cardinals gave up two runs on seven hits while striking out nine and walking no Flying Tigers.
Friday’s game: vs. Lakeland, RHP Chen-Wei Lin (0-1, 3.60) vs. TBD 5:30 CT.
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