photo: Austin Warner (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
With a light Monday schedule, the St. Louis Cardinals system went 2-3. The highlight was Springfield’s dominant 8-0 win at Tulsa, powered by Austin Warner’s pitching and the bats of Andrew Knizner and Lane Thomas.
Results from the games played Monday, July 23rd.
Memphis – off
After completing a seven-game home stand in which they went 5-2, first-place Memphis (64-37) heads out on a seven-game Western swing. First up is the Salt Lake Bees, co-leaders of the Pacific Southern Division for three, before a quartet of contests at Las Vegas (NYM).
Tuesday’s game: at co-leader (Pacific Southern) Salt Lake (54-47) (LAA), 6:35 pm MT, Kevin Herget (6-7, 3.81)
Stellar pitching by a Springfield trio combined with Andrew Knizner and Lane Thomas’ big offensive nights resulted in the S-Cards’ 8-0 pasting of the Drillers in the road series opener. Third-place Springfield (12-19) has a modest three-game winning streak during which time they have moved to 8 ½ back of first-place Tulsa.
Austin Warner (W, 2-3) struck out eight during his six-inning stint, giving up two hits and a base-on-balls. The southpaw carried a no-hitter into the sixth and has not yielded a tally in 14 innings spanning three contests. Ramon Santos permitted a hit and walk over the next two frames before Eric Carter fanned the side in his first Double-A action of 2018.
The visitors played long ball, with five of their runs generated by four home runs. Knizner and Thomas both went yard on nearly identical lines, each player going 3-for-5 with two runs scored. Knizner launched two solo shots that collected two of his three RBI while Thomas’ solo bomb was one of his two driven in. John Nogowski also went yard, going 2-for-5 with a two-run blast, the final Springfield player with more than one of the team’s 13 hits.
Tuesday’s game: at Tulsa (20-10) (LAD), 7:05 pm CT, TBA
The PB-Cards opened their three-game series at Daytona with a 6-4 loss. Palm Beach (13-17) is in third place, 3 ½ behind Charlotte (TB) in the South Division.
Casey Meisner did not finish the fourth, absorbing his third loss in eight decisions. Meisner permitted four runs, three earned, on five hits and three free passes in 3 1/3. Jacob Patterson recorded the fourth’s final two outs, leaving Meisner’s last runner on base.
Estarlin Arias struck out three over the next two scoreless innings, giving up two hits. But Jason Zgardowski allowed two runs, one earned, on two hits despite fanning five through two frames.
Chase Pinder was the only Beach Bird with a multi-hit performance, singling twice in five at bats while touching home once. Irving Lopez contributed in his Florida State League debut, launching a solo bomb that was his only hit in four at bats. Shortstop Kramer Robertson, third baseman Danny Hudzina and catcher Brian O’Keefe were each charged with an error.
Tuesday’s game: at Daytona (17-14) (CIN), 7:05 pm ET, Jesus Cruz (2-0, 4.40)
Peoria 1 at Great Lakes 2 (10 innings)
The Chiefs took a scoreless game into extras only to fall to the Loons, 2-1, in 10. The defeat prevented a three-game road sweep by third-place Peoria (18-11), which trails Cedar Rapids (MIN) by three games in the Western Division.
The contest featured stellar pitching – and the resulting minimal offense – as both teams combined for just eight hits. Peoria managed five hits, two by Luken Baker, who singled twice in four at bats. The first baseman has two multi-hit efforts in as many games since being promoted from the GCL Cardinals.
Baker began the 10th at second, at which point Andres Luna pinch ran for him and scored the go-ahead run via Yariel Gonzalez’ single, which moved Zach Kirtley (walk) to third. But Gonzalez was nailed trying to take second on the throw to the plate and Peoria failed to capitalize further.
Fabian Blanco pitched the home half of the 10th, charged with holding the 1-0 lead. Instead Blanco was charged with his third blown save and first loss in three decisions. The righty yielded a single, walk and sac fly.
Alex Fagalde started the game, fanning five through five strong innings while yielding a hit and two walks. Ben Yokley issued two free passes and struck out three over two frames before lefty Patrick Dayton held Great Lakes (9-22) (LAD) to just one hit during his two innings on the bump.
Tuesday’s game: Off
State College – off
After taking Monday off, State College (14-21) opens a six-game swing through New England featuring three-game series versus Stedler Division rivals Connecticut (DET) and Lowell (BOS).
Tuesday’s game: at Connecticut (17-17), 7:05 pm ET, Diego Cordero (1-0, 8.18)
Three tallies against the JC-Cards’ bullpen resulted in a 4-2 loss at Danville (16-16) (ATL). Johnson City (14-17) still took the road series, two games to one, and are tied for third with Bristol (PIT), five games in back of Elizabethton (MIL).
Brandon Riley’s two-run long ball gave the Appy Birds a 2-1 lead after six but that advantage evaporated when David Oca (BS, 3) (L, 1-3) yielded three runs, one earned, on two hits and a base-on-balls the next inning. Oca pitched in support of Kyle Leahy, who went the first five frames, giving up a run on three hits and three walks. Mike Brettell (sixth) and Jacob Sylvester (eighth) each tossed a scoreless frame.
Riley’s bomb was one of only two hits for the JC-Cards and Riley’s only hit in four at bats. Luis Flores singled once in two at bats and worked a free pass in front of Riley in the sixth.
Tuesday’s game: at Pulaski (15-18) (NYY), 7:00 pm ET, TBA
GCL Cardinals – off
The GCL Cardinals (21-8) have a firm grasp of first place in the East Division of the Gulf Coast League. They lead the GCL Mets (17-13) by 4 ½ games and have gone 8-2 over their last 10 games.
Tuesday’s game: vs. third-place GCL Astros (16-14), 12:00 pm ET, TBA
DSL Cardinals Blue 6 vs. DSL Twins 5
The C-Blue rallied for a 6-5 victory over the DSL Twins, their fiercest rival in the South Division. The victory gave the Cardinals Blue (30-12) sole possession of first place over the Twins by just a game.
The C-Blue trailed 5-1 going into the home half of the sixth and three outs later, they had the lead. Five of the team’s seven total hits came that inning, which featured a two-run home run by Diowill Burgos and doubles by Carlos Soler, Malcom Nunez and Luis Rodriguez. Soler was the only Cardinal with more than one hit, going 2-for-5 with that double, a run scored and one knocked in.
The C-Blue’s defense was a mixed bag. On the plus side was right fielder Burgos’ assist at second but second baseman Ramon Mendoza and shortstop Pablo Gomez each committed a miscue.
The rally made a winner out of Angel Ortega (W, 3-0) who struck out three in three clean frames. Francis Ventura pitched the initial five frames, allowing five runs, three earned, on eight hits and two walks. Leonardo Taveras tossed faced the minimum for his sixth save.
Tuesday’s game: at DSL Twins (29-13), 10:30 am ET, Inohan Paniagua (2-3, 5.08)
DSL Cardinals Red at DSL Cubs2 – suspended
Monday’s scoreless contest between the DSL Cardinals Red (24-18) and the DSL Cubs2 was suspended due to rain with one gone and a runner at second in the top of the third. The C-Red are tied for third with the DSL Brewers, 2 ½ games behind the DSL Rangers2.
Tuesday’s game: vs. last-place DSL Cubs2 (15-26), 10:30 am ET, Martin Cordova (5-0, 0.32)
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