photo: Cristhian Longa (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
The St. Louis Cardinals system went 3-5 on Tuesday, with Memphis and both DSL clubs claiming wins. DSL Cards Red catcher Cristhian Longa is our Player of Day for his 5-for-5 game, including a double, triple and two RBI. Luke Voit continues his torrid hitting for the Triple-A Redbirds, which took all five against the Cubs’ top farm club.
Results from the games played Tuesday, July 3rd.
Hot hitting, featuring the long ball, lifted the Redbirds over Iowa, 7-5, for a sweep of the five-game road series. Memphis (53-32) holds a commanding 12 ½-game lead over both New Orleans (MIA) and Nashville (OAK) in the American Southern Division of the Pacific Coast League.
Home runs came from rehabbing Paul DeJong and Randy Arozarena, both with a runner aboard. DeJong reached base three times, adding a double in four at bats with a walk, two runs scored and two RBI. It was Arozarena’s only hit in four at bats.
Luke Voit joined the home run derby, as the first baseman went 3-for-5 with a solo shot comprising one of his three driven in. Voit’s average over his last 10 games is a torrid .476, 20 hits in 42 at bats.
Oscar Mercado also generated a three-hit performance while leading off, going 3-for-4 with a walk and two runs scored. But the center fielder was picked off first.
Memphis’ top three in the order, Mercado, DeJong and Voit, garnered eight of the team’s 12 hits. Defensively, the Redbirds turned three double plays – 6-4-3, 4-6-3 and 5-4-3 – and committed one miscue.
Dakota Hudson picked up his 12th victory in 14 decisions despite having a rare off night on the mound. Hudson was on the wrong side of a four-run first but settled down to blank Iowa (29-54) for the balance of his six innings on just two hits over five innings. It was the first time in over a month that the right-hander surrendered four runs in a start. Hudson struck out six and issued one free pass.
Rehabbing St Louis relievers tossed the next two innings: Matt Bowman and Luke Gregerson. Bowman successfully navigated around a two-out single in the seventh but Gregerson fell prey to his own throwing error, yielding an unearned tally on two singles. Andrew Morales earned his first save of 2018.
Wednesday’s game: vs. Omaha (38-45) (KC), 6:35 pm CT, Kevin Herget (5-6, 4.02)
The S-Cards fell to the RockHounds, 9-3, in the decisive third game of the road series. Springfield (2-10) is in fourth and last place in the North Division, 6 ½ games behind Arkansas (SEA).
Connor Jones (L, 4-3) did not finish the sixth, yielding six runs, five earned, on seven hits, seven walks (one intentional) and two wild pitches over 5 2/3. Estarlin Arias displayed a bit of rust in his return from the disabled list, giving up two tallies on three hits and a base-on-balls with two outs recorded and allowing one of two inherited runners to cross home plate.
Jason Zgardowski was scored upon as well, permitting a run on three hits and a free pass with five batters retired. Zgardowski let one of Arias’ last two runners touch home. Colton Thomson pitched a one-two-three eighth.
The visitors were held to just five hits, including a solo shot by Ramon Urias. The second baseman went 2-for-4 with a double and home run with two runs scored. Center fielder Lane Thomas was credited with an outfield assist at home but newly-added right fielder Johan Mieses committed his first bobble. Springfield turned two double plays.
Wednesday’s game: vs. Frisco (8-4) (TEX), 6:30 pm CT, Mike O’Reilly (2-2, 4.00)
The Beach Birds’ ninth-inning rally fell short, resulting in a 9-7 defeat at Bradenton for a split of the two-game series. Second-place Palm Beach (6-6) remains a game behind Fort Myers (MIN), which also lost.
Trailing 9-1 with three outs to go, the PB-Cards reeled off six tallies and brought the potential tying run to the plate. But the visitors could get no further. The offense had more walks (eight) than hits (six), including five free passes in their final frame. Six players had one single each.
Evan Guillory (L, 1-1) had a very off night, surrendering nine runs, seven earned, on seven hits and three walks in 3 2/3. Six of the nine tallies were produced by three third-inning home runs. Robbie Gordon settled the Marauders down over the next 3 1/3, striking out six. Thomas St. Clair tossed a clean eighth and is yet to be scored upon in six appearances covering six innings since his promotion from Peoria.
Wednesday’s game: vs. Daytona (6-5) (CIN), 6:00 pm ET, TBA
Chiefs’ hurlers were pounded for 15 hits on their way to a 10-6 loss at Burlington. Peoria (7-5) is in third place in the Western Division of the Midwest League, 3 ½ behind Cedar Rapids (MIN).
Johan Oviedo (L, 3-7) kept the Bees off the board in the first but permitted seven runs in his next 2 1/3 innings. The prospect righty gave up eight hits and issued five free passes.
Oviedo’s final run scored with Patrick Dayton pitching. Dayton gave up two runs more on four hits and two walks over 2 1/3. He fanned six. Zach Prendergast recorded the sixth’s final out, leaving two inherited runners on base, but yielded a run on three hits and two walks over the final two frames.
Peoria batters gathered eight hits, including two apiece by Bryce Denton and Julio Rodriguez. Denton went 2-for-4 with a solo blast that was one of his two runs scored while Rodriguez singled twice in five at bats and knocked in two. Second baseman Wood Myers was hitless in four at bats with a strikeout in his full-season debut but did take part in one double play.
