Cardinals Minor League Notebook – August 27, 2019

photo: Brendan Donovan (Allison Rhoades/Peoria Chiefs)

The St. Louis Cardinals farm system was 2-3 on Monday, with double-digit run totals allowed in losses by Johnson City, Springfield, and Palm Beach. State College and Peoria mustered one-run victories, the latter coming in 11 innings. Brendan Donovan had four hits in the Chiefs’ thrilling win.

Results for games played Monday, August 26th.


Memphis RAIN

Memphis (65-67, second place) at New Orleans was rained out. The game will be the first of a pair of seven-inning games to be played Tuesday. With eight games remaining, the Redbirds’ elimination number is down to three.

Tuesday’s games: at New Orleans, Jake Woodford (8-7, 4.03)/Chris Ellis (4-5, 7.10) 3:00 CT.



Frisco 10 at Springfield 7, 10 innings

Elehuris Montero (Memphis Redbirds)

Springfield let a late lead slip away at home Monday evening and slid to 28-35 for the season’s second half, falling to Frisco 10-7 in 10 innings. Lefty Evan Kruczynski pitched seven innings and only permitted five hits — but two were homers and they plated three runs total. The 24-year-old fanned five and passed none.

The best bullpen performance came from rehabbing southpaw Austin Gomber, who actually started the game. Gomber needed just 11 pitches to complete a full inning, despite allowing a single. Roel Ramirez took the loss after surrendering five runs across the ninth and 10th frames, but only two earned, thanks to a pair of 10th inning passed balls by Brian O’Keefe.

Elehuris Montero homered (his only hit in five at-bats) and was the sole S-Card with more than two total bases on the night. Center fielder Conner Capel had his team’s only multi-hit game, with a pair of singles. Rehabbing major leaguer Jose Martinez was 1-for-3 with a double and walk, and fellow erstwhile big leaguer Tyler O’Neill also doubled and was 1-for-5 with two strikeouts.

Tuesday’s game: vs. Frisco, Angel Rondon (6-4, 3.23) 6:30 CT.


Bradenton 10, Palm Beach 1

Luken Baker (Palm Beach Cardinals)

After taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, Palm Beach gave up the next 10 runs and lost to the Marauders 10-1 in Bradenton Monday night, dropping them to 21-42. Luken Baker had the only Beach Birds extra base hits and the only multi-hit game, as he doubled twice in a 2-for-4 effort. Top prospect Nolan Gorman reached twice with a single and hit-by-pitch, and there were no stolen bases or fielding heroics for Palm Beach.

Righty Edgar Gonzalez started and was shelled for five runs in 2 1/3 innings on three hits but also five free passes. The 22-year-old fanned a pair as his ERA rose to 5.23 and WHIP grew to 1.73 on the season. The bullpen star by far was former major leaguer Williams Perez, with two scoreless stanzas featuring four whiffs and zero walks. Also fanning his share of Marauders was 20-year-old righty Leonardo Taveras, who struck out four men in 1 2/3 innings — although he did also walk three and concede a run.

Tuesday’s game: at Bradenton, pitcher TBA, 6:05 CT.


Peoria 6 at Cedar Rapids 5, 11 innings

Brendan Donovan (Peoria Chiefs)

Peoria improved to 21-42 (same as Palm Beach) by taking a see-saw battle with Cedar Rapids Monday night, triumphing 6-5 on the road in 11 innings. Designated hitter Brendan Donovan was the night’s batting boss, scoring twice and driving in three by singling three times and doubling in a 4-for-6 evening. Center fielder Jonatan Machado had his club’s other multi-hit game with two singles, and scored and plated a run apiece.

Starter Michael Brettell took a no decision, after going six stanzas and yielding three runs on seven safeties and four bases on balls. Southpaw Connor Thomas (three innings, one run, groundouts as always) allowed the tying run on two walks and a double in the ninth and fellow lefty Evan Sisk, who hasn’t allowed a hit in his last four appearances, and threw two innings Monday, with a pair of strikeouts. However, as the Chiefs surrendered leads in the ninth and 10th, Sisk took a blown save to go with his win.

Tuesday’s game: at Cedar Rapids, Dalton Roach (1-1, 4.00) 6:35 CT.


State College 3, West Virginia 2

Cameron Dulle (Robert Kell)

State College raised its record to 36-33 on Monday, taking a 3-0 lead at home after two innings and making it hold up against West Virginia for a final of 3-2. Starting for the Spikes was 20-year-old righty Andre Pallante, who yielded two runs in three innings while walking two and whiffing a trio of Black Bears. The relief corps gave up no runs, and of particular note were righty Cameron Dulle (2 2/3 innings, four strikeouts), Jack Ralston, who had a 1-2-3 inning and lowered his ERA to 1.21, and 21-year-old Southern Cal product Connor Lunn, who escaped an inherited base-loaded jam.

The Spikes had four hits and one walk for the game, but somehow parlayed that into three runs and a win, thanks to RBI groundouts from right fielder Terry Fuller and shortstop Luis Flores, and a sac fly from center fielder David Vinsky. Fuller went 0-for-4 but did also record an outfield assist. There were no multi-hit games for State College and no one reached safely twice. Vinsky and Flores each stole a base without being caught.

State College remains two games out of the division lead with seven games remaining on the regular season slate, and a half-game away from a share of second place in the division.

Tuesday’s game: vs. West Virginia, Adrian Mardueno (3-2, 3.53), 6:05 CT.


Kingsport 15, Johnson City 6

Mateo Gil (Robert Kell)

Johnson City (33-33) slipped back to the .500 mark, getting clobbered 15-6 while visiting the inhospitable Kingsport Mets on Monday. Jose Moreno made the start and took the loss, logging three innings and surrendering six tallies on 10 hits. The 19-year-old righty fanned four and handed out a pair of free passes. Of the quartet of bullpen performances, the only one worth praising was that of Alex Gallegos, who entered with a double digit ERA. The 21-year-old right hander allowed just a single in his mop-up inning, and fanned a man while walking none.

The middle infield had their hitting shoes on as the keystone combo of Mateo Gil and Kevin Vargas slapped three singles apiece. Leadoff hitter Gil scored two runs, as did backstop Aaron Antonini, who walked twice and dropped down a sac bunt as well. Right fielder Jhon Torres knocked in two for his team’s only multi-RBI game, though he did also commit his first fielding error of the season. Center fielder Tre Fletcher went 0-for-4 but gunned a runner at second base — or the outcome could have been even worse.

The Cardinals are in third place, a game behind Kingsport and just a half-game out of the wild card, but with an elimination number of two, making Tuesday a must-win to keep division-winning hopes alive.

Tuesday’s game: at Kingsport, Hector Soto (0-1, 3.04) 5:30 CT.


GCL Cardinals RAIN

The Gulf Coast League Cardinals (20-31, last place) at Astros were rained out Monday. The game has been rescheduled for Saturday, August 31.

Tuesday’s game: vs. GCL Marlins, pitcher TBA, 11:00 a.m. CT.


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