photo: Tink Hence (Springfield Cardinals)
The St. Louis Cardinals system was 2-2 on Wednesday. TCN’s Players of the Day are from Springfield. Tink Hence pitched four terrific one-hit scoreless innings with six strikeouts and DH Bryan Torres was 5-for-5 with an RBI. Other standouts: Tuesday Player of the Day Jimmy Crooks, Hunter Kublick and Jose Cordoba.
Results for games played Wednesday, August 14.
Behind a leaky bullpen, the Triple-A Redbirds were beaten by the Jumbo Shrimp by a 7-2 score on Wednesday. Fill in starter Nick Raquet pitched 2 2/3 scoreless innings, allowed four hits, and walked two.
Victor Santos relieved Raquet and surrendered one run in 1 1/3 innings. Andre Granillo allowed two runs in two innings and took the loss. Ryan Loutos yielded four runs in the seventh as the game got away from the Redbirds. Jacob Bosiokovic tossed a scoreless eighth.
Memphis scored first in the third inning to lead 1-0. José Fermín singled and came home on a Nick Dunn double.
Jacksonville tied the game in the fourth. The Redbirds responded in the fifth to regain the lead 2-1. Alfonso Rivas doubled and crossed the plate on Mike Antico’s triple.
The Jumbo Shrimp took over with a six-run seventh inning for the final 7-2 score.
Memphis went 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position and left seven runners on base. The two runs came on seven hits with no player having multiples. Extra base hits included the Antico triple and doubles by Dunn, Rivas, and César Prieto.
Ivan Herrera had a passed ball.
Memphis is 57-59 on the season, 19-22 in the second half. They are in seventh place in the International League West, 8.5 games back of Columbus.
Thursday’s game: at Jacksonville, Gordon Graceffo RHP (8-6, 4.33) vs. TBD 6:05 CT.
The Double-A Cardinals pulled off a ninth inning comeback win at the Frisco Rough Riders on Wednesday night.
Starter Tink Hence pitched four scoreless innings with one run allowed and six punchouts. Hence was limited in third outing back from injury and was taken out after 49 pitches, of which 35 were strikes.
Final line for Cardinals number one prospect Tink Hence: 4.0 IP, H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K, 49 pitches. pic.twitter.com/VKkbEgYECQ
— Springfield Cardinals (@Sgf_Cardinals) August 15, 2024
Hence’s brilliant outing was marred by a disastrous performance by former starter Edwin Nuñez, now working in relief. After a scoreless fifth inning, Nuñez, known for poor control of his pitches, was allowed to return for the sixth.
After giving up five runs, he was finally taken out and replaced by Zane Mills, who secured the final out of the inning. Mills returned to pitch for two additional innings, surrendering one additional run. Matt Svanson finished with a scoreless ninth for his 21st save in 21 chances.
Springfield’s offense took the lead in the fourth on a solo home run by Jimmy Crooks. Springfield added two runs in the fifth to go up 3-0. Dakota Harris led off with a double. Chris Rotondo drove in Harris on a triple. Rotondo came home on a single by Bryan Torres.
Have a game, Bryan Torres! 🎉
The @Cardinals designated hitter notches a career-high five hits for the @Sgf_Cardinals. pic.twitter.com/JDbBv5xIzX
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) August 15, 2024
During Springfield’s sixth inning stumble, Frisco scored five runs to take the lead 5-3. They extended it to 6-3 in the eighth.
The undaunted Cardinals fought back in the ninth with four runs to retake the lead 7-6. Jeremy Rivas, Rotondo and Torres singled to load the bases. Nathan Church hit a sac fly and a fielding error by the Rough Riders center fielder allowed Rivas and Rotondo to score. Crooks followed with a second sac fly that brought Torres home. R.J. Yeager plated Church on a single.
Jimmy Crooks, you gotta be kidding. He just homered for the second time in as many games and has driven in his fourth run of the series already. pic.twitter.com/Rj6ukUBVcA
— Springfield Cardinals (@Sgf_Cardinals) August 15, 2024
Torres went 5-for-5 with an RBI. Crooks, the Player of the Day on Tuesday, was 2-for-4 with two RBI. Rotondo was 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Harris was 3-for-4.
In total, the offense scored seven runs on 16 hits.
Springfield is 62-48 on the season, 25-16 in the second half. They remain in first place in the Texas League North.
Thursday’s game: at Frisco, Max Rajcic RHP (9-9, 4.61) vs. Kumar Rocker RHP (0-0, 0.00) 7:05 CT.
The High-A Chiefs fell to the Timber Rattlers by the score of 7-2 on Wednesday. Brycen Mautz took the mound for Peoria. The left hander pitched six innings, gave up five runs on seven hits, fanned six and walked one. Mautz suffered his 13th loss of the season.
Benjamin Arias relieved Mautz and surrendered two runs in two innings.
Wisconsin got on the board early, leading 1-0 in the first. The Timber Rattlers added three runs in the third and one in the fourth to lead 5-0. Wisconsin extended the lead to 7-0 in the seventh.
Peoria was held scoreless until the eighth inning to avoid a shutout. Michael Curialle singled and scored when Darlin Moquete blasted a two-run home run to left field.
Moquete with a 2 run homer, 9th on the season, in the top of the 8th!
PEO 2 | WIS 7 pic.twitter.com/GOSWSEHB4b— Peoria Chiefs (@peoriachiefs) August 14, 2024
The Peoria offense scored two runs on five hits, including four singles. Moquete was 2-for-4 with two RBI.
Chase Davis was picked off and caught stealing in the first inning.
The Chiefs defense made three errors – throwing errors from Curialle and Villarroel and a pickoff error by catcher Chase Adkison.
Peoria is 48-61 on the season, 22-22 in the second half. They have dropped to a third-place tie with Cedar Rapids in the Midwest League West.
Thursday’s game: at Wisconsin, Inohan Paniagua RHP (7-7, 3.78) vs. Will Rudy RHP (4-7, 4.99) 6:40 CT.
The Low-A Cardinals beat the Hammerheads by a 3-1 score on Wednesday. Sem Robberse started the game on a rehab assignment from Memphis and threw one scoreless inning with a hit and a strikeout.
Regular starter Hunter Kublick replaced Robberse and pitched five one-run innings on five hits and fanned six. Luis Gastelun hurled two scoreless innings. Henry Gomez tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his 11th save.
The Beach Birds scored the first run of the game in the fourth inning. Josh Kross drew a walk and crossed home on a double by Jose Cordoba. In the sixth, Kross reached on an error and came home on another double by Cordoba to increase the lead to 2-0.
Jupiter put up their only run in the top of the seventh to cut the lead to 2-1. Palm Beach answered with a run in the home seventh for the 3-1 lead. Christian Martin received a free pass and later came home on a single by Ryan Campos.
The Cardinals scored three runs on nine hits. Cordoba was 2-for-4 with two RBI. Campos was 3-for-4 with an RBI. Kross was 2-for-3 with two runs scored.
Campos was caught stealing and made a throwing error.
Palm Beach is 67-41 on the season, 30-12 in the second half. They remain in first place in the FSL East.
Thursday’s game: RH Jose Davila (4-5, 3.66) vs. TBD 5:30 CT
DSL Cardinals – Off day
The rookie level Dominican Summer League Cardinals are 25-23 on the season and are in fifth place in the DSL Central Division.
Thursday’s game: at DSL Marlins, RH Guanchi Martinez (2-3, 3.48) vs. TBD 10:00 am CT.
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