photo: Jhon Torres (Joseph Coblitz/BurningRiverBaseball.com)
St. Louis’ minors went 4-3 on Sunday as one of the recent arrivals from Cleveland, Jhon Torres, had four hits, scored four times and plated five in the Gulf Coast League Cards’ win. Top pitching performances came from Landon Beck, Genesis Cabrera, Jake Walsh, Zack Prendergast, Jacob Schlesener, Colin Schmid and Brian Pirela.
Results from the games played Sunday, August 5th.
Memphis 6 vs. Fresno 5 (10 innings)
Rangel Ravelo’s RBI single gave the Redbirds a 6-5 walk-off victory over the Grizzlies in 10, evening the series at one game apiece with two to play. Memphis (71-42) has a 14-game lead over Nashville (OAK), which owns a six-game winning streak.
Ravelo’s third hit of the day in five at bats drove in Lane Thomas, who began the 10th on second. Thomas accounted for five tallies, going 2-for-5 with a three-run home run that was one of his three runs scored. Three other Redbirds had one hit each.
Tommy Layne earned his second win against no losses by getting Edward Mujica out of a jam in the top of the frame. The lefty entered with two gone and the potential go-ahead run just 90 feet from home. A ground out to first ended the threat.
Connor Jones was the first of what turned out to be a string of six pitchers to see action. Jones finished an out shy of three frames, yielding three runs on five hits, three walks and a hit batsman. The Connecticut native struck out five.
Matt Bowman stranded two inherited runners but gave up two tallies on three hits while retiring four. Landon Beck tossed a solid three-inning effort, permitting just one hit and fanning three. Andrew Morales worked around a walk for a scoreless eighth before being replaced by Mujica, who allowed two hits in 1 2/3.
Monday’s game: vs. first-place (Pacific Northern) Fresno (64-49) (HOU), 6:35 pm CT, Chris Ellis (3-3, 4.07)
Springfield 4 at Northwest Arkansas 5
Genesis Cabrera tossed six solid frames in his organizational debut but the S-Cards suffered a 6-5 walk-off loss that completed a four-game sweep by Northwest Arkansas (18-25). The sweep drops Springfield (18-26) back into the cellar of the North Division, eight games behind Tulsa (LAD).
The only batter to reach against Cabrera through three was via a free pass in the third. The 21-year-old southpaw was touched for single scores in his fourth and sixth innings, allowing two walks and three hits, including a solo shot.
Cabrera left with his squad up 4-2, but that only lasted until the home half of the seventh, when Ramon Santos and Derian Gonzalez (BS, 2) let the Naturals tie the score. Santos gave up three hits and a walk, resulting in two runs while recording just one out. Gonzalez entered with a tough bases-loaded mess and allowed one of three inherited runners score before the inning ended. Hector Mendoza (L, 2-2) gave up the winning score via a walk, balk, intentional walk and RBI single.
Springfield’s six hits were spread among six players with four S-Cards each touching home once. Blake Drake went yard with the bases empty and Ramon Urias doubled in three at bats with a run scored and an RBI.
Monday’s game: Off
The Beach Birds were blanked by the Hammerheads, 3-0, in the decisive third game of the series. Palm Beach (20-22) is in third place in the South Division of the Florida State League, 4 ½ games in back of Charlotte (TB).
Jake Walsh (L, 5-3) took the hard-luck loss as all three tallies charged to him were unearned. The visitor half of the second inning began with the lead-off runner reaching second due to a fielding error by right fielder Dylan Carlson. A run-scoring single ensued preceding a two-run long ball with two outs. Walsh permitted four hits and a base-on-balls through six. Mike O’Reilly fanned three over two frames in his first action since being reassigned from Springfield.
Palm Beach managed just three hits in all, two by newcomer Conner Capel. The right-fielder singled twice in four at bats out of the five hole.
Monday’s game: at Florida (15-24) (ATL), 6:31 pm ET, TBA
The Chiefs withstood a late rally to top the River Bandits, 8-7, at Dozer Park. Each team has won one of the first two games of the series with one on tap. The win places Peoria (26-15) in a three-way tie for first with Beloit (OAK) and Cedar Rapids (MIN) in the West Division.
The home team trailed 5-2 through six, but a six-run seventh transformed the deficit into an 8-5 lead. Peoria banged out 11 hits, led by Wood Myers, who went 3-for-4 with a double and two runs scored. Elehuris Montero, Zach Kirtley and Luken Baker – the three, four and five hitters – had two hits apiece. Montero and Baker both launched home runs, Baker’s first full-season bomb coming with Myers and Montero aboard and capping the seventh.
