photo: Connor Coward (Virginia Tech University)
On Monday, the St. Louis Cardinals system went 5-3. Player of the Day Connor Coward extended his scoreless inning streak to 16 for the playoff-bound Gulf Coast League Cards. Other standout performers include Nolan Gorman, Jacob Schlesener, Michael Baird, Ivan Herrera, Julio Puello and Jose Moreno.
Results from the games played Monday, August 20th.
Memphis – off
In taking Monday off, the Redbirds look to regroup after losing the third of their last four series, including back-to-back home series losses to third-place New Orleans (MIA) and last-place Round Rock (TEX). First-place Memphis (76-50) leads Nashville (67-59) by nine in the American Southern Division standings and have a magic number of six to clinch the division title.
Tuesday’s game: at New Orleans (62-63), 7:00 pm CT, Tyler Lyons (0-0, 2.45)
Springfield – off
Last-place Springfield (23-32) embarks on their final road trip of 2018, a seven-game excursion through division rivals Northwest Arkansas (KC) and Tulsa (LAD).
Tuesday’s game: at third-place Northwest Arkansas (26-29), 7:05 pm CT, TBA
Palm Beach – off
The postseason-bound Beach Birds, winners of the first-half South Division title, enjoy their last day off of the 2018 regular season before heading into the schedule’s final 13 games. Third-place Palm Beach (28-28) is 5 ½ games behind Charlotte (TB) in the second-half standings.
Tuesday’s game: vs. second-place Fort Myers (33-23) (MIN), 6:30 pm ET, TBA
The Chiefs were edged by the River Bandits, 6-5, in the rubber game of the three-game series. Back-to-back one-run losses have dropped Peoria (32-23) into second place in the Western Division standings, two games in back of Cedar Rapids (MIN).
Paul Balestrieri got the start in his return from the 7-day disabled list, and the right-hander permitted five scores, three earned, on seven hits and a walk over four-plus innings. Three of the five tallies came off a fifth-inning long ball that drove Balestrieri from the game.
Robbie Gordon (L, 1-1) struck out seven in three frames but surrendered a solo shot that proved to be the difference in the game. It was the righty’s only hit permitted. Thomas St. Clair faced the minimum in the eighth.
Peoria managed just five hits, led by Nolan Gorman who went yard twice and accounted for three of his team’s tallies. Gorman’s two-run bomb gave the Chiefs a 2-0 advantage after three and his solo home run comprised one of the team’s three-run sixth that briefly tied the game at five all. The third baseman added a base-on-balls to his 2-for-3 performance. Second baseman Nick Dunn went 1-for-4 in his full season debut.
Tuesday’s game: at fifth-place Kane County (31-25) (ARI), 6:30 pm CT, TBA
State College 3 vs. Williamsport 0 – Game 1
State College 5 vs. Williamsport 4 (8) – Game 2
The Spikes swept a pair from the Crosscutters, 3-0 in regulation and 5-4 in eight, extending their winning streak to five games. State College (31-31) has risen to third in the Pinckney Division standings, four games behind Auburn (WSH).
The home team rode a three-run first to victory in Game 1, which completed an August 16th game suspended after four frames with State College up 3-0. Nick Dunn put his team up 1-0 on his third home run followed by Kevin Woodall’s double scoring Brady Whalen (walk) and advancing Stanley Espinal (single) to third. Espinal subsequently scored on Alexis Wilson’s 6-3 ground out.
The double was the first of two for Woodall in four at bats while Espinal’s single was his only hit in four at bats. Delvin Perez and Dunn both went 1-for-2 to complete their squad’s five hits.
Jacob Schlesener struck out 10 but fell an inning shy of qualifying for the win before play was halted on the 16th. The right-hander limited Williamsport to just two hits and a base-on-balls through four and threw two wild pitches.
Michael Baird (W, 2-2) took the ball when play resumed on Monday and blanked his opponents on three hits and a walk during his four frames on the bump. Kevin Hamann worked around a lead-off walk for his eighth save.
State College won in a walk off in the finale as Whalen’s pinch hit single drove in Espinal, who began the eighth on second. Edwin Figuera and Delvin Perez were the only Spikes with more than one of the team’s seven hits, Figuera going 2-for-3 with a walk, double and triple plus one driven in out of the two hole. Perez singled twice in three at bats with a run scored and RBI while batting seventh. Defensively, each team committed two bobbles resulting in three unearned tallies for the Spikes.
Diego Cordero allowed six hits over 5 2/3, resulting in three runs. Cordero struck out five and did not issue a free pass. His last run scored with Winston Nicacio (BS, 1) (W, 3-2) on the mound, who served up a two-run long ball knotting the game at 4-4 after six.
Tuesday’s game: at fifth-place Williamsport (25-36) (PHI), 7:05 pm ET, Jacob Schlesener (2-3, 3.09)
Johnson City 6 at Elizabethton 8 (7) – Game 1
Johnson City 2 at Elizabethton 3 – Game 2
The JC-Cards lost both ends of a twin bill, 8-6 in seven innings followed by a 3-2 walk-off loss in nine. Johnson City (26-33) falls into a tie for third with Greeneville (CIN), seven games in back of Elizabethton (32-25) (MIN).
Starter Chris Hunt’s (L, 0-1) maiden Appalachian League effort did not go swimmingly as the righty was knocked out of the game after just 3 2/3 frames. Hunt yielded seven runs on 10 hits and a walk. Parker Kelly gave up a run during his 2 1/3-inning stint.
