St. Louis’ minors went 3-3 on Monday, with the three victories by the three complex clubs: GCL and both DSL teams. Our Player of the Day is DSL Cardinals Red starter Jose Moreno, who tossed seven innings of shutout ball.
Results from the games played Monday, June 25th.
Memphis 3 at Colorado Springs 8
The Redbirds could not hold an early lead, falling to the Sky Sox 8-3 in the road series opener. Memphis (46-31) leads the American Southern Division by 9 ½ games over New Orleans (MIA).
Jake Woodford was charged with the loss in his Triple-A debut, surrendering four tallies in his fifth and final inning of work. The righty gave up six hits and a walk, including a two-run long ball.
Conner Greene pitched two innings, giving up a run on a hit and two walks. Hector Mendoza served up a three-run bomb in the eighth.
Three Redbirds had two hits each: Rangel Ravelo, Luke Voit and Adolis Garcia. Ravelo singled twice in three at bats with a walk and RBI while Voit went 2-for-4 with a run scored. Garcia went 2-for-3 with a double and two driven in. His double was the only one of Memphis’ seven hits to go for extra bases.
Tuesday’s game: at Colorado Springs (42-33) (MIL), 7:40 pm CT, Daniel Poncedeleon (5-3, 2.45)
Springfield – off
Springfield (1-5) is off for the 2018 Texas League All-Star break. The game will take place tonight, Tuesday, June 26th, at Security Bank Ballpark, home of the Midland RockHounds.
Originally, the Cardinals had seven players named – outfielders Lane Thomas and Victor Roache and infielder Tommy Edman plus pitchers Jake Woodford, Conner Greene, Chris Ellis and Connor Jones. Woodford, Greene and Ellis are now with Memphis and Jones has reportedly declined to participate. Added as replacements were relievers Yeison Medina and Ramon Santos, making the final total five.
Tuesday’s game: 2018 Texas League All-Star Game, 7:15 pm CT, Midland, Texas
Palm Beach – off
After splitting their first series of the second half followed by a day off Monday, Palm Beach (2-2) hosts the Bradenton Marauders for a three-game series starting Tuesday evening.
The Cardinals are already in the playoffs after winning their division in the first half.
Tuesday’s game: vs. Bradenton (1-3) (PIT), 6:30 pm ET, TBA
The Chiefs opened their three-game home series with the Cougars by absorbing a 13-0 shellacking, their first loss of the second half. Peoria (4-1) is in second, a game behind Cedar Rapids (MIN).
Starter Alvaro Seijas (L, 2-4) took most of the punishment, yielding 10 runs, eight earned, on 10 hits and a walk in 4 2/3 innings. Five of the tallies were generated by two home runs.
A trio shared pitching duties the rest of the way – two relievers and a position player. C.J. Saylor lasted 1 1/3 innings, permitting three runs on three hits and two free passes. Kodi Whitley gave up three hits over two scoreless frames before outfielder Matt Fiedler worked around a walk for a clean ninth.
The Chiefs managed just six hits, all singles. Number two batter Irving Lopez went 2-for-4 while J.R. Davis singled twice in three at bats out of the nine hole.
Tuesday’s game: vs. fifth-place Kane County (2-3) (ARI), 12:00 pm CT, Franyel Casadilla (league debut)
The Spikes fell to the Muckdogs, 4-3, on Monday and have dropped the first two games of the three-game home set. State College (3-8) is in sixth and last place in the Pinckney Division, 5 ½ games in back of Mahoning Valley (CLE).
The contest remained scoreless until Batavia put up a four spot off Gabe Gentner (L, 1-2) and Troy Montemayor. State College halved that deficit in the home half of the eighth before adding another tally the next inning. The Spikes put the tying and winning runs into scoring position but could not come through in the ninth.
Chris Holba tossed the initial three plus innings, striking out four. Left-hander Eli Kraus bettered that effort by fanning five over 3 1/3, leaving Holba’s last runner on base. Gentner and Montemayor were each charged with two runs while recording four outs.
Edwin Figuera led the offense, going 3-for-5 with a strikeout while batting lead-off. The only other Spike with more than one of the team’s eight hits was Wood Myers, who singled twice in five at bats, crossed home once and knocked in one. Myers swiped his first bag of 2018 as well.
Tuesday’s game: vs. Batavia (5-5) (MIA), 7:05 pm ET, Winston Nicacio (0-1, 4.09)
Johnson City at Elizabethton – postponed
The first of two games between Johnson City (2-4) and Elizabethton (5-1) was postponed due to rain. It has been rescheduled as part of a twin bill on Tuesday, June 26th at Elizabethton.
The Appy Birds are in fifth place, 3.5 games back of the Kingsport Mets in the West Division.
