photo: Zach Jackson (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
The St. Louis Cardinals system was 4-3 on Saturday. Our Player of the Day is Johnson City catcher Zach Jackson, who went 3-for-5, including a three-run home run and seven RBI. Jake Woodford and Dominic Leone spun a shutout for Memphis. Springfield lost in the 11th to remain winless in the second half.
Results for games played Saturday, June 22.
The Redbirds blanked the Dodgers in their park behind an excellent start by Jake Woodford. The prospect right-hander pitched seven scoreless innings, on just two hits. Woodford fanned four and walked three in his fifth win of the season. Dominic Leone followed with two scoreless innings of relief.
A two-run double by John Nogowski got the Memphis on the board in the first inning. Joe Hudson added on in the fourth with a solo home run to left center field and Yariel Gonzalez mirrored Hudson with a solo long ball to left in the seventh. Nogowski doubled for the second time in the eighth to add the final run.
Nogowski, Hudson, and Adolis Garcia each had two hits. Nogowski drove in three.
On the base paths, Lane Thomas was picked off and caught stealing.
The win was the Redbirds’ fourth shutout of the season. The two hits allowed was a season low for the Memphis pitching staff.
Memphis is 31-44 on the season and in third place in the PCL North, 11 games back of the Iowa Cubs.
Sunday’s game: at Oklahoma City, Alex Reyes (1-3, 7.67) 6:05 CT.
Springfield 4 at Corpus Christi 6 (11 innings)
The Cardinals battled for over four hours and into the 11th inning with the Corpus Christi Hooks but ultimately were the losers in the hard-fought Saturday road contest.
Springfield starter Alex Fagalde tossed five innings and gave up one run on three hits. The right hander struck out five but walked four. Bryan Dobzanski relieved in the sixth but surrendered a run and was removed with one out by lefty Jacob Patterson, who finished the frame. Patterson returned to pitch a scoreless seventh. Seth Elledge went the next 1 2/3 innings, surrendering two runs on four hits, and was tagged with the blown save. Kodi Whitley finished with 1 2/3 innings of relief and allowed a walk-off two run home run to take the loss.
Springfield got on the board on Zach Kirtley’s second-inning solo home run to tie the game at 1-1. The Cardinals scored three more in the fifth to take a 4-1 lead. Alberto Triunfel plated a run on a double, Jose Godoy hit a sac fly, and Brian O’Keefe scored Triunfel on a double to left. The Hooks re-tied the game in the eighth. The Cardinals were stymied by the Hooks bullpen, held scoreless for the final seven innings.
As the only Cardinal with multiple hits, O’Keefe had two. Chase Pinder committed a fielding error.
The Cardinals are 0-5 in the second half, 30-45 overall, and in last place in the Texas League North.
Sunday’s game: at Corpus Christi, Johan Oveido (1-4, 6.94) 4:15 CT.
The Cardinals lost a close game against the Blue Jays in Dunedin on Saturday. Jays pitching successfully kept the Palm Beach offense quiet until seventh inning. With the Beach Birds behind 3-0, a Jays pitching change gave the offense a chance. Nick Plummer led off with a single to left. Zack Gahagan walked, and Imeldo Diaz singled on a line drive to center, and Plummer scored. Nick Dunn followed with a single to left to plate Gahagan. Though Palm Beach cut the lead to 3-2, the rally ended there.
Diaz and Lars Nootbaar each had three hits.
Starter Edgar Gonzalez pitched 5 2/3 innings and gave up three runs on three hits while striking out three and walking two. Zach Prendergast tossed the final 2 1/3 scoreless innings. Gonzalez suffered his eighth loss of the season.
Nootbaar was picked off first base.
The Cardinals are 1-4 in the second half, 36-33 overall, and are in last place in the FSL South.
Sunday’s game: at Dunedin, Griffin Roberts (0-1, 6.98) 12:00 pm CT.
After the lead changed hands several times, the Chiefs edged the Cedar Rapids Kernels in a small-ball walk off win at Dozer Park on Saturday night.
Peoria’s offense took the lead with two runs in the first inning on a sac fly by Leandro Cedeno and an RBI double by Bryce Denton. The Kernels added runs in the third and fourth to tie the game at 2-2.
Peoria briefly regained the edge in the sixth on Juan Yepez’ solo home run to left center field. Cedar Rapids answered in the top of the seventh with two scores to retake the lead 4-3. In the bottom half of the seventh, a single by Brandon Riley, a throwing error on a pickoff attempt, and a fielder’s choice by Delvin Perez sent Riley home to re-tie the game.
In the bottom of the ninth. Perez drew a walk, then stole second. Following an intentional walk to Yepez, Perez stole third before a wild pitch by the Kernels reliever sent Perez home for the walk off win.
Yepez, Riley, and Denton each had two hits.
