photo: Adolis Garcia (Scott Rovak/USA TODAY Sports)
The St. Louis Cardinals system was 4-4 on Friday. Our Player of the Day is Memphis outfielder Adolis Garcia, who was 2-for 4 with a three-run home run and two runs scored. Johnson City pitching was destroyed in a four-game sweep by Elizabethton.
Results for games played Friday, July 13.
The Redbirds conquered the Storm Chasers in Omaha on Friday. Memphis’ offense put up three runs in the second inning and three runs in the third inning to take a lead they did not relinquish. Max Schrock drove in the first run on sac fly. Randy Arozarena followed with a two-run double. In the third, Adolis Garcia blasted a three-run home run to left field. Arozarena was 2-for-4. Carson Kelly was 2-for-3 with two runs scored.
Player of the Day Garcia went 2-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored. It was his fourth multi-hit game in his last six outings, during which time the outfielder went deep three times, scored six runs and drove in six. Mired in a deep slump all season, Garcia has raised his average from .224 to .239 this week.
Starter Kevin Herget went six innings, giving up three runs on six hits while striking out five and walking one. Herget earned his sixth win of the season. Tommy Layne pitched a scoreless seventh. Connor Greene tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Edward Mujica secured the final out of the ninth to earn his ninth save.
Edmunso Sosa was caught stealing for the first time in his initial attempt for Memphis.
The Redbirds are 58-34 on the season and are in first place in the PCL American Southern.
Saturday’s game: at Omaha, Chris Ellis (2-0, 4.02) 7:05 CT.
The Cardinals were overcome by the Travelers on Friday, as the revamped bullpen continued its season-long problems and the offense couldn’t string enough hits together.
Starter Sam Tewes pitched five innings, giving up two runs on six hits. Trade acquisition Elniery Garcia tossed one inning of relief and surrendered two runs, one earned, to take the loss. Newly-promoted Junior Fernandez pitched 2/3 of an inning and allowed three additional runs. Austin Sexton hurled the final 1 1/3 scoreless frames.
The Cardinals got on the board first with a run on Ramon Urias’ third inning solo home run. Victor Roache added a sac fly in the sixth. Urias went 4-for-4. Evan Mendoza was 2-for-4.
Blake Drake was caught stealing for the second time in four attempts. Drake had an outfield assist, and Tommy Edman made a throwing error.
The Cardinals are 38-53 overall, 5-16 in the second half, and are tied for last place in the Texas League North.
Saturday’s game: at Arkansas, Connor Jones (5-3, 4.06) 6:10 CT.
The Cardinals lost a squeaker to the Mets at Port St. Lucie on Friday. The offense scored in the fifth inning on red-hot Dylan Carlson’s two-run double. The Cardinals added their final run in the ninth on Stefan Trosclair’s single. Shane Billings went 2-for-5 and Ryan McCarvel was 2-for-3. Carlson has 11 RBI in his last five games.
Starter Evan Guillory lost for the second time in four starts since joining Palm Beach. After pitching 5 2/3 innings and giving up four runs on seven hits, his Florida State League ERA is 6.14. Back from Springfield, Yeison Medina tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Thomas St. Clair pitched a scoreless ninth.
Trosclair made a fielding error.
The Cardinals are 49-37 overall and 10-12 in the second half, tied for second place in the FSL South.
Saturday’s game: at St. Lucie, TBA 5:30 CT.
The Chiefs vanquished the Lake County Captains on Friday. In his Peoria debut, starter Angel Rondon pitched a strong 7 2/3 innings, giving up one run on five hits while fanning six and walking none to earn the win. Fabian Blanco tossed the final 1 1/3 scoreless innings to log his sixth save.
Rayder Ascanio got the Chiefs on the board with a solo home run in the first inning. A wild pitch in the second brought another run home. Jose Martinez added a solo home run in the fifth. In the seventh, Irving Lopez’ single scored Bryce Denton. No Chiefs hitter had multiple hits.
Wood Myers stole his first base in two attempts for Peoria.
The Chiefs are 50-40 overall, 11-9 in the second half, for third place in the Midwest League Western.
Saturday’s game: vs. Fort Wayne, Johan Oviedo (4-7, 5.56) 6:30 CT.
The Spikes were edged at home by the Lake Monsters on Friday, but with a lot of help, somehow managed to plate three runs on only two hits. State College’s offense didn’t score until the fifth, when they put up two runs. The first came on a missed catch error on a force attempt. The second came home on Nick Dunn’s groundout. In the seventh, two fielding errors and a sac bunt resulted in the third and final run.
