Cardinals Minor League Notebook – July 24, 2021

photo: Zack Thompson (Memphis Redbirds)

The St. Louis Cardinals system went 5-1 on Friday.  Our Players of the Day are Memphis starting pitcher Zack Thompson, who pitched six scoreless innings, with four hits allowed and five strikeouts, and Peoria starting pitcher Connor Lunn, who also pitched six scoreless innings, allowed three hits, and struck out six.  Honorable Mention goes to Keshawn Rombley, left fielder for DSL Cardinals Blue, who went 3-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored.

Results of games played Friday, July 23.

Memphis 4 at Louisville 1

The Redbirds extended their team record to 13 consecutive wins, defeating Louisville 4-1 at Louisville Slugger Field on Friday night. It began with very good pitching by Memphis left hander Zack Thompson.  Thompson tossed six scoreless innings, allowed four hits, fanned five and walked one to earn his long-awaited first win of the season and first at Triple-A.  Grant Black relieved and pitched two scoreless innings.  Kodi Whitley surrendered one run in the ninth.

Zack Thompson

The Redbirds got on the board first with three runs in the fourth inning.  Lane Thomas and Nolan Gorman hit back-to-back singles.  Juan Yepez followed with a three-run blast to left field that gave Memphis the 3-0 lead.

Juan Yepez

The score remained 3-0 in favor of the Redbirds until the top of the ninth inning.  Kramer Robertson reached on an error and scored on a double by Dennis Ortega.

Memphis’ offense scored four runs on six hits.  No Cardinal had multiple hits.  Yepez’ long ball and Ortega’s double were the only extra base hits.

Memphis is 34-36 and resides in fifth place in the Triple-A East Southeast Division, 14 games back of first place Durham.

Saturday’s game:  at Louisville, TBA (MEM) vs. Michael Mariot RHP (2-2, 2.61) 6:00 CT.

Springfield 0 at San Antonio 4

The Cardinals were blanked by the San Antonio Missions 4-0 in a Friday night contest at Nelson Wolff Stadium.

Springfield’s offense managed only four hits, with just one for extra bases, a double by Alec Burleson.  Justin Toerner was 2-for-2, and the other hit was a single by Luken Baker.  The offense was 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position and struck out 10 times.

Cardinal starter Andre Pallante pitched five innings and gave up four runs, three earned, on five hits, struck out five and walked three.  Pallante was tagged for his fourth loss of the season. Kyle Leahy tossed three scoreless innings in relief.

Kyle Leahy

Ivan Herrera was called for catcher interference.  Nick Plummer made a throwing error.

Springfield is 27-42 and are in last place in the Double-A Central North Division, 13 games back of first place Wichita.

Saturday’s games:  at San Antonio, Domingo Robles LHP (2-3, 4.85) vs. Adrian Martinez RHP (5-3, 2.62) 5:00 CT (Game 1), Dalton Roach RHP (5-5, 5.27) vs. Osvaldo Hernandez (2-6, 4.92) (Game 2).

Peoria 3 at Quad Cities 0

The Chiefs blanked the first place Quad Cities River Bandits 3-0 at Modern Woodman Park on Friday night.  Peoria starter Connor Lunn tossed six scoreless innings, allowed three hits, and struck out six to earn his fourth win of the season. Mac Lardner pitched the final three scoreless innings to earn his first save.

Connor Lunn

Peoria got on the board in the first inning on a solo home run by Tyler Reichenborn.  The Chiefs increased the lead to 2-0 in the second.  Francisco Hernandez and Zade Richardson hit back-to-back singles, then Matt Chamberlain singled to plate Hernandez.

The Chiefs added an insurance run in the sixth on an RBI single by Hernandez.  The excellent Peoria pitching kept the River Bandits off the board for the full nine innings of play.

Chamberlain was 3-for-4 with an RBI.  Hernandez and Moises Castillo were both 2-for-4.

In the field, Hernandez, and Pedro Pages each made throwing errors.

Peoria is 27-42 and stand in last place in the High-A Central West Division, 19 games back of first place Quad Cities.

Saturday’s game:  at Quad Cities, Wilfredo Pereira RHP (2-6, 4.44) vs. Anthony Veneziano LHP (2-2, 4.21) 6:30 CT.

Palm Beach at Jupiter (postponed)

Friday’s game at Roger Dean Stadium was postponed due to rain in the area.  It will be made up on Saturday as part of a doubleheader.