Paul Balestrieri gave up six hits and two walks in 3 2/3, with all five runs charged to him unearned due to three of Peoria’s five miscues. Zach Prendergast (W, 6-2) left Balestrieri’s last two runners on, keeping Quad Cities off the board over the next 3 1/3. The only batter to reach against him was via a hit-by-pitch.
C.J. Saylor tossed a clean eighth but made things just a tad too interesting when he served up a two-run blast with one gone in the next inning. Fabian Blanco negotiated around a walk for his eighth save.
Monday’s game: vs. fourth-place Quad Cities (23-19), 7:00 pm CT, Alvaro Seijas (4-6, 4.54)
State College 4 at Mahoning Valley 3
Fifth-place State College (20-29) opened their three-game road series with a 4-3 victory over first-place Mahoning Valley, a team they trail by 10 games in the Pinckney Division.
The Scrappers took an early 1-0 lead after one but the Spikes answered with four runs for a 4-1 advantage after five. Mahoning Valley pushed across single tallies in the eighth and ninth but State College held on for the win.
Jacob Schlesener (W, 2-3) was impressive during his six-inning stint, striking out nine while permitting a run on three hits and a free pass. Will Changarotty fanned four in two innings but was touched for a solo bomb in his second inning of work. Three was a big number for Gabe Gentner in the ninth as the righty gave up three hits that produced one run but notched three K’s for his first professional save.
The Spikes garnered just five hits but worked six free passes, four of which came around to score. The big hit was Stanley Espinal’s bases-loaded double that plated Edwin Figuera, Justin Toerner and Kevin Woodall Jr, all of whom reached via a free pass. Toerner worked three walks, scoring after two of them and singling once in two at bats.
Monday’s game: at Mahoning Valley (29-18) (CLE), 7:05 pm ET, Franyel Casadilla (1-1, 2.45)
Johnson City 3 at Greeneville 7
Four late tallies unraveled a three-all tie, sending the JC-Cards to a 7-3 loss at Greeneville (18-25) (CIN). Johnson City (20-22) took the series, two games to one, and sit in third, 5 ½ games in back of Elizabethton (MIN).
Reliever Juan Alvarez (L, 2-2) allowed all four runs, including a three-run home run that was one of his three hits and a walk allowed in his only inning on the bump. Starter Colin Schmid tossed the first seven innings, permitting three runs on seven hits and a base-on-balls with six strikeouts.
The Appy Birds were limited to four hits, led by Nolan Gorman, who singled twice in four at bats. The third baseman crossed home once and knocked in two but was unsuccessful in his stolen base attempt. Defensively, Gorman took part in two double plays.
Monday’s games: doubleheader at fourth-place Bristol (19-24) (PIT), 6:00 pm ET, TBA/TBA
GCL Cardinals 17 vs. GCL Nationals 7
The Gulf Cardinals prevailed in a combined 32-hit slugfest to down the GCL Nationals, 17-7. The Cardinals (27-12) remain atop the East Division, six games in front of the Astros.
The home team generated 19 hits, including four doubles and four home runs. In his third game as a Cardinal, right fielder Jhon Torres led the attack, going 4-for-6 with two doubles and a three-run long ball. Torres crossed home four times and knocked in five.
Carlos Soler and Raffy Ozuna had two hits apiece. Soler doubled twice in four at bats with two runs scored and Ozuna went 3-for-5 with three runs scored and two RBI. Peoria outfielder Angel Moreno began his rehab assignment by going 1-for-2 with a solo bomb and sac bunt before being removed for pinch hitter in the sixth. His replacement, William Jimenez, went 2-for-2 with a home run. The final Gulf Bird to go yard was catcher Brandon Purcell, whose only hit in five at bats was a three-run long ball.
Brian Pirela hurled six solid innings to improve his record to 7-0. Pirela allowed three runs, two earned, on eight hits and two free passes. Jose Geronimo and Chris Rivera each gave up two runs during their inning on the bump but Ty Cohen tossed a clean ninth.
Monday’s game: vs. third-place GCL Mets (20-20), 10:00 am ET, Edwar Ramirez (0-1, 6.14)
DSL Cardinals Blue – off
The Dominican Summer League does not play on Sundays.
Monday’s game: DSL Rockies (19-35) at DSL Cardinals Blue (36-18), 10:30 am ET, Enmanuel Solano (4-1, 4.24)
DSL Cardinals Red – off
The Dominican Summer League is idle on Sundays.
Monday’s game: DSL Cardinals Red (28-25) at DSL Brewers (32-22), 10:30 am ET, TBA
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