photo: Joshua Baez (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
The St. Louis Cardinals system went 1-1 on Thursday as Palm Beach swept its divisional series. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, Joshua Baez, went 3-for-3 including a home run, walked, stole a base and scored three runs. Other standouts include Leonardo Bernal, JJ Wetherholt and Josh Kross.
Results from games played Thursday, September 12.
Memphis at Nashville (postponed)
The Memphis Redbirds’ (32-33) game against the Nashville Sounds (35-28, MIL) was postponed due to inclement weather and will be played as part of a doubleheader on Saturday, September 14. The Redbirds will continue their road series on Friday evening.
Friday’s game: at Nashville, LH Quinn Mathews (0-1, 5.63) vs. Taylor Clarke RHP (2-4, 4.71) 6:35 CT.
Springfield 1 at San Antonio 4
The Springfield Cardinals (41-25) fell to the San Antonio Missions (29-36, SD) 4-1 on Thursday at Nelson Wolff Stadium. Starter Alex Cornwell threw a scoreless inning. There was no obvious injury or game delay to explain his truncated start. (In fact, the Missions’ broadcaster called the entire second inning, not noticing a right-hander had taken over for the Cardinals.)
Zane Mills replaced Cornwell to start the second, and in the fourth, he conceded a two-RBI double and two RBI singles as the Missions took a 4-0 lead.
The Cardinals earned one back in the seventh with Leonardo Bernal’s solo moonshot to right field.
Cardinals number 9 prospect Leonardo Bernal just launched his first Double-A homer 105 MPH off the bat. pic.twitter.com/HG4NSub0Ip
— Springfield Cardinals (@Sgf_Cardinals) September 13, 2024
Bernal went 1-for-4 with a home run, an RBI, and a run scored. Chris Rotondo was 1-for-3 with a double. Bryan Torres hit 1-for-2 with a walk and a sacrifice bunt. The Cardinals totaled one run on seven hits with two walks and four strikeouts.
Mills took his first loss this season, yielding four runs on five hits while walking three and striking out three. Edwin Nuñez threw two scoreless innings, walking four and striking out three. Leonardo Taveras pitched two scoreless innings while striking out three. Springfield allowed four runs on five hits while walking seven and striking out nine.
Friday’s game: at San Antonio, RHP Max Rajcic (10-11, 4.43) vs. Braden Nett RHP (0-0) 7:05 CT.
On Thursday, The Palm Beach Cardinals (2-0) crushed the Daytona Tortugas (0-2, CIN) 12-4 at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium to advance to the Championship Series against the Lakeland Flying Tigers (2-0, DET). Starter Chen-Wei Lin threw 4 1/3 innings, allowing two runs, one earned, on three hits while walking two and striking out eight.
The Cardinals struck first in the second inning with Joshua Baez’s solo bomb to left-center field.
Baez Blast! pic.twitter.com/Fd9gPpafTo
— Palm Beach Cardinals (@GoPBCardinals) September 12, 2024
The Beach Birds added another run in the fourth with Josh Kross’ RBI double, but the Tortugas tied the game in the top of the fifth with a two-RBI double.
The Beach Birds responded in the bottom of the fifth with Jose Suarez’s RBI double, Ryan Campos reaching on a fielding error that plated JJ Wetherholt and Suarez, Ian Petrutz’s RBI single, Bryce Madron’s two-RBI single, a double steal by Madron and Christian Martin allowed Martin to score after a throwing error by the shortstop, and Wetherholt’s RBI single capped off the eight-run inning.
They added an insurance run in the sixth with Kross’ sacrifice fly.
Daytona tried to stay in the game in the top of the eighth with a two-run longball to right-center field.
Palm Beach added one final run in the bottom of the eighth on Kross’ RBI single.
Baez went 3-for-3 with a home run, a walk, an RBI, a stolen base and three runs scored. Wetherholt hit 3-for-4 with a walk, an RBI, and a run scored. Madron was 3-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored. The Cardinals totaled 12 runs on 18 hits with three walks and eight strikeouts. Kross had two hits and plated three.
Jason Savacool earned his first win this postseason, pitching 2 2/3 innings, and yielding two hits while striking out two. Henry Gomez pitched an inning, giving up two runs on three hits while striking out two. Luis Gastelum threw a scoreless inning while striking out all three batters faced. Palm Beach allowed four runs, three earned on eight hits while walking two and striking out 15.
What is next: The Cardinals swept the Tortugas and advanced to the Championship Series to face the West Division Lakeland Flying Tigers (Det) in a best-of-3 set. Game 1 will be played on Sunday at Lakeland. Games 2 and 3 (if required) will be held at Roger Dean on Tuesday and Wednesday.
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