photo: Jake Woodford (Memphis Redbirds)
St. Louis’ minors went 1-3 on Sunday with Peoria again postponed. Player of the Day Jake Woodford’s mound performance keyed Memphis’ double-header split. Palm Beach dropped a low-scoring affair and Springfield couldn’t recover from a rough start.
Results from games played Sunday, April 28th
Memphis 5 at Omaha 1 (7) – Game 1
Memphis 10 at Omaha 11 (7) – Game 2
The Redbirds split their double-header road series finale at the Storm Chasers, claiming Game 1, 5-1, but coughing up a seven-run lead to lose the finale in walk-off fashion, 11-10. Memphis (13-9) claimed the five-game set, four games to one.
A four-run fifth provided the opener’s difference, with the inning propelled by a pair of back-to-back long balls. Adolis Garcia’s seventh home run plated Max Schrock (double), breaking a 1-1 tie, right ahead of Lane Thomas’ first Memphis bomb of 2019.
Thomas and Andrew Knizner each had two hits. The center fielder went 2-for-3 with his solo shot that was one of his two RBI. Knizner singled twice in four at bats, touched home once and knocked in one. Memphis had seven hits in all.
Player of the Day Jake Woodford (W, 2-0) mastered Omaha (9-13) over 6 2/3 innings, limiting his opponent to a run on four hits and three walks. The 22-year-old fanned six with three ground- to six fly- ball outs. Chris Beck retired his only batter thus stranding Woodford’s final runner.
Offense was on display in the nightcap as Memphis’ bullpen faltered. The seven-inning affair featured a combined 25 hits generating 21 tallies. All nine Redbirds’ starters garnered at least one of their 12 hits, led by Francisco Peña. The catcher went 3-for-4 with a double and two-run bomb comprising two of his three RBI. Right fielder Drew Robinson also went yard with Tommy Edman (walk) aboard, as this two-run blast opened his team’s scoring in the first. Robinson added a single and two walks in three at bats. Knizner launched a home run with John Nogowski (double) aboard, his only hit in four at bats.
Ryan Meisinger’s start was the highlight of the Redbirds’ pitching effort. The Radford product faced just one over the minimum while striking out five in three scoreless frames. It was Meisinger’s first start in nine appearances.
But the four hurlers following Meisinger to the mound did not fare well. Tommy Layne’s four-run fourth included four hits, a base-on-balls and four runs, three via a home run. Chris Ellis recorded four outs but yielded five tallies on seven hits and a walk.
Yet the visitors went into the home half of the seventh up 10-9 and tasked John Fasola with acquiring three outs for the victory. Fasola (L, 0-2) had recorded the sixth’s final two outs, leaving one of two inherited runners aboard, but departed after sandwiching two free passes between two outs. Hunter Cervenka (BS, 2) loaded the bases via a free pass then yielded an RBI single to end the game.
Monday’s game: at New Orleans (13-10) (MIA), 6:30 pm CT, Genesis Cabrera (0-1, 10.22)
One big inning sent the S-Cards to a 6-4 home loss to Frisco on Sunday. Springfield (8-16) has won one of the series’ first three contests with one yet to play.
Casey Meisner (L, 0-2) was scored upon in each of his three frames on the bump, with the scoring capped by four runs in his third and final inning of work. The righty gave up six runs, four earned, in all, on seven hits, including two home runs, and a base-on-balls.
A trio of Springfield relievers kept the RoughRiders off the board the rest of the way. Jacob Patterson struck out four in three innings, yielding a hit and walk. Luke Gregerson continued his seemingly endless rehab assignment with a one-two-three seventh before Roel Ramirez notched two K’s to go with one free pass over the last two frames.
Two S-Cards produced multi-hit efforts: Dylan Carlson and Johan Mieses. Carlson singled and doubled in four at bats with a walk and run scored while right fielder Mieses went 2-for-5 with a run scored. Defensively, Mieses committed both of his team’s miscues but he was credited with an outfield assist at home.
Monday’s game: vs. Frisco (15-9) (TEX), 11:10 am CT, Harold Arauz (0-0, 4.05)
On Sunday, Palm Beach (16-8) dropped another close decision to the Miracle, 2-1, and lost the four-game road set, one-game-to-three.
Perry DellaValle (L, 1-1) limited Fort Myers (15-9) (MIN) to just four hits over six frames. Unfortunately, two of those hits occurred back-to-back in consecutive innings, resulting in two runs.
Ronnie Williams loaded the bases on three consecutive singles to open the seventh but escaped the jam on two force plays at home plus a ground out. Patrick Dayton tossed a clean eighth.
The visitors’ only score came on an RBI single by Justin Toerner that drove in Julio Rodriguez (single). Toerner went 3-for-4 with a stolen base and RBI and was the only PB-Card with more than one of the team’s seven hits.
Monday’s game: Off
Peoria at Beloit – postponed
The Chiefs and the Snappers were unable to get in their scheduled twin bill on Sunday due to the effects of a recent snowstorm that created unplayable field conditions in Wisconsin. Since Peoria (8-13) does not return to Beloit (8-12) (OAK) during the season’s first half, the contests will take place at Dozer Field in Peoria during the May 13-15 series with details to be announced.
Monday’s game: off
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