Tuesday’s games: at Elizabethton (5-1) (MIN). Game 1 – 6:00 pm ET, Noel De Jesus (1-0, 0.00)/TBA
GCL Cardinals 12 at GCL Marlins 5
Nine late runs flipped the script on the GCL Marlins, resulting in a 12-5 Cardinals victory. The undefeated Cards (6-0) lead the East Division by 2 1/2 games over the Mets.
Down 5-3, the Gulf Birds exploded for a nine-run eighth and coasted to a comfortable win. Only one of the team’s 11 hits went for extra bases, a triple by Ivan Herrera, who drove in three. 10 of the 12 Cardinals who played reached base with nine either scoring or knocking in a run… or both.
Three Cards had two hits apiece: William Jimenez, Cameron Knight and rehabbing John Nogowski. Jimenez and Knight were two of four players crossing home twice, joining Kevin Vargas and Liam Sabino. Knight drove in two as well, just behind Herrera’s three RBI.
Reliever Ty Cohen received credit for his first professional win, giving up a run on four hits and a walk in the seventh. Cohen followed starter Brian Pirela to the mound after the latter permitted seven hits and five free passes over six innings, resulting in four tallies. Jose Geronimo and Wilberto Rivera tossed one clean frame each.
Tuesday’s game: vs. fourth-place GCL Nationals (2-4), 12:00 pm ET, Enmanuel Solano (1-0, 3.00)
DSL Cardinals Blue 3 vs. DSL Angels 2
Starter Angel Cuenca struck out six over five one-run frames as the C-Blues slipped past the Dominican Angels, 3-2. The DSL Cardinals Blue (14-6) are tied with the Twins atop the South Division, a game in front of the Nationals.
Making his second consecutive start after two relief appearances, the 16-year-old held the Angels (5-15) to just one tally on four hits in his longest stint to date. Cuenca did not issue a free pass with three ground- to two fly-ball outs in addition to his six K’s.
The right-hander finished his outing with the score knotted at one all, leaving him with a no decision. But his squad broke that tie in the home half of the sixth, taking advantage of three walks, an RBI single and run-scoring balk to go ahead 3-1.
Josue Ramirez picked up his second win against no losses despite yielding a run in the seventh, his second inning of work. Freddy Pacheco tossed two one-two-three frames, striking out four, for his fourth save.
The home team managed just three hits, including the aforementioned RBI single by right fielder Diowill Burgos. Jean Selmo worked a free pass to open the sixth, one of five C-Blues walks, and scored the go-ahead run on Burgos’ single. Freddy De Jesus walked right behind Selmo, and crossed home on a balk. The team’s first run was unearned, the result of two of the DSL Angels’ five miscues plus a hit batter and a passed ball.
Tuesday’s game: vs. third-place DSL Nationals (13-7), 10:30 am ET, Hector Soto (2-1, 5.28)
DSL Cardinals Red 3 at DSL Mets2 1 (10)
Center fielder Adanson Cruz’ 10th-inning single lifted the C-Reds over the Mets2, 3-1. It was the sixth straight victory for the fourth-place Cardinals Red (10-10), which trail the Rangers2 by four games in the San Pedro Division.
Cruz’ hit, his second of the game in five at bats, drove in Luis Andujar (began at second) and Joerlin De Los Santos (walk) and made a winner of reliever Sebastian Tabata (BS, 1) (W, 2-0). Roy Garcia pitched a clean 10th for his first save.
Player of the Day Jose Moreno’s fifth professional start was the longest and best of his young career. The 17-year-old limited the Mets2 (11-9) to just one hit and three bases-on-balls over six shutout frames. Moreno struck out seven with six ground- and three fly- ball outs.
The right-hander was in line for his second victory until the bottom of the ninth, when the combination of Hector De Los Santos and Tabata allowed the home team to tie the score. De Los Santos, beginning his third inning on the mound, sandwiched a single and force out around two walks, leaving the sacks jammed for Tabata. The Venezuelan coaxed two ground outs, the first one permitting the run to score.
The C-Reds generated seven hits with Cruz being the only player with a multi-hit effort. De Los Santos reached base three times, going 1-for-3 with two walks, touched home once and knocked in one.
Tuesday’s game: at sixth-place DSL Diamondbacks2 (8-12), 10:30 am ET, Luis Ortiz (0-0, 2.13)
Bonus for members of The Cardinal Nation: Gulf Coast League Cardinals Notebook – 2018 Week 1
Not yet a member?
Join The Cardinal Nation for the most comprehensive coverage of the St. Louis Cardinals from the majors through the entire minor league system. Annual members may purchase our new 193-page 2018 Prospect Guide for less than half price. Our limited edition printed version is sold out.
© 2018 The Cardinal Nation, thecardinalnation.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.