Cardinals Minor League Notebook – July 13, 2021

photo: Keshawn Rombley/Sports Zone Aruba

St. Louis’ minors went 0-2 with a cancellation on Monday.  Both the DSL Cardinals Blue and DSL Cardinals Red lost their season openers but designated hitter Keshawn Rombley tripled and scored for the Blue in his pro debut. The FSL Cardinals game was canceled, and all four full-season squads were idle.

Results from the games played Monday, July 12th.

Memphis – off  

Having just completed a road trip to the Midwest Division’s Louisville Bats (CIN) during which they went 2-3 with a postponement, seventh-place Memphis (23-36) heads back to AutoZone Park to host a division rival, sixth-place Norfolk (BAL).

Tuesday’s game:  vs. Norfolk (BAL), 7:10 pm CT, Jake Woodford (1-1, 4.62)

Springfield – off     

Fifth-place Springfield (22-38) is coming off a strong week where they won four of their six-game home set versus third-place Tulsa (LAD), a North Division competitor.  The S-Cards embark on a two-week road trip through Texas, beginning with Frisco (TEX), now part of the South Division.

Tuesday’s game:  at Frisco (37-23) (TEX), 7:05 pm CT, Dalton Roach (4-5, 5.34)

Peoria – off  

The sixth-place Chiefs would undoubtedly like to put last week’s series’ sweep at the hands of second-place Cedar Rapids (MIN) firmly in their rearview mirror.  This week Peoria (22-38) has a one-week home stand against third-place Wisconsin (MIL).

Tuesday’s game:  vs. Wisconsin (28-31) (MIL), 6:35 pm CT, Wilfredo Pereira (1-5. 5.15)

Palm Beach – off  

The Beach Birds spent last week just trying to play their six-game series at Lakeland (DET) as the set included three postponements and a suspension.  Fourth-place Palm Beach (23-36), which went 1-4 with the last game rescheduled for August, host the division-leading Mets for the first of three series at home.  (Note:  next week’s series is ‘at’ Jupiter with whom Palm Beach share a facility.)

Tuesday’s game:  vs. St. Lucie (31-29) (NYM), 6:30 pm ET, Ludwin Jimenez (0-4, 5.45)

FCL Cardinals vs. FCL Mets – cancelled

Monday’s contest between the FCL Cardinals (45) and FCL Mets (6-3) was cancelled with no further information provided.

Tuesday’s game:  at FCL Astros (5-6), 12:00 pm ET, TBA

DSL Cardinals Blue 2 vs. DSL Nationals 7 (7 innings)

The DSL Cardinals Blue (0-1) managed just three hits in a 7-2 loss to the DSL Nationals in their season and home opener.

Both tallies occurred in the second when left fielder Jose Cordoba opened with a base-on-balls.  Designated hitter Keshawn Rombley tripled to center, driving in Cordoba.  Rombley touched home on a line drive single to right with one gone by right fielder Christian Avendano.   Rombley is our Player of the Day.  The third C-Blue player with a hit was shortstop Maycol Justo.

Keshawn Rombley

A quartet of Cardinals Blue hurlers took the mound, beginning with Benjamin Arias.  The right-hander tossed three innings, permitting two third-inning scores on three hits and two walks with five strikeouts.

Next up was Alexander Beltre, who took the loss in his professional debut. The lefty was touched for four runs, two earned, on two hits, two walks and a plunked batter against five outs recorded. Beltre also threw three wild pitches.

Beltre’s final two base runners scored with righty Oliver Lopez on the mound.  Lopez also gave up an unearned run on a hit and three walks in 1 1/3 frames and threw two wild pitches.  18-year-old Miguel Martinez got his pro career off on a positive note with a one-two-three seventh.

Defensively, the Cardinals Blue committed three errors.  Beltre committed a throwing error on an attempted pick off move while Cordoba had a throw go awry.  First baseman Fernando Diaz was tagged with a fielding miscue.

Tuesday’s game:   at DSL Nationals (1-0), 10:30 am ET, TBA

DSL Cardinals Red 2 at DSL Giants Black 9 (7 innings)

Free passes proved to be the Cardinals Red’s (0-1) Waterloo as they were soundly defeated by the DSL Giants Black, 9-2, in the season opener.

The C-Red outhit their opponents, five to three, only to watch their pitching staff issue a whopping 10 free passes versus the two walks received.  Wilmer Ortega (L, 0-1) retired just four batters, allowing four runs, earned, on two hits, four walks and three wild pitches.  The righty committed a throwing error on an attempted pickoff play, his team’s sole miscue.

Righty Marlyn Almonte recorded the second’s last two outs but not before permitting both of Ortega’s runners to cross home plate plus one of his own.  The 18-year-old yielded a three-run long ball and base-on-balls in his first pro action.

The third Cardinals Red hurler was right-hander Fraimin Marte, who was pitching in his maiden effort.  Marte was charged with four tallies on four walks and a hit batsman in 1 1/3 frames.

Americo Lugo compiled the best performance on the staff.  The 20-year-old, who is in his second season of pro ball, recorded eight outs, did not give up a hit, walked ‘only’ two batters but did permit one of two inherited runners to score.

Americo Lugo

The visitors did not end their scoring drought until the sixth when they pushed across an unearned tally.  Lead-off batter Justin Guerrero coaxed a base-on-balls right ahead of consecutive singles by designated hitter Felix Taveras and shortstop Elias Reynoso.  A swinging K ensued with the sacks jammed but a fielding error by the Giants Black’s third baseman brought Guerrero across home plate.

The team’s final run was generated by back-to-back seventh-inning doubles by third baseman Raul Guzman and right fielder Jeremy Ramos.

Tuesday’s game:   vs. DSL Giants Black (1-0), 10:30 am ET, TBA


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