Cardinals Minor League Notebook – July 23, 2021

photo: Angel Rondon (St. Louis Cardinals)

On Thursday, the St. Louis Cardinals system went 3-2. Angel Rondon’s pitching and Juan Yepez’ hitting helped Memphis win its team-record 12th consecutive game.

Results from the games played Thursday, July 22nd.

Memphis 3 at Louisville 0  

Angel Rondon’s arm and Juan Yepez’ bat led the Redbirds over the Bats, 3-0.  It was the 12th consecutive win for Memphis (33-36), a new franchise record.

Player of the Day Rondon (W, 3-4) blanked Louisville on a hit and walk during his six-inning stint.  The 23-year-old fanned five, throwing 41 of his 64 pitches for strikes.

Angel Rondón

Rondon’s effort was bookended by Daniel Ponce de Leon and Tyler Webb. Ponce de Leon began his rehab assignment from St. Louis with a clean first frame, erasing a lead-off walk via a 4-3 double play.  Webb took over in the eighth, using two strikeouts to work around two singles and a base-on-balls allowed.  Seth Elledge (S, 2) tossed a clean ninth, giving up a hit.

Juan Yepez

Yepez got the scoring started in the first with his seventh home run since joining the Redbirds and 12th overall in 2021.  The first baseman added a single and double in five at bats.  The only other Redbird with more than one of the team’s eight hits was catcher Ali Sanchez, who went 2-for-4 with a run scored.  Second baseman Kramer Robertson reached base twice, singling once in three at bats with a base-on-balls, stolen base and two knocked in.

Friday’s game:  at Louisville (27-41) (CIN), 6:00 pm CT, Zack Thompson (0-6, 8.67)

Springfield at San Antonio – postponed      

The third of the six-game set at Nelson Wolff Stadium between Springfield (27-41) and San Antonio was postponed due to inclement weather.  The contest has been rescheduled as part of a double header on Saturday, July 24th with Game 1 beginning at 5:00 pm CT.

Friday’s game:  at San Antonio (32-35) (SD), 7:05 pm CT, Andre Pallante (3-3, 3.09)

Peoria 5 at Quad Cities 4

The Chiefs (26-43) narrowly escaped their opponents’ ninth-inning push, slipping past the River Bandits, 5-4.  It is the first win of the series for Peoria with three games to be played.

Three Chiefs hurlers combined to shut out Quad Cities over the initial eight frames.  Nick Trogrlic-Iverson pitched the initial four innings, yielding three hits.  Enmanuel Solano (W, 3-0) claimed the next three frames, permitting a hit and walk before Fabian Blanco yielded a hit in his inning of work.

Nick Trogrlic-Iverson

But it was not a quality night for Freddy Pacheco, who was charged with four runs on two hits and two base-on-balls in 2/3 of an inning.  Cory Thompson surrendered a double that drove in Pacheco’s final runner then wild pitched the potential tying run to third.  After a mound visit, Thompson notched a swinging K for his second save.

Peoria generated nine hits, paced by second baseman Francisco Hernandez, who went 3-for-4 with an RBI.  The other multi-hit effort belonged to catcher Zade Richardson, who singled and doubled in four at bats, touching home once and driving in one.  Chandler Redmond’s only hit in three at bats was his 11th long ball.  It came with the bases empty. Cristhian Longa plated two.

Friday’s game:  at Quad Cities (45-22) (KC), 6:30 pm CT, Connor Lunn (3-5, 5.04)

Palm Beach 1 at Jupiter 5

One big inning proved the difference maker as Palm Beach (25-43) fell to Jupiter, 5-1.  The Beach Birds are still looking for their first win of the series with three games remaining.

Dionys Rodriguez began the third trying to protect a slim 1-0 advantage.  The righty was not up to the task, permitting four runs on five hits and a free pass issued.  Two of the four tallies were generated by a home run ball which finished Rodriguez’ night.

Edwin Nunez scattered two hits and three walks over the next 2 2/3 frames, handing the ball off to Luis Tena.  Tena was tagged for a run on three hits against three outs recorded.  Gianluca Dalatri and Kevin Marnon both tossed one-two-three innings.