Wednesday’s game: vs. eighth-place Burlington (3-10) (LAA), 5:30 pm CT, Jesus Cruz (1-1, 1.64)
Mahoning Valley 2 at State College 0
The Spikes were shut out by the Scrappers, 2-0, in the rubber game of the home series. State College (6-12) has sole possession of last place in the Pinckney Division, 7 ½ games in back of Mahoning Valley (13-4).
Both tallies charged to Angel Rondon (L, 0-3) in 5 1/3 came in the third, the result of two singles and a base-on-balls. The righty struck out seven during his time on the bump, permitting six hits, the previously mentioned walk and a hit batsman.
Kevin Hamann recorded the sixth’s last two outs, leaving the bases jammed with Rondon’s runners. Hamann retired seven and issued two free passes, with those two runners left on base by Jacob Schlesener, who recorded all four of his outs via the strikeout.
State College had five hits, including two Edwin Figuera, who singled and tripled in five at bats. The third baseman was also charged with his fifth error of the season.
Wednesday’s game: at second-place Auburn (11-6) (WSH), 6:30 pm ET, Jim Voyles (0-1, 4.85)
Greeneville 8 at Johnson City 2
The Appy Birds were grounded by the Reds, 8-2, for a one-game-to-two series loss. Johnson City (6-7) is in fourth place in the West Division, two games behind Kingsport (NYM) and a game in front of Greeneville (5-8) (CIN).
Dionis Zamora (L, 0-2) gave up four runs in the first, blanked his opponents over the next three frames but yielded three more tallies in the fifth, an inning he did not finish. Six of the seven tallies against Zamora resulted from three home runs, three of the nine hits and a walk permitted in 5 1/3. The 21-year-old threw three wild pitches.
Enrique Perez retired five batters, working around a hit and walk. But Colin Schmid was touched for a run on two hits, a walk and a wild pitch despite striking out five over three innings.
The JC-Cards managed just four hits but did work five free passes. They needed help from the Reds’ defense to score one of their two tallies since one of their two runs was unearned.
Wednesday’s game: at third-place Bristol (7-7) (PIT), 12:00 pm ET, Edwar Ramirez (0-1, 10.13)
GCL Cardinals – off
The first-place GCL Cardinals (9-3) enjoyed a pre-holiday respite while holding a two-game advantage over the GCL Mets in the East Division.
Wednesday’s game: vs. fifth-place GCL Astros (3-9), 12:00 pm ET, Wilfredo Pereira (1-1, 6.35)
DSL Cardinals Blue 10 at DSL Rockies 4
Seven runs over the middle innings propelled the C-Blues over the Rockies, 10-4. The Cardinals Blue (19-8) gained a game advantage over the second-place Twins with their win combined with the Twins’ loss.
In the balanced offensive effort, all nine starters reach base and eight of them had at least one of 14 hits. Left fielder Jean Selmo led the way, going 3-for-4 with a double, walk and three runs scored. Carlos Soler, Freddy De Jesus, Diowill Burgos and Pablo Gomez had two hits each with Burgos going yard for the second time this season. Soler and De Jesus joined Selmo by doubling once while Soler and Selmo each swiped one bag although Selmo was nailed in another attempt.
Julio Puello (W, 3-0) pitched six strong innings, yielding six hits and a base-on-balls resulting in two runs. Freddy Pacheco struck out the side in the seventh but not before being touched for an unearned tally on a walk, two wild pitches and a fielding error by third baseman Ramon Mendoza. Saniel Santana permitted a run on two hits and a free pass during his two innings on the mound.
Wednesday’s game: vs. DSL Rockies (10-17), 10:30 am ET, Francis Ventura (1-2, 5.24)
DSL Cardinals Red 13 vs. DSL Brewers 8
The C-Reds notched a 13-8 come-from-behind victory over the Brewers, co-leaders of the San Pedro division along with the Rangers2. The Cardinals Red (14-13) move into a three-way tie for second with the Phillies White and Mets2, three games in back of the co-leaders.
The home Red trailed 8-1 heading into the home half of the seventh but exploded for 12 tallies over the seventh and eighth. Catcher Cristhian Longa had a career day, going 5-for-5 with double, triple, run scored and two RBI. Four of Longa’s teammates had two hits apiece: Joerlin De Los Santos, Sander Mora, Adanson Cruz and Claudio Ramirez. De Los Santos and Cruz accounted for four runs apiece, De Los Santos scored three times with an RBI and Cruz flipped those numbers by touching home once and driving home three. The team had 15 hits in all to go with seven walks.
Starter Ludwin Jimenez following up his strong six-inning/one earned run effort against the D-backs2 on June 27th with a less stellar effort. The 16-year-old allowed five runs, two earned, on seven hits and a walk over four innings. Jimenez did not aid his own cause when he committed one of the team’s four errors and threw a wild pitch.
Reliever Rodard Avelino was touched for two more runs on four hits and a base-on-balls during his two frames on the bump. Jhon Victorino (W, 1-0) gave up a run in the first of his three-inning stanza but retired his final seven batters.
Wednesday’s game: at DSL Brewers (16-9), 10:30 am ET, Luis Ortiz (0-1, 3.24) or Martin Cordova (2-0, 0.79)
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