photo: Tyler O’Neill (Memphis Redbirds)
In a 4-3 Monday across the St. Louis Cardinals minor league system, our Player of the Day, outfielder Tyler O’Neill, put Memphis ahead early with a two-run home run.
Results from games played Monday, August 14.
Memphis Redbirds 3 at Nashville Sounds 1
Fueled by a dependable night from the pitching staff and just enough run support, the division champion Redbirds improved to 40 games over .500 (81-41) with a 3-1 victory over the Sounds.
Starter John Gant evened his record at 5-5 with a win, lasting 5 2/3 innings with one run and seven punchouts. Kevin Herget followed with 1 2/3 scoreless innings before Miguel Socolovich was perfect during his five-out save.
Right fielder Tyler O’Neill, our Player of the Day, launched his 25th home run of the year in the top of the first inning, a two-run shot that proved to be all Memphis would need. Left fielder Nick Martini added on with a two-out, RBI single in the fifth. Second baseman Breyvic Valera and catcher Gabriel Lino each scored a run, while center fielder Harrison Bader wore the collar with three strikeouts in four at-bats.
Tuesday’s game: Dakota Hudson (0-0, 4.86) vs. Nashville Sounds, 6:35 PM Central time.
Springfield Cardinals off
The Cardinals were off Monday and will pick back up on Tuesday as they host the San Antonio Missions. Austin Gomber (7-7, 3.76) will start in the 6:30 PM Central time game.
Dunedin Blue Jays 6, Palm Beach Cardinals 3
The Cardinals could not overcome four early Blue Jays runs and fell in Monday’s contest, 6-3.
Starter Ramon Santos allowed zero earned runs across his five-inning start. The problem is that the Blue Jays scored six unearned runs with Santos on the mound, including four in the third inning, with the help of two errors, a passed ball, a wild pitch, and a balk. The throwing miscues were by Jose Martinez and Leobaldo Pina, with the passed ball by Jeremy Martinez.
Jordan Hicks added three scoreless innings out of the bullpen.
Center fielder Blake Drake had a hit and scored two of the team’s three runs. Third baseman Leobaldo Pina went 2-for-3 with a run scored and a run driven in, and second baseman Luke Dykstra singled in a run. The Cardinals went 2-for-6 with runners in scoring position and left eight runners on base.
Tuesday’s game: Connor Jones (7-5, 3.91) at Dunedin Blue Jays, 5:30 PM Central time.
Quad Cities River Bandits 4, Peoria Chiefs 1
The River Bandits put up three unanswered runs in the fourth and sixth innings to break a tie and defeat the Chiefs on Monday, 4-1.
Chiefs starter Ian Oxnevad lasted just four innings, allowing three runs (two earned) as he suffered his 10th loss in 13 decisions this year. Bryan Dobzanski and Dewin Perez combined to allow one run on two hits over the final four innings, but the dependable relief ultimately went to waste.
Peoria’s bats failed to provide Oxnevad with much run support, manufacturing just two hits in 10 at-bats with runners in scoring position and stranding nine runners on base. Shortstop Kramer Robertson had two of the team’s six hits (all singles) and drove in Peoria’s only run. Left fielder J.R. Davis had three hits, while center fielder Dylan Carlson went 1-for-3 with a walk and run scored.
Tuesday’s game: Evan Kruczynski (2-3, 4.40) at Quad Cities River Bandits, 6:35 PM Central time.
State College Spikes off
With the New York-Penn League All-Star Game on Tuesday, the Spikes will not play a regular-season game until Wednesday. The Spikes will have five representatives in the game, including catcher Joshua Lopez, infielder Yariel Gonzalez, outfielder Scott Hurst, and pitchers Daniel Castano and Andrew Summerville, as well as the entire coaching staff.
Elizabethton Twins 8 at Johnson City Cardinals 5
The Twins made hay of shaky Cardinals pitching and defense, cruising to an 8-5 win over Johnson City on Monday night.
Cardinals starter Evan Guillory was pulled after giving up a run over two innings. Edwar Ramirez followed and allowed five runs (one earned) over the next 1 2/3 innings. A dropped foul pop by shortstop Stanley Espinal and a wild pitch by Ramirez led to the unearned tallies. Ramirez took the loss, his sixth in eight decisions this year.
Guillory, Ramirez, Jake Dahlberg (2 1/3 innings), and Juan Alvarez (3 innings) combined to walk eight Twins. The Twins stranded 11 runners on base, but their eight runs were enough.
Cardinals designated hitter Brady Whalen finished a home run shy of the cycle, going 3-for-4 with a double, a triple, and two runs scored. Center fielder Wadye Ynfante had two hits, including a double and a run batted in before leaving the contest due to injury, and shortstop Irving Lopez scored twice.
Tuesday’s game: Jacob Schlesener (1-1, 2.67) vs. Elizabethton Twins, 10:30 AM Central time
GCL Cardinals 5, GCL Marlins 4
With a solid start from Noel De Jesus and a four-run sixth, the Cardinals topped the Marlins on Monday by a 5-4 final score.
De Jesus allowed one run over six quality innings, whiffing seven and walking one in what became his second win of the year. Jim Voyles allowed a run in his two innings of work, and Wilberto Rivero surrendered two more in the top of the ninth before Patrick Dayton recorded the final out for his second save.
Cardinals center fielder Jonatan Machado helped lead the way offensively, going 1-for-3 with a walk, stolen base, run, and run batted in. Third baseman Elehuris Montero doubled and scored a run, and catcher Cameron Knight did the same.
Tuesday’s doubleheader: TBA vs. GCL Astros, 9:00 AM Central time.
DSL Cardinals 8 at DSL Yankees 5 – Game 1
The Cardinals turned back a late Yankees rally to take the first game of Monday’s seven-inning doubleheader, 8-5.
Starter Enmanuel Solano improved to 4-1 on the year, recording five innings of three-run (all unearned) ball with seven strikeouts. Jose Geronimo and Wilman Madera each allowed a run in their one-inning assignments, but the Cardinals’ offense outweighed the runs allowed.
Shortstop Raffy Ozuna went 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles, his 11th and 12th of the season, driving in three runs. Designated hitter Franklin Soto doubled, walked, and scored three times, and first baseman Freddy De Jesus had one hit in four plate appearances, scoring a run and plating a run.
DSL Cardinals 10, DSL Yankees 9 – Game 2
In a sloppy, hitter-friendly contest, the Cardinals finished on top of the Yankees, 10-9, to complete the doubleheader sweep.
With the help of four Yankees errors, the Cardinals were able to achieve double-digit runs, including nine in the bottom of the fifth inning. Left fielder Alexander Samuel drove in three, while center fielder Carlos Soler and shortstop Franklin Soto each plated a pair. Third baseman Francisco Hernandez was the only player in the starting lineup to not score a run, although he did single.
Jose Moreno allowed two runs in his only inning of work as the starter. Hector Soto followed out of the pen with four runs (three earned) in two innings, and Rodard Avelino handled the next couple of frames with one run allowed. Leonard Taveras was credited with the win, his first of year, as he allowed one run in the sixth – but was the pitcher of record when the Cardinals scored nine runs. Jesus Cruz picked up the save, his second.
The Cardinals are off Tuesday and will pick back up Wednesday with a 9:30 AM Central time contest with the DSL Mets.
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