photo: Angel Rondon (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
The 2-2 Thursday across the St. Louis Cardinals system featured wins by Palm Beach and Peoria and bullpen failures for Memphis and Springfield. The latter wasted a strong start by Player of the Day Angel Rondon, who fanned nine in six one-run frames for the S-Cards, losers of seven straight.
Results from games played Thursday, May 23rd.
The bullpen struggles returned as a four-run eighth resulted in the Redbirds’ 8-5 road loss at Nashville. Memphis (23-24) holds a two-games-to-one series lead with one contest on tap while remaining in second place in the American Northern Division standings, 5 ½ games behind Iowa (CHC).
With the game knotted at four-all through seven, reliever Jesus Cruz (L, 1-5) began his brief stint by loading the bases on a single plus two free passes before serving up a grand slam with two gone. Cruz plunked his next batter, leading to his ejection by the home plate umpire. Also given the heave ho were Memphis’ manager Ben Johnson, first baseman John Nogowski and former Redbird Patrick Wisdom.
Evan Kruczynski fared little better in his second Triple-A start than he did in his first. The southpaw was tagged for four tallies on six hits, including a solo shot, and a walk in 5 2/3. All four runs scored in either the fifth or sixth inning. Kruczynski also threw a wild pitch and was called for a balk.
Domenic Leone used one of Memphis’ three double plays to mitigate the damage caused by his single and three walks yielded over 1 1/3 frames and left Kruczynski’s final runner aboard. Tommy Layne replaced Cruz on the mound and retired his only batter.
Memphis outhit Nashville, 10 to nine, but both long balls came with the bases empty. Center fielder Drew Robinson led the way, going 3-for-5 with a double and home run for one of his two runs scored and two RBI. Tommy Edman added a home run (for the second consecutive night) and a single, but was erased from the base paths trying to take third. Rangel Ravelo’s ground-rule double extended his hitting streak to 18 games.
Friday’s game: at fourth-place Nashville (18-28) (TEX), 6:35 pm CT, Jake Woodford (3-1, 2.44)
The S-Cards opened their four-game set at Arkansas by absorbing a 4-1 loss, their seventh defeat in a row. Springfield (18-29) sits firmly in last place in the North Division standings, 13 ½ games in back of the Travelers.
The visitors managed just one hit through the first seven innings before combining singles by Evan Mendoza, Conner Capel and Jose Godoy. Godoy’s hit drove in Mendoza and tied the game at 1-1.
But the tie only lasted until the home half of the frame when Seth Elledge (L, 2-3) permitted three runs on three hits and two free passes with one out recorded. Elledge’s last run scored under Kodi Whitley’s watch after Whitley gave up an RBI single to his first batter. Left fielder Capel’s outfield assist at home prevented further damage on the play and the righty recorded the eighth’s final out via a swinging K.
The lack of offense squandered a noteworthy effort by Player of the Day Angel Rondon in his second Double-A start. The 21-year-old struck out nine in six innings, the sole mark against him being a first-inning home run that was one of his five hits allowed. Rondon issued one free pass. Hector Mendoza tossed a clean seventh before giving way to Elledge.
Friday’s game: at first-place Arkansas (30-15) (SEA), 7:10 pm CT, Austin Warner (2-3, 4.37)
Palm Beach 5 at Charlotte 4 (10)
The Beach Birds continue their seven-game road trip with a series-opening victory over the Stone Crabs, 5-4 in 10. Palm Beach (29-17) remains atop the South Division standings, two games in front of Fort Myers (MIN).
The visitors had a chance to win in regulation, taking a 4-2 lead into the bottom of the ninth. But Ramon Santos sandwiched a force at second around a walk and single that put runners at first and second for Bryan Dobzanski. Dobzanski (W, 1-0) (BS, 1) surrendered run-scoring singles to his first two batters, sending the game into extras.
But the offense came through in the top of the 10th. Julio Rodriguez started the inning at second, advanced to third on Luken Baker’s single and scored the winning run when Nick Dunn generated an infield single to second that was deflected by Charlotte’s first baseman.
Dobzanski’s return to the mound generated better results in the bottom of the 10th. The New Jersey native followed up his two swinging K’s to end the ninth with three straight groundball outs for the win.
In his return from a fractured finger, Alex Reyes started, his first action since a Triple-A start on April 25th in which he lasted just 2 2/3 frames. The righty tossed five strong innings in his Florida State League return, fanning six with two hits and two walks given up resulting in one run in his initial inning on the bump.
Zach Prendergast struck out four over the next two innings, yielding a run on a triple and sac fly. Santos faced the minimum in the eighth before running into trouble to next frame.
The Cardinals had their bats going on Thursday with eight of nine starters garnering at least one of the team’s 14 hits. Baker and Dunn each went 3-for-5 with a run scored. Dunn doubled once and drove in two. Lars Nootbaar and Yariel Gonzalez had two hits apiece and Rodriguez added his fifth home run of 2019.
Friday’s game: at fourth-place Charlotte (25-22) (TB), 6:30 pm ET, Alex Fagalde (5-2, 2.37)
The Chiefs held off a ninth-inning rally to edge the Timber Rattlers, 6-5, and salvage a second win in the now-completed five-game stanza. Seventh-place Peoria (20-26) trails Quad Cities (HOU) by 10 ½ games in the Western Division standings.
The game was marred by suspect defense with each club committing three miscues leading to four unearned runs combined. Kyle Leahy (W, 2-4) was tagged with one of them during his five-inning stint, with all three tallies charged to the right-hander occurring in the fourth. Leahy gave up four hits and a walk with four strikeouts.
Apparently moved out of the rotation into long relief, Cole Aker held sixth-place Wisconsin (21-24) (MIL) scoreless over the next two frames, yielding a hit and walk. Edgar Escobar retired his first four batters but put runners at the corners via a walk and two-out double. A fly ball to left should have ended the game but it was mishandled by Brandon Riley, leading to two unearned runs. Escobar regrouped to coax a pop up to first for his fourth save.
The Chiefs’ offense got on track immediately, producing five runs before making six outs. Catcher Ivan Herrera led the charge, going 3-for-5 with a double, run scored and two RBI. Nolan Gorman was the only other Peoria player with a multi-hit day, singling twice in three at bats with a walk, two runs scored and two knocked in. Defensively, third baseman Malcom Nunez had two bobbles and Herrera was charged with a passed ball.
Friday’s game: at fifth-place Cedar Rapids (23-24) (MIN), TBA
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