Peoria starter Franyel Casadilla pitched five innings and gave up two runs, one earned, on three hits. The right hander fanned six and walked one. Thomas St. Clair surrendered two runs in two relief innings. Parker Kelly hurled the final two scoreless frames to earn the win.
The Chiefs were busy on the base paths. Brandon Donovan stole his fourth base of the season and Riley thieved his eighth. Yepez had two stolen bases, while Perez purloined three bags.
Donovan had a throwing error, and third sacker Josh Shaw committed a fielding miscue.
The Chiefs are 2-1 in the second half (32-40 overall) and are tied for second place in the Midwest League West.
Sunday’s game: vs. Cedar Rapids, Alvaro Seijas (4-5, 3.07) 5:05 CT.
State College 1 at West Virginia 6
The State College offense was held to one run on two hits in a 6-1 loss to West Virginia on Saturday. The lone Spikes score came in the third inning on an RBI single by Moises Castillo. Martin Figueroa’s double was the only other hits.
Starter Enmanuel Solano took the loss after pitching 5 2/3 innings, yielding all six runs on eight hits. The right hander struck out five and walked three. Hector Villalobos got the final out of the sixth before Fabian Blanco tossed two scoreless innings.
The Spikes are 6-3 on the season and tied for first place in the New York-Penn League Pinckney Division.
Sunday’s game: at West Virginia, Jacob Schlesener (0-0, 0.00) 12:05 pm CT.
Johnson City defeated the Danville Braves in a Saturday road slugfest. The Cardinals pulled off a comeback from an 8-0 deficit in the fifth inning. Johnson City put up five runs in the fifth, with the first run scoring on a ground out by Mateo Gil. Zach Jackson had an RBI single before Jackson scored on a bases loaded walk by Liam Sabino. Kevin Vargas grounded into a force out to score another. The final run came via a double steal of Vargas to second as Carlos Soler took home.
In the eighth, the offense put up a four spot to tie the score at 9-9. Gil singled to drive in one before Jackson blasted a three-run home run to right field.
The offense made the final push in the ninth with five runs. Soler scored on a fielding error. Raffy Ozuna’s sac fly brought in another before Jackson cleared the bases with a three-run double to center.
Jackson was the star of the show with three hits and seven RBI. Gil, Garcia, and Soler each had two hits.
On the pitching side, starter Dalton Roach had a rough debut. The right-hander pitched 3 2/3 innings, giving up eight runs, seven earned, on 10 hits with five strikeouts. Alex Gallegos surrendered one run in 2 1/3 innings of relief. Wilberto Rivera, Cameron Dulle, and Walker Robbins each pitched a scoreless inning.
Vargas stole his third base of the season, while Soler and Ben Baird each stole their first. Terry Fuller was caught stealing. Soler and Fuller committed fielding errors and Vargas and Jackson made throwing errors.
Johnson City is 2-2 on the young season.
Saturday’s game: at Danville, Wilfredo Pereira (0-0, 0.00) 3:00 CT.
DSL Cardinals Red 17 at DSL D-backs2 4
The Cardinals Red shellacked the D-backs2 on Saturday. The Cardinal offense scored 17 runs on 11 hits with the action starting in the third inning. Juan Sanchez singled and later scored on a force out off the bat of Endri Salas. Sander Mora reached on a fielding error and Salas scored. Mora came home on a throwing error. Albert Inoa was hit by a pitch, Alexander Samuel reached on a throwing error and both scored on a single by Diowoll Burgos. Cardinals Red led 5-2.
In the fifth, Mora was hit by a pitch and Inoa walked. Both scored on a fielder’s choice by Samuel. Samuel scored on Burgos’ single and the Cardinals led 8-3.
The Cardinals plated seven runs in the sixth. Inoa drew a bases loaded walk, Samuel drove in a run on a single, Burgos hit a grand slam, and finally Salas plated a run on a single. The score was 15-3.
Fernando Brazoban’ sac fly and a wild pitch put the final two runs on the board in the seventh. The D-backs aaded meaningless solo home run in the ninth.
Salas and Burgos had three hits. Samuel and Erick Thomas had two.
Starter Henry Gomez pitched three innings and gave up three runs, two earned, on two hits. The right hander fanned four. Hancel Rincon tossed a scoreless fourth. Luis Garcia followed with 1 2/3 scoreless innings to earn the win. Augusto Calderon added 1 1/3 scoreless, and Larimel Soriano tossed a clean inning. Oliver Lopez surrendered the solo home run in the ninth.
Samuel was caught stealing for the first time in 2019. Thomas and Bryan Matute committed throwing errors. Inoa and Miguel Marcos each had a fielding error. Catcher Sanchez had a passed ball.
The Cardinals Red are 8-11 on the season and are in a three way tie for last place in the DSL San Pedro Division.
Sunday’s game: No game scheduled.
DSL Cardinals Blue – Off
Sunday’s game: No game scheduled.
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