Saturday’s games:  at Jupiter, John Beller (0-3, 4.54) vs. Eury Perez RHP (1-3, 2.37) 3:00 CT (Game 1), Gustavo Rodriguez (0-3, 6.82) vs. TBD (Game 2).

FCL Cardinals 7, FCL Mets 0

The Cardinals (7-8) blanked the Mets 7-0 in Jupiter on Friday morning.   Starter Yordy Richard earned his third win of the season, pitching seven scoreless innings with two hits allowed and five strikeouts.  Tyler Statler and Roy Garcia each collected three outs in relief.

Yordy Richard

The Cardinals put four runs on the board in the first inning.  Jeremy Rivas and rehabber Julio Rodriguez singled.  Darlin Moquete was hit by a pitch to load the bases.  Sander Mora drew a walk and Rivas scored. Luis Rodriguez walked, and J. Rodriguez scored. Albert Inoa singled to right to plate Moquete and Mora.

In the second inning, Luis Montano hit a two-run home run to give the Cardinals a 6-0 lead. The seventh and final run scored on an RBI double by Rivas.

Rivas was 3-for-5 with an RBI.  J. Rodriguez was 2-for-2.

Saturday’s game:  at FCL Astros, TBD vs. TBD 9:00 am CT.

DSL Cardinals Blue 8 at DSL Rockies 6 (eight innings)

The Cardinals Blue (4-5) defeated the Rockies 8-6 in extra innings on Friday morning.  The Cardinals took an early lead, but the Rockies fought back to tie and take the game into extra innings.

The Blue offense scored five runs in the first inning.  Adari Grant led off with a single.  Jose Cordoba reached on a fielding error.  Keshawn Rombley doubled to plate Grant and Cordoba.  Leonardo Bernal drew a walk, then Fernando Diaz hit a two-run home run to right field.

Keshawn Rombley

The Rockies scored one run in the second to cut the lead to 5-1.  That score remained until the sixth inning when the Rockies put up five runs to take a 6-5 lead.  The Cardinals answered with one run in the seventh to tie the score.

As the game went into extra innings, Grant started the eighth inning on second base.  Rombley doubled to right and Grant scored.  Rombley scored when Bernal reached on an error.  The Cardinals led 8-6.  The Rockies failed to score in the bottom of the eighth and the Cardinals took home the victory

Rombley was 3-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored. Anyelo Encarnacion was 2-for-4.

Starter Hancel Rincon pitched four innings, gave up one unearned run on four hits and fanned seven.    Alexander Beltre surrendered five runs in the fifth.  Alejandro Cervantes tossed two scoreless innings of relief to earn his second win of the season.

On the base paths, Grant, and Bernal each stole a base.  It was Grant’s second stolen base of the season and Bernal’s first.  In the field, Bernal had a passed ball.

Saturday’s game:  vs. DSL Cardinals Red, TBD vs. TBD 9:30 am CT.

DSL Cardinals Red 4, DSL Tigers 3 (seven innings)

The Cardinals Red (6-3) edged the Tigers 4-3 in a seven-inning contest on Friday morning.  Starter Diorys Guerrero pitched four innings and gave up two runs, one earned, on three hits, struck out three and walked two.  Darlin Saladin surrendered one run in two innings of relief and earned the win, his second of the season.  Augusto Calderon tossed a scoreless seventh to bank his third save.

The Tigers took the lead with one run in each of the first two innings.  The Cardinals answered in the home half of the second to cut the lead to 2-1.  Marcelo Perez led off the second with a single, followed by a single from Maikel Hernandez.  A passed ball advanced both runners.  Miguel Vargas grounded out and Perez came home.

Miguel Vargas

The Cardinals tied the score 2-2 in the fourth.  Perez reached on an error and Vargas singled.  Elias Reynoso plated Perez on a sac fly.

The Tigers regained the lead 3-2 in the sixth.  In the bottom of the sixth, the Cardinals added two runs to take the lead 4-3.  Felix Taveras drew a walk and advanced to second on a passed ball.  Hernandez singled and Taveras scored.  Romtres Cabrera pinch ran for Hernandez and scored on a Vargas single.

Neither team scored in the seventh and the Cardinals took home the win, their sixth of the season.

Hernandez, Vargas, and Carlos Carmona each had two hits.  Vargas had two RBI.

On the base paths, Reynoso stole his first base of the season.  In the field, Guerrero picked a runner off first base, but also made an error on a pickoff.

Saturday’s game:  at Cardinals Blue, TBD vs. TBD 9:30 am CT.


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