Starter Chris Holba pitched five innings, giving up three runs, two earned, on five hits. Michael Baird followed with three innings of relief, surrendering one run on three hits. Baird took the loss. Hector Villalobos tossed a scoreless ninth.
Dunn had a missed catch error.
The Spikes are 11-16 on the season and are tied for last place in the New York-Penn League Pinckney Division.
Saturday’s game: vs. Tri-City, Jacob Schlesener (0-1, 6.75) 6:05 CT.
Johnson City 10, Elizabethton 13
The Cardinals were overcome by the Twins for the fourth straight game in a Friday slugfest. Starter Noel De Jesus was tagged with his first loss of the season after pitching 3 1/3 innings and giving up nine runs, eight earned, on 10 hits. Enrique Perez followed with 1 2/3 innings of relief, allowing three runs on three hits. Parker Kelly tossed two scoreless innings. Evan Sisk took the final two innings, surrendering one run on two hits.
In this just-completed four-game series sweep, Elizabethton hitters destroyed Johnson City pitching for a whopping 45 runs on 66 hits. Not surprisingly, the Cardinals are dead last in the Appalachian League with a 7.04 team ERA this season.
On Friday, the offense scored 10 runs on 13 hits, none of which were home runs, as they showed resiliency. The Cardinals were already behind 9-0 before scoring twice in the fourth. Leandro Cedeno led off with a double and Dariel Gomez followed with a triple that scored Cedeno. Kevin Woodall singled to plate Gomez.
The remainder of the Cardinals scoring came in the final three innings. In the seventh, a run scored on a fielding error, and Gomez singled in a run. A third run came home on a wild pitch, and Zach Jackson singled in another. Nolan Gorman singled in a run in the eighth, and a second run scored on a groundout. In the ninth, a sac fly scored one, and a fielding error on the same play brought home another.
Cedeno went 3-for-6 with two runs scored and an RBI. Gomez was 3-for-5 with three driven in. Jackson plated one and was 2-for-4.
Brandon Riley was caught stealing for the third time in four attempts. Cedeno made a fielding error.
The Cardinals are 9-13 on the season and are in fourth place in the Appalachian League West.
Saturday’s game: at Burlington, TBA 5:30 CT.
GCL Cardinals – off
Saturday’s game: vs. GCL Astros, TBA 9:00 am CT.
DSL Cardinals Blue 4 at DSL Nationals 1
The Cardinals Blue conquered the Nationals in their Friday road contest. The offense put up three runs in the first inning on a Malcom Nunez single, a hit by pitch, and Pablo Gomez’ bases-loaded walk. In the second, Diowill Burgos contributed an RBI single. Carlos Soler was 2-for-5 with two runs scored.
Starting pitcher Hector Soto pitched five innings, giving up one unearned run on four hits to earn his fifth win of the season. The bullpen performed well, starting with Derek Diaz, who tossed a scoreless sixth. Saniel Santana added two scoreless innings, and Leonardo Taveras contributed a scoreless ninth to earn his fourth save.
Sander Mora stole his eighth bag in 10 tries. Soler swiped his fifth base in 11 attempts. Gomez was caught stealing for the second time in seven attempts, and Burgos was caught stealing for the third time in four tries. Catcher Luis Rodriguez made an error on a pickoff.
The Cardinals Blue are 24-12 on the season and are in second place in the DSL South.
Saturday’s game: No game scheduled.
DSL Cardinals Red 7, DSL D-backs2 4
The Cardinals Red defeated the D-backs 2 on Friday. Starter Miguel Maiz went four scoreless innings, allowing four hits. Augusto Calderon followed with 2 2/3 innings of relief, yielding two runs on two hits and got the win. Rodard Avelino pitched one scoreless inning. Wilman Madera finished with 1 1/3 innings, surrendering two runs on two hits.
The Red offense got on the board with two runs in the fourth. Francisco Hernandez reached on a fielding error and stole second base. Hernandez eventually scored on a wild pitch. Claudio Ramirez walked, advanced to second on a single, went to third on another walk, and scored on a hit by pitch. In the fifth, Hernandez came home on a bases-loaded walk. Two runs in the sixth came on Luis Montano’s triple and Hernandez’ double. In the seventh, Ramirez scored on a scoring error, and a sacrifice double play fly out by Montano plated Luis Andujar. Hernandez was 2-for-5 with two runs scored. Cristhian Longa was 2-for-4.
Hernandez stole his first and second bases in four attempts. Franklin Soto made a throwing error.
The Cardinals Red are 20-16 on the season and are in fourth place in the DSL San Pedro Division.
Saturday’s game: No game scheduled.
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