The Beach Birds mustered six hits but went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position and left 10 on base.  Two of those hits came in the first.  Tommy Jew singled with one away and immediately raced home on Jacob Buchberger’s third triple of 2021.

Jacob Buchberger

The visitors managed just four more hits over the next eight innings.  Two of those hits belonged to first baseman L.J. Jones, who singled twice in four at bats.

Friday’s game: ‘at’ Jupiter (33-35) (MIA), 6:30 pm ET, John Beller (0-3, 4.54)

FCL Cardinals – off

Friday’s game:   FCL Cardinals (6-8) vs. FCL Mets (10-5), 10:00 am ET, Yordy Richard (2-2, 3.18)

DSL Cardinals Blue 4 vs. DSL Rockies 16 (7 innings)

An 11-run seventh frame transformed a competitive game into a 16-4 trouncing of the C-Blue by the DSL Rockies.

The DSL Cardinals Blue (3-5) went up 2-0 after two but the lead evaporated when the Rockies posted a grand slam the next inning.  The home team answered with one third-inning tally, cutting their guests’ margin to 4-3.   Each team added another run over the next three frames but C-Blue hurlers imploded in the massive seventh.

Righty Juan Salas (L, 0-1) pitched four innings, serving up the big blast comprising one of four hits and a walk allowed.

A quartet of right-handers pitched in relief, beginning with Marlyn Almonte.  Almonte was touched for a run on two hits with three outs recorded, his tally unearned due to his own fielding error on an attempted sac bunt.  Oliver Lopez faced the minimum in the sixth and was replaced by Miguel Martinez for the seventh.

Martinez retired just one batter, yielding seven tallies, six earned, on four hits, two walks and a sac fly resulting in the batter ending up at second due to a fielding error by left fielder Robelyn Lopez.  Frankely Guzman replaced Martinez and was tagged for another four scores, permitting five hits and allowing his inherited runner to score before recording two outs.

The Cardinals Blue banged out seven hits with two players producing a multi-hit effort:  center fielder Jose Cordoba and designated hitter Jose Suarez.  Both players went 2-for-3 with a run scored. Cordoba doubled once and Suarez’ triple drove in Cordoba.  Right fielder Keshawn Rombley and second baseman Adari Grant both went yard with the bases empty.

Jose Suarez

Friday’s game:  at DSL Rockies (7-1), 10:30 am ET, TBA

DSL Cardinals Red 6 at DSL Tigers 5 (7 innings)

The DSL Cardinals Red withstood a final-inning rally to down the DSL Tigers, 6-5.

The C-Red offense built a 6-1 lead by blending five hits with nine free passes issued.  Left fielder Felix Taveras accounted for three scores, going 1-for-3 with a walk, run scored and two RBI.

Felix Taveras

Three Cardinals Red players took part in two tallies each:  center fielder Romtres Cabrera, shortstop Elias Reynoso and catcher Carlos Linarez.  Cabrera singled once in three at bats with a base-on-balls, touched home once. drove in one and swiped his first bag while Reynoso worked two free passes, scoring two runs.  Linarez reached base three times, going 1-for-2 with two walks, a run scored and another knocked in.

Yonael Domingez struck out six over the initial four innings. The only damage against him was a solo shot, one of three hits permitted along with a base-on-balls.

Bruno Lopez tossed a one-two-three fifth and was credited with the win, his first in pro ball.  Lopez was replaced by Fraimin Marte, who issued a free pass in his only inning of work.

The DSL Cardinals (5-3) had seemingly comfortable 6-1 advantage at the seventh’s onset but appearances were deceiving.  Americo Lugo allowed his first three batters to reach, loading the bases on a walk and two singles.

There was a temporary reprieve when Lugo coaxed a fly out to center without a runner advancing but that was negated after Linarez was charged with a passed ball, bringing one base runner across home.  Back-to-back singles drove in two more tallies, closing the gap to 6-4 and triggering a pitching change.

Omar Yanez, the fourth and final C-Red right-hander, gave up an RBI double, making the score 6-5 and moving the potential tying run to third.  The 18-year-old sandwiched two swinging K’s around a walk for his first professional save.

Friday’s game:  vs. DSL Tigers (3-5), 10:30 am ET, TBA


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