The Appy Birds banged out 10 hits, paced by Sanel Rosendo, who went 3-for-4 with one of the team’s three doubles and two runs scored. Zach Jackson launched a solo blast that was one of his two hits in three at bats with a base-on-balls. Leandro Cedeno also went 2-for-3 with a walk and RBI.
The second contest completed a June 25th game that was postponed due to rain. Michael Brettell went the initial four innings, permitting a run on four hits and a free pass while striking out six. Evan Sisk tossed two frames, allowing a run on two hits and a walk. David Oca (L, 1-6) fanned four in 2 2/3 but yielded an unearned run on two hits and three walks for the walk-off loss.
The JC-Cards’ eight hits were disbursed among six players. Liam Sabino singled and doubled in three at bats with a walk and touched home once. The only other player with more than one hit was Cedeno, who went 2-for-4 with a base-on-balls and one knocked in.
Tuesday’s game: vs. Burlington (19-40) (KC), 7:00 pm ET, TBA
GCL Cardinals 6 at GCL Nationals 0
The Gulf Birds blanked the Gulf Nationals, 6-0, for their fourth win in a row. The GCL Cardinals (36-16) were the first team to clinch their division title and await the results of the other three divisions which are all still in contention.
The visitors maximized their opportunities to transform eight hits and two walks into six runs, five earned. Ivan Herrera reached base three times and took part in four runs, going 2-for-4 with a triple, three runs scored and one knocked in. Mateo Gil also went 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Connor Coward (W, 4-0) continues to dominate his Gulf Coast League opponents, tossing his third straight start of five shutout innings and extending his scoreless inning streak to 16. This time, the 22-year-old held the GCL Nationals (22-29) to four hits with six K’s. Coward’s six most recent efforts have been starts, out of 10 2018 appearances, and the righty has gone five innings each time out with one or fewer tallies permitted for a 0.88 ERA and 0.73 WHIP.
Three relievers tossed the last four innings: Ty Cohen, Griffin Roberts and Wilberto Rivera. Cohen allowed a hit and walk during his two innings on the bump before Roberts pitched a one-two-three eighth. The only batter to reach against Rivera was via a hit-by-pitch.
Tuesday’s game: at GCL Mets (23-28), 10:00 am ET, Perry DellaValle (0-2, 2.16)
DSL Cardinals Blue 14 at DSL Yankees 3
The C-Blue banged out 19 hits on their way to a 14-3 pasting of the DSL Yankees. The victory kept the Cardinals Blue (47-20) tied for first with the Twins, which have won four straight. Five games remain in the regular season with the two squads facing off in the season’s final two contests.
Right fielder Darlin Moquete and shortstop Darlyn Del Villar led the effort with each player going 4-for-6 including a double. Moquete accounted for five tallies – three scored and two driven in along with his 19th stolen base while Del Villar was less productive since the three batters following him went a combined 2-for-15. The shortstop touched home once with two RBI.
Three of the visitors’ scores resulted from two long balls, one each by Ramon Mendoza and Malcom Nunez. Nunez opened the fifth with his 10th home run and Mendoza followed two batters later with his second blast. It came with Freddy De Jesus (walk) aboard and was one of Mendoza’s three hits in five at bats. The third baseman added a base-on-balls and double to his home run, crossed home twice and knocked in five to account for six scores. Nunez was one of three C-Blue players to go 2-for-4, along with centerfielder Adanson Cruz and designated hitter De Jesus.
Julio Puello (W, 7-0) was a strikeout machine on the mound, as the right-hander fanned 12 over six frames. Puello held the opposition to two runs on five hits and a free pass. Angel Ortega struck out five in two innings, yielding a run on two hits and a walk before Larimel Soriano faced the minimum in the ninth.
Tuesday’s game: vs. sixth-place DSL Yankees (26-40), 10:30 am ET, Francis Ventura (4-2, 3.57)
DSL Cardinals Red 5 vs. DSL Rangers2 3
Jose Moreno celebrated his 18th birthday by striking out 11 in seven frames as the C-Red topped the division-winning DSL Rangers2, 5-3. It was the fourth win in their last five games for the Cardinals Red (37-29), which are in third place in the San Pedro Division standings.
Moreno limited the Rangers2 to six hits resulting in two tallies, his third consecutive start with at least five innings pitched and two or fewer runs allowed. The now 18-year-old left with his team up 3-2 and was in line for his fourth win in nine decisions – before a lapse by reliever Sebastian Tabata erased both the lead and Moreno’s fourth win.
Tabata (BS, 2) (W, 4-1) gave up the tying score in the eighth on a two-out walk, stolen base and two wild pitches sandwiched around another base-on-balls. The Venezuelan struck out the side in the ninth, working around another free pass and passed ball.
The C-Red did not allow the tie to stand for long, scoring twice in the home half of the frame. Francisco Hernandez doubled home Cristhian Longa (walk) for the go-ahead tally before Hernandez scored his team’s final run on a single by Alexander Samuel.
The home team managed eight hits with Joerlin De Los Santos and Hernandez both going 2-for-4. De Los Santos doubled twice at the top of the order, touching home once and stealing his 26th and 27th bases while Hernandez drove in two and scored one.
Tuesday’s game: at first-place DSL Rangers2 (47-20), 10:30 am ET, Ludwin Jimenez (4-3, 3.64)
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